A garden house near Copenhagen

This beautiful and atypical little house is a garden house, i.e. a house built on land allotted near the city to grow vegetables. The custom of renting land for gardening is old in Denmark, but it is also common in Germany and other Scandinavian countries.

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

Gardens changed and grew with the city, so sometimes they had to tear down their houses to make room for another garden plot, or disassemble them and build them elsewhere. For this reason, the houses were not made of sturdy materials but of what they had at 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 and more beautiful homes. That's how this octagonal house, a 20-minute bike ride from the center of Copenhagen, came about.

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

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

In the wing to the left of the entrance are the bathroom and the bedroom, both very small, with the bare essentials.

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 a simple wooden staircase to another sleeping area under the dome of the house, where you can look out through a large window onto the canal.

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

The house is wooden and painted in a pastel mint green color. 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 warm summer days.

A cozy wooden house in a peaceful and green setting - what more could you want for a peaceful vacation.

(source: smallhousebliss.com)