The Delft Blue KLM houses are among the most recognisable airline collectibles in the world. What started in 1952 as an unusual way of serving a drink to First Class passengers has grown into a collection of 107 numbered miniature houses, each with its own architecture, history and story.
Today, KLM presents the miniature houses to passengers travelling in World Business Class on intercontinental flights. Every year on 7 October, KLM's anniversary, a new house is added to the collection.
How the KLM Delft Blue house tradition began
KLM introduced its first Delft Blue miniature houses in 1952. At the time, airlines were restricted in the gifts they could give passengers. According to the well-known story surrounding the origin of the houses, KLM found an ingenious solution: rather than presenting passengers with a separate gift, the airline served a drink in a specially made miniature Delft Blue bottle.
The miniature houses were designed as small bottles and filled with an alcoholic drink. What began as an original way to serve passengers soon developed into one of KLM's most enduring traditions.
From miniature bottle to collector's item
The KLM houses proved popular with passengers and gradually became sought-after collector's items. Each miniature represents, or is inspired by, a real historic building. Most are located in the Netherlands, although the collection also includes a small number of buildings outside the European Netherlands.
The collection includes canal houses, warehouses, museums, historic residences, commercial buildings and other remarkable properties. Together, the miniatures form a unique journey through Dutch architecture and history.
Why the house number matches KLM's age
KLM was founded on 7 October 1919. In 1994, when the airline celebrated its 75th anniversary, the number of miniature houses was brought in line with KLM's age.
Since then, KLM has traditionally unveiled one new numbered house every year on 7 October. This means that the number of houses now increases together with the age of the airline.
On 7 October 2026, KLM celebrated its 107th anniversary by unveiling KLM House No. 107: Wijnhoeve De Kleine Schorre in Dreischor, Zeeland.
KLM House No. 107: De Kleine Schorre
The newest addition to the collection is Wijnhoeve De Kleine Schorre, a winery in Dreischor on the Zeeland island of Schouwen-Duiveland.
The winery was founded in 2001 and has had a long relationship with KLM. Since 2006, wines from De Kleine Schorre have been served in KLM World Business Class. By selecting the winery as House No. 107, KLM highlighted Dutch craftsmanship, entrepreneurship and innovation.
House No. 107 is the third location from Zeeland to be represented in the numbered collection, following earlier houses associated with Middelburg and Veere.
What is inside a KLM house?
KLM houses are not simply ceramic miniatures: traditionally, they are small bottles. Today, the houses are associated with Dutch genever and are generally filled with Bols Genever.
Not every KLM house encountered by collectors contains alcohol. On flights to destinations where alcohol is restricted, empty miniatures may be distributed. Some of these carry a label explaining that the house was supplied empty because of local customs regulations.
Older houses may also be found empty because their contents have evaporated or were consumed by a previous owner. Corks, seals and the amount of liquid remaining can therefore vary considerably between individual vintage houses.
Rynbende, Henkes and Bols
The names found on older KLM houses provide an interesting glimpse into the history of the collection. Early miniatures can be found with references to Rynbende, followed by Henkes and later Bols.
Distiller Simon Rynbende established his business in 1793. Rynbende was taken over by Henkes in the 1950s, and Henkes later became part of Bols. These changes can be seen in the markings and labels found on KLM miniatures from different periods.
For collectors, these differences are important. Two examples of the same house number can differ in colour, markings, base, seal and other production details depending on when they were made.
Who made the KLM houses?
For many years, the KLM miniature houses were produced by Koninklijke Goedewaagen, a Dutch ceramics manufacturer with a long history. Goedewaagen was originally based in Gouda and later moved production to Nieuw-Buinen.
Production arrangements changed during the 1990s and later official KLM houses were also manufactured outside the Netherlands. This sometimes caused confusion among collectors, with overseas-made houses incorrectly being described as unofficial reproductions.
The country in which a miniature was manufactured does not by itself determine whether it is an authentic KLM house. Official miniatures were produced in different locations during different periods.
Classic and newer KLM houses
Collectors will notice considerable differences between older and newer versions of the same miniature. Earlier examples often have a lighter shade of blue, while many newer houses have darker Delft Blue decoration.
The base markings also changed over time. Some older editions have no production date engraved into the bottom, while later editions may contain additional markings or dates.
These variations are part of what makes collecting KLM houses so interesting. A collector can therefore own two authentic examples of the same house number that look noticeably different.
Are all KLM houses exact copies of existing buildings?
Most KLM houses can be linked to a specific historic building. For several early miniatures, however, the exact building has never been established with complete certainty.
In some cases different publications identify different buildings. KLM House No. 6 is a good example: historical sources have linked the miniature both to Het Houten Huys in Amsterdam and to the former Sint Petrus House in Middelburg.
Where an identification is uncertain or disputed, we try to make this clear on the individual product page rather than present an uncertain identification as fact.
Special KLM miniatures
In addition to the regular numbered collection, KLM and its partners have issued several special Delft Blue miniatures. These specials do not form part of the standard numbered series.
Examples include special versions of the Royal Palace Amsterdam, the Platinum for Life Palace, the Ridderzaal, the Rijksmuseum, the Scheepvaartmuseum and other commemorative or limited editions.
Some of these were produced for a particular event or group of passengers. The Royal Palace Honeymoon Edition, for example, was presented to newlywed couples travelling with KLM on their honeymoon.
Why are KLM houses so collectible?
For many collectors, the appeal lies in the combination of aviation, Dutch heritage, architecture and the challenge of completing the series.
Older houses exist in numerous variations and their condition can differ substantially. Differences in manufacturers, markings, roof colour, seals, corks and production periods make the collection much broader than simply owning one example of each number.
A complete numbered collection currently runs from KLM House No. 1 through No. 107.
Frequently asked questions about KLM houses
How many numbered KLM houses are there?
There are currently 107 numbered KLM Delft Blue houses. House No. 107, Wijnhoeve De Kleine Schorre in Dreischor, was unveiled on 7 October 2026.
When did KLM start giving out Delft Blue houses?
KLM introduced the miniature houses in 1952. They were initially presented to premium passengers and today are given to World Business Class passengers on intercontinental KLM flights.
When is a new KLM house released?
KLM traditionally unveils a new house on 7 October, the airline's birthday. Since 1994, the house number has corresponded with KLM's age.
Are KLM houses filled with alcohol?
Most modern houses are filled with Bols Genever. Empty versions also exist, particularly for flights to destinations with restrictions on alcohol. Vintage examples can also be empty because the contents were consumed or have evaporated over time.
Are all KLM houses made in Delft?
No. Delft Blue describes the ceramic style and decoration rather than requiring production in the city of Delft. Official KLM houses have been manufactured in different locations over the history of the collection.
Are all KLM houses based on real buildings?
The collection is based on real and historically significant buildings, although the exact identity of several early miniatures is uncertain or has been interpreted differently in different publications.
What is the latest KLM house?
The latest miniature is KLM House No. 107, Wijnhoeve De Kleine Schorre in Dreischor, Zeeland, unveiled on 7 October 2026.
Collecting KLM Delft Blue houses
More than seventy years after the first miniature was introduced, collecting KLM houses remains a worldwide hobby. Some collectors concentrate on completing the numbered series, while others search for particular manufacturers, older colour variations, rare markings or special editions.
Whether you are looking for a single missing number or an entire collection, every KLM house represents a small piece of aviation and architectural history.