Unique location: glass houseboat in Amersfoort
With lots of water around, many people in the Netherlands live on a houseboat. This close to the water, these houses offer a different way to live. Interior designer Floor van den Broek gives us a glimpse into the unique glass houseboat she shares with her husband Vin, a barber, and their kids. She shares why living at a place like this is so special and what the design process of this dream house was like.
Has it always been a dream of yours to live on a houseboat?
We have both always loved sailing, even before we met, and used to sail on the river Eem a lot when we were younger. Because of our love for sailing, living on or by the water has always really attracted us. But it always seemed too expensive of a dream. We have looked in Amsterdam and a few villages around the river Eem, but these places were financially unachievable for us. When we found this berth, it came with a small affordable ark. This made it possible for us to maybe one day build our dream house, one step at the time.
Could you describe your house to the reader? What does it look like?
The ark is inspired by the building of Lego. It is built up out of four different materials. The concrete container, where the bedrooms are, can be found largely under water. Usually the concrete stops at about 30 centimeters above water level, after which wood is used. But because we wanted to use as little different materials as possible, we have extended the use of concrete all the way to the living floor. On top of that, a wooden frame was placed. A clear ‘line’ in the design, which is seen in the overhanging zinc roof as well. Between the wooden frame and zinc roof is a large glass block in which you can find the living room, kitchen, tv corner and study room.
So, to explain the Lego mention: to us, the design is like a grey Lego block with a brown Lego plate. On top of that is a blue Lego block, finished off with the final grey Lego plate!
What was the design process of your ark like?
We have largely designed the ark ourselves. It is a simple design, as our wish list was simple too: For the downstairs container, we wanted four bedrooms, a bathroom and a washing. This resulted in six rooms with identical windows. We wanted to keep this lay-out going on the top floor, since we are a fan of symmetry. So, we’ve shaped the upper floor based on the six windows. We wanted the kitchen to be an open, central space and wanted to have as little walls as possible. The tv room is directed towards the sunrise, so you can enjoy the morning sun on the couch. On the contrary, the living room is situated towards the evening sun. The base for the design was actually finished quite fast. Of course, we did have to finetune a lot of details and the process of getting planning permission took up a lot of our time and energy.
To make the ark as sustainable as possible, we put in an under-floor heating system all over that is heated by a heat pump. Together with 15 solar panels, this means the ark is almost completely energy neutral.
So, a lot of your design is based around the windows of the ark. What made you decide to use as much glass as you did?
We chose to use this big amount of glass because we love fully committing to one thing and doing it right, instead of doing a little bit of everything. This way, you make a statement in the design. We also really wanted to enjoy the water, the view and the surroundings as much as possible. By connecting the garden to the ark and the ark to the river Eem, everything merges together: you bring the outdoors inside and indoors outside. To us, this is how we can fully make use of our surroundings. We kind of pretend the river Eem is ours.
What makes living on a houseboat so unique?
It is the detached living close to nature. Living on the water still gives us that real holiday feeling. We live very close to the center of Amersfoort and enjoy a wide view of the surrounding nature. You are automatically more connected with nature when you live on a houseboat, especially in our glass one, as we have limited the division between indoors and outdoors to just a few centimeters. When we open all the windows there is always a nice breeze to enjoy. The only downside of our new ark is that it’s become so heavy that you almost never feel it rocking on the water!
Finally, why did you decide to style your garden with the products by Weltevree.
Weltevree products make outdoor living comfortable and cozy. They are durable and have a timeless design. At the moment we are a fan of the Waterworks, because we just recently got it. It’s a perfect addition to cooking on the Outdooroven XL.
Want to find out more abut Floor van den Broek? Visit www.resetinterieurontwerp.nl
DUTCHTUB ORIGINAL
US$8,393.00
Experience nature from within the Dutchtub original and experience the luxury of outdoor bathing. The iconic wood-fired hot tub allows you to fully relax in your own backyard all year round. The Dutchtub Original is made of polyester and a steel coil. The water at the bottom of the tub is drawn in through the coil and heated by the fire of the wood-burning stove. The water flows into the tub and in this way uses natural circulation of the water. The Dutchtub holds 600 liters of water per splash.The Dutchtub is comfortable, a real eye-catcher and with its 75 kilos it is easy to move. To make moving it even easier, the Hand Trailer is available separately in the Webshop. Place the Dutchtub in a nice spot in the garden, heat the water and lower yourself into the water. Close your eyes and focus on your surroundings and the sounds around you. Combined with a drink, the Dutchtub is a cozy drinking spot for an evening with friends. The design of this special hot tub is by Floris Schoonderbeek. The Dutchtub comes with an insulation mat to heat and protect the tub faster outside use. In addition, you will receive a wok, which can be used to cook over the heating coil. Relax in the warm water, enjoy being outside and prepare something delicious in the wok at the same time.
The tub seats four people and reaches a temperature of 38 degrees within about 2 hours. Complete the Dutchtub Original with a variety of accessories. Also explore our other Dutchtub models here.
WATERWORKS
US$530.60
The Waterworks creates order and coziness around the water connection in the garden or balcony. The Waterworks includes a worktop and a perforated wall. The worktop has a recess where the included bucket fits perfectly. Easily hang your garden tools using the 3 included S-hooks. Use the Waterworks to rinse dirty boots, wash fresh fruit, prepare food on it or turn it into a mini bar with the bucket as a wine cooler! The Waterworks, designed by Floris Schoonderbeek, upgrades your outdoor faucet into a water station and outdoor sink all in one! The wall unit is weatherproof thanks to its powder coating and is available in RAL 7033.
BENDED TABLE
US$1,673.00
A lightweight outdoor table with smart aluminum design, that's the Bended Table! The Bended Table is part of the Bended Series and fits any garden. The aluminum plates are bent at 45 degrees, creating a strong and flexible construction that allows the table to adapt to any surface. This ensures that the table never wobbles and is easy to move. The table is available in three lengths; 90cm, 180cm or 270cm. With the 270cm, the construction is reinforced with steel. The tables are 90cm wide, 75cm high and the seat height is 68cm. Create a cozy dining area in your garden or balcony with the Bended Table and enjoy it daily. Start your day with a cup of coffee in the morning sun, enjoy a break time with your kids and dress up the table cozily for dinner with friends or family. Complete your set with our other Bended Series products.*The 270cm Bended Table is shipped with special furniture transport due to its great length. They are picked up every Friday and then delivered within 2 weeks. Orders through our dealers are also delivered this way from our central stock and thus have the same delivery time.Designed by Jaïr Straschnow, the Bended Series products are made of 3mm aluminum, which is 100% recyclable. Because the Bended products feature a powder-coated finish, they require little maintenance. You easily clean the products with a soft cloth and water. Everything in the Bended Series can be used indoors and outdoors and is available in light green, gray-blue or agate-gray. * The 270cm Bended Table is shipped with special furniture transport due to its great length. They are picked up every Friday and then delivered within 2 weeks.
Various options from US$833.00