ROEL VAN NOREL & ZECC ARCHITECTEN DESIGN SHUTTER-CLAD COTTAGE

Slatted wooden shutters open or close to reveal the interior of a home near Utrecht

Dutch architecture firm Zecc Architecten teamed up with interior designer Roel van Norel to create an idyllic cottage in the countryside near Utrecht. With its gabled slate roof and four continuous walls, the quintessential cottage could leap from the pages of a storybook. But as in any good story, there’s a twist.

The eastern and northern facade are closed and clad in Western Red Cedar. Nothing shocking here. But on the southern and western facade, the wooden cladding gives way to a naked structure of transparent glazing and rugged steel. Slatted wooden shutters open and close as desired, directing the sunlight within the space.

At times entirely exposed, the wooden interior becomes a visual extension of the exterior cladding and the surrounding trees. The rear wall is lined in oak and hides extensive storage space behind the warm wood. It also houses the integrated kitchen, which lies flush against the wall. The interior can also be divided with sliding panels or kept as one continuous space.