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A Visit to Blend&Blender

In September 2013, Netherlands-based designer Marcel Ossendrijverof M.OSS Design, started Blend&Blender with his girlfriend. A fun mix of Dutch and Scandinavian design, organic food, drinks, and wellness products, it brings together the couple’s individual pursuits under one roof. Sietske, having run a beauty salon called Puur Wellness for 7 years, and Marcel being a designer, took everything they were passionate about and combined it, then added coffee!

Marcel and Sietske

Marcel and Sietske

I spoke with Marcel to find out more about his quirky endeavor:

Why did you pick this city/neighborhood/storefront?

We have been living in Amersfoort for a couple of years. Sietske was born here. We lived on this street and we were looking for a place to start our concept store for a couple months. We found a great location on our street where it was also possible to live above our store.

Where did you get the name for the store?

In our store we have coffee, tea, pie, and lunch—these are the blends. If you mix this in a blender, with design, wellness etc. you have this mix store “blend&blender”.

Coffee shop

Coffee shop

Wellness area

Wellness area

blend-blender-shop-netherlands-coffee

blend-blender-shop-netherlands-pies

Has it changed much since it opened? How?

We just opened in September 2013, so we didn’t change much. We now and then change the design in the store, and we just started serving lunch.

What’s one of the challenges you have with the business?

Our store is not in the center of the busy shopping district, so we have to do our best to attract the customers to our store.

Cafe meets shopping

Cafe meets shopping

What other stores have you worked in before opening this one?

I was logistic manager at a big furniture store, and Sietske has had her wellness for 7 years.

blend-blender-shop-netherlands-rocker

What’s your favorite item in the store right now?

I love the rocking chair [pictured above] from Dutch designer Floris Hovers. He uses old woodwork technics to construct this chair. Very great craftsmanship.

Are you carrying any new products and/or undiscovered gems you’re particularly excited about?

I’m excited to have the jewelry from Simon&Me, a German designer who creates copper bracelets.

What’s been a consistent best seller? 

Haha that would be my own product line M.OSS design. I sell more lamps in my own store than anywhere else:)

blend-blender-shop-netherlands-shop

blend-blender-shop-netherlands-shop-rockers

I know you have a line of lamps that you designed, but are there any other products in the shop that you’ve created yourself or as a collaboration?

Not really. My own work from M.OSS would be our own line in store. No collabs.

Do you have anything from the store in your own home?

Yes—the rocking chair from Floris Hovers.

Visit Blend&Blender at Hendrik van Viandenstraat 6, 3817ab Amersfoort, The Netherlands, or on Facebook.

Jaime Derringer, Founder + Executive Editor of Design Milk, is a Jersey girl living in SoCal. She dreams about funky, artistic jewelry + having enough free time to enjoy some of her favorite things—running, reading, making music, and drawing.