Local residents did not find the ‘showy and’ color blue passengers in the otherwise sandy-colored Amstelveen district. She applied for an enforcement request to the municipality in 2019. After an inspection by the city architect, the Amstelveen municipal council imposes a final penalty, because the color corresponds to the requirements of prosperity’.

Alderman Herbert Raat said about this: “On the one hand, I think that people should have the freedom to shape the appearance of their home with their neighbors.” The house had to be painted over.

The residents disagreed and went to court. “At the time, when Westwijk became a color, that color was just something that was given color by the municipality,” said one of the residents, Jan Jacob Beckeringhaafter hearing the penalty.

The authority has set out on a discussion about color code. Is the house light blue, sky blue or bright blue? In 1994, the building permit changed the facade color to light blue. But according to a report by the Netherlands Color Institute foundation, the new color is not light blue at all. The institute relies on photos, but did not go around the house with a color fan to determine an exact color. Reason for the court to set the NKI report aside.

Even if it were used that the color is bright blue of sky blue, then no residents would not have to repaint the house, the judge ruled. The welfare bill offers room for deviating colors. ‘The fact that a number of houses in the district have facades with light sand colors does not mean that a deviating choice of color is excessive,’ the court said.