Frans Ankone

Wherever the trade winds blow, you are likely to find Frans Ankone, a writer and fashion stylist who has lived in New York and Morocco, but will always call Amsterdam home. This flying Dutchman has created a Marrakech-style haven in his 17th Century townhouse facing the Singel, one of the largest waterways in the city (figure A).

When Ankone first saw the house in the 1980s, he almost turned it down, until he saw what had once been a greenhouse connected to the living area of the home. He could imagine lying in his bed looking at the stars from the greenhouse's glass roof at night. He was sold--and today, the former greenhouse is, indeed, his bedroom (figure B).

The walls of that room are covered in an enormous mural depicting an Egyptian temple (figure C). Because it took over 18 months of meticulous painting to complete the mural, the painter actually moved in with Ankone to devote as much time possible to the project.

One floor up in the living room, tiny mosaic tiles were painstakingly placed in a Greek key pattern on the floor. It was a job that took six months, but, as with everything in his home, Ankone enjoyed the process. Accent furnishings, like tables and lamps, are from Africa and the Middle East, while larger pieces of furniture were shipped from Italy (figure D). Like his ancestors before him, Frans Ankone will always travel to distant ports, but the heart of this sailor will always lead home--to Amsterdam.