KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Delft Blue miniature porcelain houses are a treasured tradition dating back to 1952. Not only are they highly collectible today -- they also come with a fascinating story as to how and why they even exist.  

I have two personal connections to these beautiful blue and white ceramic houses, which makes collecting them even more of a thrill for me. Today I'm going to share some details about the houses and just what those connections are.

   

 

How Did KLM Delft Blue Miniature Houses Begin? 

 KLM began giving out its signature Delft Blue miniature houses to first class international passengers in 1952. The introduction of these houses was actually a clever workaround of strict international aviation regulations. At the time, the Air Transport Association had rules prohibiting airlines from giving expensive gifts to passengers to prevent unfair competition. 

To bypass this restriction, KLM decided not to market the houses as "gifts." Instead, they filled the porcelain miniatures with Dutch genever (gin) and served them to first-class passengers. When competing airlines complained about the giveaway, KLM famously retorted: "Is there a law that states drinks must be served in a glass?"

 

My First Personal Connection to KLM Delft Blue Miniature Houses

As a child I used to wait patiently for my father to come home from his around-the-world business trips. He always had a souvenir for me, usually a doll of some sort. At some point he spent an extended period of time in Holland and flew KLM Airlines -- which means he would also come home with miniature KLM Amsterdam houses for my mom. 

The collection grew to the point that she had an entire shelf in our living room filled with those KLM houses. And how I wish I had taken possession of them when my father eventually moved out of the house after my mom died many years later. But alas, I did not. My young twenty-something self was just not interested. Sadly, I've never learned what happened to those houses.  

 

 

My Second Personal Connection to KLM Delft Blue Miniature Houses 

 

This past November my husband and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary by taking a European river cruise on the Rhine river that included Switzerland, France, Germany and The Netherlands. Knowing that we'd be in Amsterdam, I purposefully planned a day trip on their railway system from there to the city of Delft. Ever since those miniature houses were brought home by my dad, I've been enamored of the houses as well as most Delft pottery.

 

Our day trip to Delft was a truly special part of our trip. And not just because we toured the Royal Delft Factory and Museum. We discovered that Delft is a beautiful canal town with its own special history and wonderful vibe. I still plan on sharing more of my photos from the factory and museum, as well as the town itself, in a future post.   

Unfortunately, while in The Netherlands, I really didn't see any replica canal houses for sale. Perhaps we weren't looking in the right places. Either way, I was so disappointed not to be bringing any home.  

Then, believe it or not, my husband found some very pretty porcelain canal houses at the Amsterdam airport right before we flew home. 

Were they made in "the" Delft factory? No. They were made by Heinen Delfts Blauw Holland. Were they very pretty and reasonably priced? Yes. So I ended up getting three of them for Christmas!

 

One of them can even be used as a vase (seen here with some of my first summer garden flowers).   

Without flowers in it you can't tell it has an opening. 

In addition to the three houses from the airport, I also have one that was actually found out in the wild while my daughter was thrifting. For all of $2.99 she brought it home for me!

It's substantially larger than the other three houses.

Here's the maker's mark on it. While the original Delft factory still sells their handmade porcelain wares, over the years many other manufacturers have purported to be "the" Delft artisans. So sometimes you have to take the marks with a grain of salt. 

In other words, this particular canal house may or may not have actually been made in Holland. But that's ok, because I don't own it for its provenance. I own it because I love it.  

How I Got My First KLM Delft Blue Miniature House   

A few weeks ago my daughter and I spent a day of vintage and thrift shopping, and apparently it was my lucky day -- while roaming around one of our favorite haunts, I spied a real KLM house on a shelf. I was afraid to even look at the price. But it was only $8.50! 

It said KLM on the back, so I believed it was the real deal and snagged it right up. (It currently sells for between $20 to $45 on sites like Ebay or specialized collector sites like KLMhouses). 

All the KLM houses are numbered, and my house is number 42. Each number corresponds to a real house or building. Mine is a miniature replica of KLM House #42, a historic canal house located at Prinsengracht 514 in Amsterdam. The building has a rich architectural history: 

    17th-Century Origins: The house was originally built in the late 17th century during Amsterdam's Golden Age.

    The 1720 Facelift: In 1720, the house was heavily rebuilt and modernized, which is where it got the classic, elegant neck gable ("halsgevel") that you can see on your miniature model.

    Modern Survival: It went through subsequent structural restorations in 1922 and 1980 to preserve its historic integrity. Today, it stands as a beautifully preserved private residence right on one of Amsterdam's most famous canals. If you google the address you can see the house as it looks today!

So why are the buildings numbered?

KLM was founded on October 7, 1919. As of 1993, there had been 60 different miniature Delft houses issued. In 1994, when KLM celebrated it's 75th anniversary, they issued a total of 15 miniatures at once, bringing the total to 75 so that the number of houses would be the same as KLM's age. Now, every year on October 7th, a new house is issued. Last year, in October of 2025, they issued house #106 (KLM's 106th birthday).  

The more recently issued houses, while stilled filled with Dutch gin, have been sealed over the chimney -- this helps the gin from evaporating. When you shake my house you can still hear the gin sloshing around in it! 

You'll notice that the paint color of the authentic KLM canal house is a much deeper blue than the houses we found in the airport. It's one of the ways you can tell you have the real deal.

There are many other ways to authenticate a KLM canal house, and I will be dedicating an entire upcoming post to their detailed history and significance in much deeper detail. 

Suffice it to say that I'm a collector for life! 

  Well, that's it for today, friends!

I hope you've enjoyed reading about 

Delft Blue Miniature Houses 

by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines  

and that I've inspired you in some way.

Don't Forget To Pin It!

  

 Be sure to stay in touch:

Click HERE to subscribe.

Don't miss another thrifty,

DIY home decor post!