L'Orangerie

Glass Roofed & Walled Cabin in a Fairytale Dutch Forest

With its glass roof and walls of windows, this greenhouse-inspired modern cabin in the woods stands as a serene natural escape at the heart of a private fairytale forest. Spanning 120 square meters, the cabin is constructed across multiple split levels, its interior clad in oak, with a black steel kitchen at its heart and a cozy elevated living room warmed by a contemporary suspended wood stove. The home’s entrance doubles as a game room, and the glass-enclosed kitchen opens to two terrace spaces, one overlooking a private forest garden and natural swimming pond alive with irises.

Bedrooms were designed for two, each with a double bed and bathroom with a shower. The property has a pool table for indoor fun, and there’s a projector and large screen TV for snuggling up with a movie.

Outdoors, the natural pond covers 10 meters with a lava-stone helophyte filter and yellow irises as water purifiers. The house backs up to an estate property where deer roam, and the private forest garden is enclosed, reached down a small road on the edge of the village of Gorssel.

Around

Located on the edge of Gorssel, a small village surrounded by forest and heath, the property was created for forest immersion and enjoying the magical wooded surroundings. Gorssel is home to the Museum MORE, the largest Dutch museum for modern realism, and several small shops, studios and restaurants. Walkers and bikers can wander the Gorsselse Heide, southeast of the village, a nature reserve with multiple routes through the heath and woods. Small farmsteads, castles and small historic villages dot the landscape in this region, the province of Gelderland, with the Ijssel River running through Gorssel. The larger cities of Deventer and Zutphen are nearby, historic Hanseatic cities, both on the River Ijssel, with striking architecture, and lively food, beverage and art scenes. Zutphen is one of the nation’s oldest cities, home to over 500 local and national monuments.

Location

Gorssel, Netherlands. Nearest airport: Amsterdam (1 hour 15 minutes)

Best time to visit

Spring through fall