The house where Rembrandt lived between 1639 and 1658 is now a museum -  Museum Het Rembrandthuis or Rembrandt House Museum.  The building was constructed in 1606 and was built on two lots in the "Jewish section" of Amsterdam.  It was a substantial two-storey dwelling with a stepped gable.  In 1627 the house was drastically remodeled.  It was given a new facade and another storey was added.

In 1639 Rembrandt signed a contract to purchase the house for the price of 13,000 Guilders, a huge sum, which he could not come up with in its entirety.  Because he was already a celebrated artist, he was allowed to pay it off in installments.  In the same year he bought the house, he was awarded the prestigious commission to paint "The Night Watch".  Although he was now earning a lot of money, Rembrandt was unable, or unwilling, to pay off the mortgage.  Between 1652 and 1656 he made frantic attempts to get his hands on money to pay off his debt.  He didn't succeed and was forced into bankruptcy.  In 1656 Rembrandt's property was inventoried for the benefit of his creditors, and his household effects and collection of art were sold.  The house was auctioned in 1658 and fetched a bit over 11,000 Guilders.  Rembrandt moved to a small rented house, where he lived until his death in 1669.

In 1660 Rembrandt's former house was shored up and split into two.  It was to house several different families up to the end of the nineteenth century.  During this period the house was altered several times, and its condition deteriorated over the years.  It might have been demolished had it not once had such a famous occupant.  On the occasion of a Rembrandt exhibition in 1906, the city of Amsterdam bought the dilapidated building and shortly afterwards handed it over to Rembrandthuis Foundation.  The trustees wanted to return Rembrandt's former home as accurately as possible to the state it was in around the middle of the seventeenth century.  Instead, a modified restoration of the house was completed in 1911 and the house became the setting for a Rembrandt print collection.

The collection of etchings grew steadily as a result of gifts and purchases, but few changes were actually made to the interior of the house.  But, in the 1990's, there were some major developments.  The trustees succeeded in acquiring the adjacent premises, enabling them to build an extension to the museum.  The facade of the new building was designed by Moshe Zwarts and Rein Jansma.  This new wing opened in 1998 and houses two exhibition galleries, offices, and the Rembrandt Information Centre.  Once the new wing was completed, it was possible to resurrect the old plan to restore Rembrandt's former home to its original condition.  The plan was based on historical knowledge built up over many years.  The inventories of the house were very important.  There was an inventory of the first occupant from 1626, but the most important document turned out to be that inventory of Rembrandt's bankruptcy, which still existed.  It listed the furniture, paintings, prints drawings, statues, weapons, and rare object found in each room.  So the experts knew exactly how the house was laid out and how Rembrandt had used the different rooms.  Some of his drawings provided additional information.

The house with the red and green shutters has now been restored to the way it must have looked during Rembrandt's time.  The dramatic new wing next door provides excellent gallery space to exhibit his many etchings and prints.

  ...information from Rembrandthuis Museum website:  http://rembrandthuis.nl