If you’ve been into our Willemsparkweg store recently, you may have noticed some pretty fantastic plants hanging around. They’re verdant and luscious and give our already green business an even greener look. And because we adore what the team at Forest Amsterdam has done for TCPJ so much, we wanted you to get to know them as well as we do. We sat down with Eva, one of the founders of Forest Amsterdam, to chat about all things green from The Pro to rubber plants and everything in between.
First things first! Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and your sister Karina?
My sister Karina is always making and doing things – she’s a primary school teacher half of the week – and when I decided to move from London to Amsterdam, I felt like I needed to keep on doing something with my hands – I have a shop in London selling midcentury furniture and was always restoring pieces/ creating nice settings. That’s why we decided we should do something together. We both have the same feel and style when it comes to interior and have a love for plants, so we decided to go ahead and do something with this passion!
Sounds like we could use your help with redecorating of all sorts! Could you tell us a bit about how your interest in plants came about?
As is very evident in our own homes, we feel that plants really bring a room, house or workspace together and give it character and freshness. Plus, they’re a beautiful thing to have in your home to clean the air, ridding it of all sorts of toxins! A friend of Karina’s once took us to a grower (Kwekerij) in the Netherlands, and we just fell in love with traipsing around the place and finding new species we’d never come across before. We got such a thrill out of it, and we knew this was something we should pursue and see if we could make it part of our working lives.
It seems like it was fate. How would you describe the ethos of Forest Amsterdam? And what makes you stand out from others in the industry?
Our aim is to give our clients what they want, plus a little bit extra – we have a clean, minimalist aesthetic that puts beautiful, interesting & novelty plants at center stage. However, we also make sure the pots and accessories that go with a project are in complete sync with the client’s brand identity, which is why we often custom paint planters with their logo or brand’s colours like we did for the Willemsparkweg planters for the big cacti.
It really gives them something special. Speaking of The Cold Pressed Juicery, how did you get involved with us?
Although my sister and I are both big fans of healthy and nutritious food and drinks, I actually knew the lovely Nathalie from years ago and reached out to her. I love what she has done not only with the great products she produces and sells but also the gorgeous and healthy hubs she has created all over Amsterdam.
We couldn’t agree more. They are places you want to hang out in, not just grab a juice and go. Could you tell us how you chose the plants for the Willemsparkweg store?
One of the most important things we begin with is what the conditions for the plants would be if their locations have been decided already or limited. Some plants can’t take direct sunlight; some can’t take draft. It’s also important to consider how easy it is for the staff to actually water the plants, as it is with the high up cacti in WPW, and to determine if the care is feasible for the staff.
Well, so far so good, so it seems you’ve chosen well! Which plants would you suggest for new plant parents?
Some plants are nearly indestructible – including most cacti – like the Monstera Deliciosa or its rarer cousin Monstera Monkey Mask, which is a gorgeous hanging plant with beautiful holey leaves. Rubber plants are also very robust and, just like plants from the Monstera family, grow rather quickly. The succulent trailing plant Peperomia Hope (with the loveliest curved leaves) and Hoya Carnosa Rubra, which has gorgeous marbled tri-colour leaves, are also easy care plants that do well even if you forget their once a week watering every now and then.
And do you have any tips for those newbies looking to become more of a green thumb?
Propagating and growing yourself is always fun and exciting. If you don’t want to spend any money, use a large avocado seed to start with!
Just another reason to love avocados! Now that we’re on the subject of food, do you have a favorite product from TCPJ?
The Pro juice and the Hot Chocolate & Chaga are definitely at the top of our list, but all are just delicious.
We know that this is like asking a mother to pick her favorite child, but do you have one plant you love above all others?
I love large rubber plants. I have one in the shop in London that is nearly reaching the ceiling. It just gives the space such a fantastic and great feel!
Maybe that’s next for The Cold Pressed Juicery! Alright, we’ve got one more question for you. If you could do dream planting anywhere in the world, who would it be?
Oh that’s a tricky one… I guess a midcentury bungalow in L.A. would be so much fun for me. It would combine my two great passions of midcentury architecture and plants!