The story of Heinen Delfts Blauw

Just like the development of Delft Blue, the origins of Heinen Delfts Blauw were an ongoing process—a growth that emerged naturally through talent, dreams, and a great deal of courage. As the right people came together at the right moments, the family business took flight and spread across the globe like a splash of blue paint.

The story begins with Jaap Heinen, who in 1975 was painting at the market during the Spakenburg Days. Jaap and his wife Janny would load up their car with vases and painting supplies to sell at the market in the fishing harbor. His painted work proved very popular with passersby. Jaap received so many requests that his calendar was fully booked for months ahead. He was even asked not only to paint porcelain, but also traditional costumes.

To help his father—and to earn some extra pocket money—his son Jorrit decided to start painting as well.

Jaap Heinen initially painted scenes in the Asian Imari style, but soon he began to immerse himself in the art of Delft blue painting. In the 1980s, he started a small workshop in Putten, where he independently discovered the entire production process of Delft blue pottery—from creating designs and developing a painting style to glazing and firing the ceramics. His craftsmanship developed rapidly, and thanks to the high quality of his work, customers from all over the country found their way to the small workshop in Putten.

When his son Jorrit sold a handmade plate for 25 guilders, his entrepreneurial spirit was awakened. His father realized that, alongside painting, Jorrit was especially eager to build a business. Jorrit’s involvement motivated him to take his rapidly growing hobby seriously, and one day he said to his son, “We should start looking for a shop in Amsterdam.” In 1985, the first store opened on the Prinsengracht in Amsterdam. After all these years, this shop is still part of the company.

Did you know… Heinen Delfts Blauw creates its own clay using a mix of raw materials sourced from around the world. The glaze and the iconic Delft blue paint are also produced in their own workshop. Making the paint takes no less than eight days. All of this is done to ensure the highest possible quality.

The days of the idyllic market in the fishing harbor are now far behind the company. Today, Heinen Delfts Blauw has multiple stores in prime A-locations in Amsterdam, Delft, and Putten. The company has also expanded internationally, with beautiful stores in Curaçao, Bonaire, and the United States, as well as its own factories in the Netherlands and China. The webshop now operates at the same high level as the physical stores.

As the company has grown, so too has its range of collections and products. In the early days, the family business mainly focused on its own hand-painted work and souvenirs. Later, the assortment was expanded with painted pieces from other brands. Today, only Heinen Delfts Blauw’s own collections are sold. These collections are all developed in-house by their own design team, sometimes in collaboration with Dutch designers such as Debbie Wijskamp, Romy Kühne, and Richard Hutten, as well as Janny van der Heijden, with whom a beautiful collection was created. The focus has increasingly shifted toward the Home & Living category. At the same time, great care and attention are still devoted to an exclusive hand-painted Delft blue collection—the flagship of Heinen Delfts Blauw.

The company’s changing direction has sometimes been quite challenging. “Heinen Delfts Blauw has always been a bit rebellious,” says owner Jorrit Heinen. “Going against the current is how we became successful, and that has essentially become synonymous with our company. While many small pottery factories in and around Gouda closed down, our business grew. We had our own retail stores in strategic tourist locations, even though Delft blue was barely popular in the Netherlands at the time.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jorrit was forced to make far-reaching decisions for the future. “Our tourism-based revenue model came to a complete halt during the pandemic. Unfortunately, our factory, De Delftse Paauw, did not survive the crisis, and it was painful to say goodbye. At that point, we decided to accelerate our entry into the Home & Living market, focusing on Dutch customers rather than tourism. It was a risky choice, but there was no other option, and ultimately it has brought us to where we are today. The pandemic was not an easy time, but I always try to think in terms of opportunities and possibilities. That’s the exciting part of entrepreneurship, and it’s why Heinen Delfts Blauw has become such a special company. We have a lot of talent on board, and it’s only through the dedication of all our staff that we can continue to grow and dream.”

Delft blue has once again become incredibly popular in Dutch households. It has become a special cultural heritage because countries and their people identify with a product—something timeless and recognizable that is part of a shared history. Many countries have their own ceramic traditions, and the Netherlands can be proud of Delft blue. Heinen Delfts Blauw sees it as its mission to keep this centuries-old craft alive and to make Delft blue appealing for generations to come.

Meanwhile, Jorrit Heinen’s children have also joined the family business. A third generation of Heinen, each contributing in their own way and with their own talents to the work their grandfather started. This is also how the unique shop-café Lekker Blauw came into being, where visitors can eat and shop. Here too, the core values of Heinen Delfts Blauw are central: artisanally made, with love and attention, and only using the finest ingredients. This cozy, Dutch-style eatery once again bridges the traditional craft and modern innovation, creating intriguing contrasts.

“That’s why our motto is: Creating New Traditions,” says Jorrit Heinen. “For me personally, it means continuing the life’s work of my father. And when the new generation adds their own contributions, it fills me with immense pride.”