Tienhoven Country Villa

Over a period of three years, this detached country villa underwent a gradual yet radical transformation by Serge Schoemaker Architects. Both the exterior and interior of the main house and the outbuildings were completely renovated. The rural character of the property was preserved, while sleek and carefully detailed interventions introduced a contemporary touch.

The villa is located in Tienhoven, a Dutch village in the municipality of Stichtse Vecht near Utrecht. Long, narrow strips of water still recall the area’s history of peat extraction. The house occupies a unique plot of polder land: the spacious garden is bordered by water on three sides and offers sweeping views across the Molenpolder.

As in most houses in the region, the buildings on the property feature thatched roofs. During the renovation, the roofs were renewed, outdated dormer windows removed, and the yellow brick facades finished in warm grey lime plaster. These changes gave the villa a completely new appearance.

Several strategic architectural interventions have significantly improved the quality of living. A two-storey connecting wing links the main house to one of the outbuildings, which now serves as a guesthouse. A single-storey extension enlarges the ground-floor living area, while a new boathouse and the conversion of a freestanding hay barn into a workspace further enrich the property.

The additions were designed to strengthen the relationship between house and landscape. Large facade openings frame shifting views of the water-rich peatland, blurring the boundary between inside and out.

Inside, the formerly closed layout of the main house has been replaced with an open plan in which living spaces flow seamlessly into one another. At the entrance, the removal of the upper floor created a double-height void, animated by a striking white spiral staircase leading to the bedrooms above.

On the exterior, the new interventions distinguish themselves from the traditional rural architecture through precise detailing and anthracite accents. Inside, a contemporary design language complements the rural shell. Together, the interventions have produced a spacious and highly comfortable country villa in which two time layers are interwoven into a contrasting yet harmonious whole.