An Airy Amsterdam Apartment

Images by Renee Kemps

Julia Khan Anselmo is a woman of many talents; Creative Director, Event Producer, Designer & Chef, to name a few. The founder of Feisty Feast & womenswear brand LAASSO feels most joyous when using her hands, cooking, tablescaping, and renovating the historic Amsterdam apartment she shares with husband, Jasper & adorable fox terrier, Mimi. As you would expect, Julia’s kitchen reads like a gallery, rows of handwoven baskets, inherited silverware, and hand crafts from her travels— all within arms reach, ready for the minute her dinner companions arrive.  A natural host, Julia tells us where to find the best cheese in Amsterdam, what she’s cooking with the last of the Netherlands' summer bounty, and her most gratifying project to date.

“My husband, Jasper and I have been living in the historical Jewish neighborhood in the centre of Amsterdam since 2021. The apartment is on the lower and upper ground floor and is one of the oldest Rijks Monuments in the heart of Amsterdam. It’s the first home we have bought and renovated together and it was one of the most stressful but gratifying projects I have worked on. 

It’s the first home we have bought and renovated together and it was one of the most stressful but gratifying projects I have worked on.

“The building was built in the 1630 century as a spice merchants administrative office and we live on two levels with our bedroom opening up onto a garden. Originally when we moved in the kitchen was where the bedroom was and upstairs was the bedroom and living room.  We removed the ceiling and a mezzanine to restore the original proportions of the room as well as moved our bedroom downstairs and the kitchen upstairs. The space is small, only about 70 square meters but feels much bigger because the ceilings are almost five meters high upstairs – it really feels like you have room to think. I love how quiet and peaceful it is and how it feels like a sanctuary despite it being on one of Amsterdam’s busiest roads, The Prins Hendrikkade.”

“The bedroom has two double doors that open up to the garden and we always sleep with the doors open even in winter because I love to feel fresh air on my face at night. The room itself is simple and only really meant for sleeping and getting dressed. We have an antique circular window that opens to the bathroom above the bed and cupboards for clothing and that’s basically it. We also restored the ceiling downstairs as they were beams covered with a flat ceiling, most likely in the 60s, and I love the irregularity of the beams.”  

Julia's bed is dressed in an effortless collection of 100% Linen in White.

“I have a photograph of my late father in my kitchen. My favourite feature of the house besides my kitchen is a secret cupboard that Jasper’s brother Max built. It’s impractically high, almost five meters, but very helpful to have the extra storage space for LAASSO stock and suitcases. I always loved my mother's taste in decoration, clothing and homeware and she has generously given me many beautiful dishes, silverware and serving platters over the years that I bring back in my carry-on.”

“Feisty Feast began as an event to bring women together through different feminist themes over a long table dinner and has evolved to creating food centred experiences for brands. I initially started Feisty Feast in my apartment in 2014 with the aim of bringing women together through food. I had ended a job working for an art consultancy and was looking for something that was something I could do with my hands and not sit at a desk from 9-5.

Feisty Feast was a culmination of everything I cannot help myself from doing– meeting and connecting with new people, cooking and sharing food, and hosting.

“Feisty Feast was a culmination of everything I cannot help myself from doing– meeting  and connecting with new people, cooking and sharing food, and hosting. Working in restaurants as a host and server throughout university gave me confidence to host events, as well as growing up in a household where my parents, especially my late Portuguese father, loved hosting dinner parties and experimenting with different dishes. 

“The intention of what I do comes from my upbringing and unique experiences and I love sharing that with my guests and clients. Creating not only delicious food informed by classic traditions but also creating an atmosphere where everyone feels at home and delighted by the pleasure of dining together.  I love beauty and aesthetics and have an eye for styling tablescapes and food but for me the most important aspect is the energy that comes from all the guests just as much as it comes from myself and the people involved in bringing the event to life.”

“Each collaboration is unique and I feel fortunate to be able to work with the high profile clients that I do. The projects that bring me the most joy are where I feel I have the trust of the client and creative freedom for my team and I. When I look back at how I started with Feisty Feast events in my home and various locations in Vancouver and then in London, I feel proud. I think something really special can happen when you are driven by your own force and there are certain limitations. Those events were organized with only the budget from the tickets that I sold for the event; they felt transformative and powerful and genuine. Those events might not have been profitable but they gave me confidence in my ability to put together a team, get people excited about an idea and make it happen.”

The projects that bring me the most joy are where I feel I have the trust of the client and creative freedom for my team and I.

“The weather is shifting from summer to fall in Amsterdam and I’m enjoying the very last flavours of summer; salsa verde with white fish, or breaded aubergines with a tangy tomato sauce. I was just visiting Canada back home and we were having freshly caught spot prawns with wasabi and soya – one of my favourite things to enjoy! I love working with my hands and getting completely engrossed in whatever I am making or inspired by. The season is shifting from summer to fall in Europe and I just made a big batch of kimchi with the cabbages I got from the farmers market. I love how it requires many different little steps. 

I love working with my hands and getting completely engrossed in whatever I am making or inspired by.

“Cooking is all about doing a lot of little things right, Chef Marco Pierre White says, and I agree. I am drawn to traditional cooking processes that are often  time intensive and require research. I like practicing something over and over again until I get it just right and enjoying the process.”

“My home now is classic with some modern elements. I love objects that have been made to stand the test of time both aesthetically and functionally so I try to make sure that whatever I bring into my home, will be something that will stay for a long time. I travel whenever I can and love to bring back small hand crafts from wherever I go. Some of my favourite objects are bowl rests from a market in Ghana or handwoven baskets from a road trip a few years ago to Namibia. I think I used to be more of a maximalist than I am now. Moving from Vancouver to Amsterdam, we brought a lot of things with us. When you own a lot of things, they own you, you don’t own them. Now, I try to be much more discerning with what I bring into my home and my life, don’t know where I’ll end up next!

Some of my favourite objects are bowl rests from a market in Ghana or handwoven baskets from a road trip a few years ago to Namibia.

“I live in the centre of a neighborhood that I never knew before and it was really the rare architecture and beauty of the apartment that drew us there. It’s in the old Jewish quarter of the city bordering the plantage and a 10 minute walk to Central Station. Coming from Canada, nothing is too far away. I love that we are in the city centre but when you’re in the apartment it’s calm and tranquil. I wanted a home that feels like you’re on retreat or on holiday. Serene and quiet with lots of natural light and greenness from the garden. It almost looks like a tropical jungle in the garden because of the heat that can get trapped- everything grows so well.”

Julia's calm bedroom is finished with our 100% Linen in White, and our Heavy Linen Bolsters in White. 

“I regularly attend the Saturday Noordermarkt. There are an incredible selection of vendors with organic produce and the best cheese and eggs as well an abundance of seasonal flowers as an antique and vintage clothing section that’s fun to source treasures and tableware. I almost always bump into a friend or familiar face which is what living in Amsterdam is all about.

“This year I’m looking forward to spending more quality time with friends and family in nature.”