Visting the Rietveld Schröder House

Rietveld Schröder House

I visited Utrecht this NZ Winter for three days. I haven’t been to the Netherlands for years so it was a pleasure to go back there and also explore a town I hadn’t visited before. Utrecht is really lovely and positively ancient in comparison to Christchurch. After five years in NZ I was fully appreciating the old world Dutch-ness of it all with the narrow cobbled streets, canals and gorgeously wonky buildings. I was especially excited to find out that Utrecht is home of the Rietveld Schröder House. Even though I studied De Stijl in university and selected the movement as a topic for an essay, I hadn’t made the connection that Urecht was the home of the Rietveld Schröder House. I was stoked – nice one Tripadvisor.

You have to book a specific slot to visit the Schröder House so allowing plenty of time to reach my destination I set off, in proper Dutch fashion, on my one speed bike… and proceeded to get hopelessly lost. I had to stop a passing biker for directions who first gestured me the right way but then took pity on me and said he’d take me there himself as I’d “never find it otherwise”. How right he was.

As I’d missed the start of the tour I was hurried through the downstairs section in literally 30 seconds and told I could look through windows afterwards by the rather dour museum person.  It didn’t matter though, the upstairs was by far the coolest part with its sliding panels and multi-functional living spaces and I got to see the famous red and blue chair with my own eyes too. Although you’re not allowed to sit in it. 

It just goes to show how timeless good design is, the red and blue chair is nearly 100 years old but it’s still got a decidedly contemporary vibe about it. And the house itself is 90 years old and yet has a more radical approach to use of space than many contemporary homes to do. Access to nature was also an important part of the design. Every room, or area, in the house has outdoor access be it through a door or a balcony; although the house now faces a motorway that was built in the 1960s, which impacts on the nature side of things somewhat.

I was so glad I had the opportunity to visit the Rietveld Schröder House, it was brilliant. After taking a little time to peer through the windows of the downstairs, I set off again on my bike and managed to get straight back home without getting lost.

Delftware meets De Stijl

Front entrance with reading room on the left and kitchen window on the right