As the world becomes a more complex place, more integrated with and dependant on rapidly advancing technologies, it can feel hard to keep up. Even our homes – places that should feel like sanctuaries – are getting more complicated, with smart technologies creeping into our walls and appliances, and even sneaking into our beds to disrupt our sleep, via our smart phones.
It’s no wonder so many of us are in search of a simpler life. With one of its most recent projects, Dutch firm i29 Interior Architects have set the stage for exactly that, creating a tiny holiday home where a family of four could really get away from it all, in Vinkeveen, the Netherlands.
Just 55 square metres, the house, which was designed in collaboration with local architect Chris Collaris, divides its basic functions into four distinct volumes – clad in blackened waxed wood – which wrap an interior courtyard. The largest volume, the only one to include a second storey, houses three bedrooms and a full bath. The remaining structures hold a kitchen, a living space, and a second bathroom and storage.
Every room features built-in storage to keep clutter out of sight, and maximizes every centimetre of space. A clean and uncomplicated materials palette also helps maintain the airy feeling – the ceilings’ exposed beams are painted stark white, the furnishings (which include a table and sofa from Hay and an Arco bench) are kept to a minimum with the help of the storage walls in natural and black-stained oak.
The floors are polished concrete and flow out to the exterior courtyard through the large, sliding glass walls that each volume incorporates. These generous openings allow the rooms to merge with the interior courtyard as well as the natural landscape. As a whole, the house is positioned on its site to not only afford the best views of the lake, but of the summer sun as it sets over the water – making it nearly impossible not to stop at the end of the day and enjoy these simple pleasures.
