rEITVELD HOUSE, THE NETHERLANDS

REVOLUTIONARY SIMPLICITY

So how did it come to be? The Reitveld Schroder House was built in 1924, designed by architect Gerrit Reitveld. It was built for Truus Schroder, a wealthy client looking for a family home which reflected her progressive approach to architecture and design. Reitveld managed to create a home which as constantly evolving around the needs of a family - its interior walls being placed on rails and hinges which could be opened and closed to maximize space or create privacy when needed. As a result this set the Reitveld Schroder House apart from typical Dutch architecture - as well as the unique exterior structure which focused on simplicity in geometry and line. These elements of architectural abstraction were key factors in the ‘De Stijl’ movement - in which Reitveld belonged to, along with many other famous creatives such as Mondrian and Van Der Leck.

In March 2025 I was lucky enough to be able to go on a course trip with Kingston University to the Netherlands, as a way of enriching us into the world of design. One of the places that caught my eye was the Reitveld Schroder house (Reitveld Schroderhuis), In Utrecht.

The Reitveld Schroder House is famous for being a pioneer in modernist architecture and not conforming to previous traditions within European architecture. In fact, it was so outlandish for its time that people used to throw stones at it to see if it would fall down.

The Exterior of the Reitveld Schroder House is essentially a white cube, marked with bold lines of primary colours and large window panes. One of the most revolutionary features of the Reitveld Schroder House was the complete lack of ornate decoration which was typical of pre-1920’s European architecture; a completely stripped down face - silently letting the world know of its presence. To compliment the architectural style of the house, Reitveld made sure the furniture of the Reitveld Schroder House also followed the De Stijl aesthetic of rectangular forms and primary colours. An example of this is the creatively named ‘Red and Blue Chair’ - a wooden armchair which is painted in black and classic primary colours, with an emphasis on straight line and angle in its construction over decoration and comfort.

When visiting the Reitveld Schroder House, I was captivated by how ahead of its time it really was - 101 years later and it is arguably more advanced than many houses built today. It’s commitment to space saving and creating a hyper-efficient yet liveable space is evident in the way it attracts visitors from all over the world to marvel in its beauty.