Old meets new inside this converted schoolhouse apartment next to Amsterdam’s Lauriergracht canal.

The De Voorzienigheid school dates to 1923 and was run by the Sisters of Providence before it was converted into apartments in 1989. Period details inside the red brick building – just five minutes walk from the Nine Streets – have been retained, including decorative stained glass above its street entrance and the original tiled hallway.

This 411 sq m Amsterdam apartment is on the market via PC22 for €3.65m and is located at the rear of the building on the first floor. A large hallway leads into the reception room, which has high ceilings and tall sash windows looking out onto the garden courtyard.

Ornate cast-iron support beams contrast the clean, contemporary lines of the space, which has been totally renovated. Its walls are hung with large paintings, and a separate staircase leads up to the mezzanine gallery over head.

Off the reception is a chef-grade kitchen with stainless steel worktops and equipment. Designed to cater for large parties, it has three ovens, a teppanyaki grill and hot plates built in. But for more intimate gatherings, there’s custom seating built-in beneath the window, and the room can be closed off via sliding doors to create a cosier space.

Elsewhere, the main living room has 5-metre-high ceilings and its windows frame views of the old monastery and chapel. A curving wall conceals the built in fireplace. The Amsterdam property’s three bedrooms are reached via the glass bridge between the kitchen and the living room, and each has its own en suite (the master suite even has a Finnish sauna).

See more converted schools.