A garden house near Copenhagen

This beautiful little atypical house is a garden house, that is, a house built on land allocated near the town to grow vegetables. The custom of renting out land for gardening is an old one in Denmark, but it is also common in Germany and other Scandinavian countries.

In the late 1800s in Denmark, a decision was made to give a piece of land outside the city to those who wanted to grow their own vegetables and fruit. To store used tools, those who rented the space also built small garden houses. Some of them made them bigger, thinking they would stay for weekends or holidays.

Gardens were changing and developing with the town, so sometimes they had to tear down houses to make room for another garden plot, or dismantle them and build elsewhere. For this reason the houses were not made of sturdy materials but with what they had on hand without investing much in them.

But for almost 50 years, laws have been passed to protect these gardens, and long-term leases give people the confidence to build stronger, more beautiful homes. That's how this octagonal house, a 20-minute bike ride from central Copenhagen, came about.

The house is 60 square meters, octagonal in shape with 4 wings pointing to the 4 cardinal points and a roof in the shape of a lighthouse that also has a glazed part. In fact, the whole house has generous windows and is very bright.

Each of the 4 wings has its purpose. Through one you enter directly into a generous space, in fact the house itself, which is a kitchen, dining and living room at the same time.

In the wing to the left of the entrance is the bathroom and bedroom, both very small, with just the bare necessities.

The other 2 wings are 2 alcoves that are part of the common space. One has a bed that can be hidden behind a curtain.

From this bed you can climb up a simple wooden staircase to another sleeping area under the dome of the house, where you can look out through a generous window onto the canal.

The other alcove is a small sitting room, with a sofa, coffee table and a few bookshelves.

The house is made of wood and is painted in a mint green pastel colour. It is surrounded by generous green spaces, with trees, flowers and specially landscaped areas for growing vegetables.

There are 2 terrace areas, one with brick and one with wood, where you can dine on hot summer days.

A charming wooden house in a quiet, green space - what more could you want for a peaceful holiday.

(source: smallhousebliss.com)