Why stay in a vacation home when you can rent a glass house? We're asking ourselves the same question after discovering this greenhouse-style home in the north-western Netherlands.
Just 45 minutes from Amsterdam, in the lakefront town of Venhuizen, Noord-Holland, this is no conventional home. It is a tiny property made entirely of glass – blurring the boundaries between the interior and exterior spaces – creating a space where sunlight is its best design feature.
Dutch/German couple Marielle and Tobias designed the greenhouse in 2020 before listing it for rent on Airbnb. They chose minimalist furnishings and a neutral palette that accentuates the view (rather than fighting it) – while allowing the space to feel light and, consequently, bigger.
The entire listing comprises two main vacation homes: one named Familie Buitenhuys, and the glass house that offers space to sleep, should you want to sleep under the stars.
Alongside the open-plan bedroom, the greenhouse has a vanity and washbasin and its own fireplace that keeps the space warm when winter arrives.
When it comes to small space styling, we can all learn a lot from the house's use of glass. Marielle and Tobias have kept the window treatments minimal, dressing the space with white curtains that offer privacy without limiting the light.
And small room ideas aside, this vacation home has a lot to teach us when it comes to outdoor living, too. Tom Barry, the CEO of Hartley Botanic, says that 'designer greenhouses' (decorated as an extension of your home) will be among the most exciting garden trends of 2023. Hartley didn't design this greenhouse, but they do have similar pieces that allow you to invest in the designer greenhouse movement (that you can browse via their website).
'There is an uplift in demand for greenhouses and glasshouses to fulfill increasingly grand and personal gardens spaces,' Tom says. 'Customers are getting even more creative about how they use and enjoy their greenhouses, and they are being planned into large-scale landscaping projects. The appetite for upgrading our gardens shows no sign of slowing down.'
Whether we find a reservation slot in this tiny glass home or recreate it (on an albeit smaller scale) far from The Netherlands, there's no denying that 2023 is the year of the designer greenhouse.
Prices begin from $193 per night via Airbnb.
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