Steel House
On the doorstep of Rijssen, the Steel House is an architecturally designed holiday rental in the middle of a Dutch forest. It features two bedrooms, open-plan living spaces and a natural swimming pool
Be inspired by the natural environment and the way the house interacts with it.
Glass House
Because of the natural, unheated pool, this house is less suitable for children who can't swim.
What is the story behind the Glass House?
We love to go on holidays but we are always too late. All of a sudden, we decide to go on holiday and it’s too late to rent a really nice home. Sometimes, we’d find something in a nice location and it would look great from the outside, but when we stayed, the bed wasn’t good, it wasn’t that clean or we didn’t feel inspired.
One holiday, we stayed in a really nice place and it had such a great bed. So when we got home, we went out to buy a good quality mattress. The house inspired us! Eventually, we found that coming home felt like being on holiday because our home was so comfortable.
Based on our experience, we decided to design a house that incorporated all of the things we felt were important. This was what we called Cabin 01. It was our first design — a small, wooden house that we built as though it was a piece of furniture. Initially, it wasn’t necessarily to be rented out but more so that people could buy it and put it in their backyard.
It was a prefab design that was constructed inside and eventually moved to a wooded plot in the Netherlands’ east. Here, people could see it and experience it before purchase by renting it out. From day one, it was full. A year later, we found another piece of land beside a dyke and designed another house. Both have since been sold.
We currently have four houses to rent and another three being built in the Netherlands, plus a fourth on an island in Sweden. Our process is to find really beautiful locations and design a house that meets the regulations and the surroundings. After renting them out for between one and three years, we sell them so we can build another house.
Our team of three includes myself, my husband and a friend of ours. My husband and I met while studying economics in Rotterdam and both have quite strong ideas about how you can live. While we’re not architects, we started designing houses together, then went to an expert to do the architectural drawings. Our friend is a contractor and, together with my husband, is in charge of the builds while I take care of the rentals.
Our main business concept is that we don’t want to make compromises. We design and build houses that we really like, then sell them. Previously we have worked on commission but don’t really like it because you always have to compromise.
How would you describe the atmosphere and the interior design of the Glass House?
The Glass House is located in a very small village called Epse in the east of the Netherlands and just over an hour’s drive from Amsterdam. It is reached via a very narrow road, with big villas to the right and a 1970s neighbourhood to the left. In between, there is an old forest with huge trees, which is where the Glass House is located. It’s extremely quiet and green, with huge trees and lots of birds. Sometimes you can see deer passing by. That’s your first impression.
Designed like a greenhouse, the Glass House is almost completely made out of glass. So when you are inside, you feel like you are outside. It’s nice when it’s sunny but also wonderful when it’s raining. It’s a gem — a place to be inspired by the natural environment and the way the house interacts with it.
To you personally, what is so special about the Glass House?
It’s very cosy and with plants climbing up and across the steel beams. Everything is green and everywhere you look, you can see the forest. I also like that when you are in the kitchen or sitting at the semi-circular bar, you can interact with the people on the couch.
The place where we built the house used to be a shooting range, with a wall where hunters would practice. There was an old shed on the site and we weren’t allowed to build any bigger than its original footprint and with a maximum height of four metres. It was a challenge to design something that fit! Our solution was to dig down a bit. It’s a tiny house but it has more square metres than you would imagine.
You enter into the living room, which is surrounded by the kitchen and forms the glass part of the house. There’s a fireplace here and plants hanging from the ceiling. There are two stairs at the back — one goes up to two bedrooms and the other leads downstairs to the bathroom and laundry.
The back of the house is enclosed and divided into two parts — high and low. Both bedrooms have windows overlooking the living room, with the one in the master bedroom open so you can hang out. In the shower is another window looking into the living room.
In front of the house is a natural swimming pool (12 metres long) and views toward the forest. You can open all the doors and walk directly to the pool. While it’s not heated, it warms up quickly in the spring and summer. It’s nice because you never have to close it and can watch the dragonflies coming and going.
OVERVIEW
PLEASE NOTE
All of our houses are self-catering and we don’t provide any meals. But there is plenty of complimentary coffee/tea, firewood, linen/towels and toiletries. We also provide guests with a list of walks, cycles and things to do in the area, as well as recommended restaurants. A final cleaning is included with all stays.
AMENITIES
Please note:
I would recommend going walking and cycling through the nearby forests, heaths and meadows, as well as visiting some of the towns and villages. Definitely spend a day in Deventer and go to the Museum More in Gorssel. If you are there for a week or more, you could go further afield.
We find that with our properties, people tend to stay at the house and just enjoy being there. We have fireplaces where you can cosy up in the wintertime, projectors for watching movies and the kitchens are well-equipped for cooking. I think that during the pandemic, people discovered the joys of being at home and this has continued.
The Glass House is situated in a forgotten beautiful old patch of forest of over 4.000 sqm in the small village Epse, which is near the Hanseatic city of Deventer. It has a lot of history and is a nice place to walk and dine out. Also nearby is Gorssel, a small village with a famous Dutch museum, Museum More, which specialises in modern realist art. To the south is another Hanseatic city called Zutphen.
I love this area as you can go walking through the Hanseatic cities and experience the surrounding nature so easily.
Each season has its charm. In summer and spring, you can open up the house and swim all day. At the moment with much rain guests tend to stay inside besides the fireplace. That being said, even in the wintertime, most guests still take a dip in the pool. In the autumn, it’s all about the changing leaves. Even in the cooler months, you can go on nice walks and the house is well-designed for use throughout the year.
Register
Your contact details will allow you to message or book a property in the guest area. Sunshine awaits!
Already registered? Log in
Log in