StoryTiles on the Singel: tiles that each tell a story

StoryTiles is an Amsterdam brand of handmade ceramic tiles, and their very first shop has been at Singel 410 since 2022. You will find it on the corner of the Singel and the Wijde Heisteeg, in the Nine Streets (Negen Straatjes). Every tile has its own drawing and its own title, and that way tells a small story.

What makes StoryTiles special?

At first glance, a StoryTile looks like an old-fashioned Dutch tile. Look closer and you see a scene from today: a couple on a bench, a woman waving at a hot-air balloon, a bicycle with a basket full of flowers. There are also tiles about Amsterdam, such as “Struinen door Amsterdam” (wandering through Amsterdam).

The tiles are made by hand and fired in the Netherlands in traditional tile kilns, in three rounds at 850 to 1,250 degrees. That makes them resistant to heat, water and cold. StoryTiles is now sold at more than 300 shops in 20 countries, but this is their first shop of their own.

Who is behind StoryTiles?

Marga van Oers started StoryTiles in 2013 and also designs the tiles. Her grandmother once gave her an old box of Delft blue tiles, and that gave her the idea of making tiles herself: in the old Dutch tradition, but with new stories.

What does the shop look like?

The windows have a drawing of canal houses, a bridge with swans and a little boat on the water. In the shop window, large tulips stand between the tiles, and a big climbing plant grows along the front of the building.

Inside, against pink floral wallpaper, there is a light blue cabinet full of tiles, neatly lined up in rows, with a small stool covered in blue tiles in front of it. It is the kind of shop you pop into for a moment and then keep looking around for longer than you planned.

Can you have a tile made with your own house number?

Yes. StoryTiles makes house number tiles with your number and your surname, or with the names of everyone who lives there. They are made to order, delivered within two weeks and can go outside, because they can handle rain and frost.

A lovely gift for someone who has just bought a house. It is a reminder of the old days, when an Amsterdam house had a gable stone (gevelsteen), a carved stone in the facade, so people could find it.

Living around the Nine Streets

The Nine Streets (Negen Straatjes) are the small side streets between the Singel and the Prinsengracht, full of little shops and cafés. Almost directly opposite StoryTiles, on the other side of the water, is the pastry bakery Lanskroon. Curious how living and buying in this area works? Then read our page about Amsterdam-Centrum.

Looking for a home in the city centre yourself? Feel free to see what our buying agent can do for you, or drop by our office at Singel 374.