Ted.
A multi-purpose creative space in the heart of Amsterdam.
A Gustaf Westman “Curvy Mirror” was lying behind a bunch of bold bright furniture pieces on an Instagram post that came up on my feed. Not sure if it was because lately I’ve been looking for unique pieces for our new studio in New York, or because of the previous feature we did on Gustaf, but I obviously had to reach out and see what was that all about. A week after I found myself chatting with the lovely Daphne Weersink, founder of Ted.
Before Ted, Daphne was entirely dedicated to Art Direction, but it’s been a while now that Ted has taken over her entire schedule. “It all started quite fast. I needed a place to store some vintage pieces that were not fitting in our new apartment”. Daphne lives with her boyfriend in Amsterdam in what looks like a sun-drenched loft, from what I could see through our zoom call.
The space was waiting for her. She found the two-floor story retail space on Marketplace, went to see it immediately, and the following day, the lease was signed. “There were a lot of applications already in place, and the owner told me I needed to send him my business plan (which I didn’t have). So I went home, put something together and the next day I got accepted. I was full of excitement, but also full of uncertainty. At some point, I was like… what have I done!?”.
What first started as a rental of vintage furniture, it soon became a multi-purpose creative space offering collectible mid-century modern vintage and new furniture pieces, contemporary artworks from local artists, and unique design objects. Today creatives can also rent the space for photo shoots, workshops, launches, and any other creative events.
From Masi’s latest popup at Ted. Photos: @ericamasi
Amsterdam Vintage Clothing at Ted. Photos: @amsterdamvintageclothing
Daphne attributes Ted’s success to the unique shapes and bright colors of the pieces she’s selected. “Today you find everywhere that traditional Scandinavian aesthetic, characterized by minimal, clean, and nude colors. Ted is the total opposite, so when I started to share photos of the space on Instagram, the impact was huge”.
Art runs in the Netherlands’ DNA, from Rembrandt and the old masters through Van Gogh and Mondrian. So it’s not a surprise that the city’s art and design scene is eternally evolving, fueled by the rich programming of smaller galleries, artist-run centers, and creative spaces like Ted. After two years of reduced activities in the cultural world, now and more than ever, artists, designers, and brands are looking to build community through creative agendas. With more than 200,000 people from over 20 nationalities working in the creative industries, Amsterdam is today one of the meccas of creativity and innovation, and Ted is in the center of it all.
When Daphne is not buying new pieces and organizing the next popup event, you can find her having lunch at Officina (a cute little spot right next to Ted.) or enjoying a beer with friends at Café De Nieuwe.
Daphne is currently putting together a new rental collection, setting up the backyard of the space to expand her offerings, and working on GOING INTERNATIONAL with her unique pieces! She is in talks with First Dibs and building other partnerships around the globe. Can’t wait to see where Ted goes next!