123DV architecture has completed a landscape full of surprises, Bridge House.

The roads are lined with wildflowers. In summer, purple and yellow loosestrife are in bloom. Timber-framed farmhouses, enclosed meadows, ancient fields, and wonderful oak trees with their thick trunks turn your thoughts to days long gone. This villa is set in a newly developed estate in the unique, tree-lined landscape of the Dutch Achterhoek, where unexpected scenes of rural beauty are always just around the bend.

courtesy 123DV architecture, photo by Christiaan de Bruijne

courtesy 123DV architecture, photo by Christiaan de Bruijne

In front of the house and its setting is a wide-open space that stylishly frames the park, most of which is open to walkers. The park, in turn, blends into the landscape around it. The landscape architect for this project carefully restored the property to its original state, with rows of trees throughout the landscape like theatrical sets. To make the soil less fertile, the top layer was removed throughout the property. In the interest of sustainability, this soil was reused to form a raised area beneath the house. The result is a traditional Dutch terp dwelling, a house on top of a hill that contains the cellar.

courtesy 123DV architecture, photo by Christiaan de Bruijne

courtesy 123DV architecture, photo by Christiaan de Bruijne

Sustainability also inspired the design of the house. The villa is self-sufficient. At any time, the occupants can go off the net without losing their energy supply. Water is drawn from a private well, and the practical and sustainable built-in features include solar panels, roof and floor heating through thermal energy storage, reuse of rainwater, a septic tank, shielded power cables, and Heat Mirror glass. This unique glass acts as an efficient and environmentally friendly awning, cooling the house and keeping out excess heat.

courtesy 123DV architecture, photo by Christiaan de Bruijne

courtesy 123DV architecture, photo by Christiaan de Bruijne

+ Project facts

Description: sustainable countryhouse on a hill
Architect: 123DV architecture
Status: completed 2011
Surroundings: country estate in a park style
17.000 new trees and 1.000 rhododendrons
Surface: 825 m² (8,880 sq. ft.) floor area, 15-hectare (37-acre) parcel
Floors: 2
Living areas: living room, kitchen with pantry, 3 bedrooms, study, studio, exercise room, wine cellar
Material: stainless steel, dark stucco, white marble floor
Custom made: sustainable construction and use; residence situated on an artificial mound of reused soil for better views of the park.
self-sufficient (generating its own energy, private water supply):
solar panels, energy roof, floor heating, and cooling through
thermal energy storage, reuse of rainwater, septic tank, shielded
power cables, a private well and heat mirror glass.
Photography: Christiaan de Bruijne

+ All images courtesy 123DV architecture

Does your living room lack a bit of warmth? Is it missing a bit of colour? Does it look a bit bare? Then a wool rug might just be exactly what you need to make your living space complete.

Why wool rugs? Because they’re totally natural, they offers incredible comfort, they’re extremely durable, they’re naturally fire-resistant, and they simply ooze quality.

We’ve picked out a few images to help you get inspired and think about the kind of look you want to create in your home…

This hand-tufted wool rug features an abstract design based on plants and flowers, and incorporates turquoise hues, giving it a natural, almost slightly aquatic feel. If you like calming colours and designs inspired by nature, something like this may well appeal to you. The details in this rug work well as a counterpoint to a fairly minimal, and subtly rustic interior.

This two-tone wool rug adds much needed softness and texture to a room dominated by clean lines and a hard wood floor. The neutral colours of the rug, furniture and walls are well balanced by brighter details such as the cushions and flowers.

This Union Jack rug is a super-stylish option for those who like to mix the classic and the contemporary, as illustrated perfectly in this photo, where a weathered wall, paint-splattered ladder, and mismatched antique mirror combine perfectly with the faded Union Jack design to create a modern look with a quriky vintage flavour.

Wool rugs aren’t just for living rooms, they can also be a perfect addition to a bedroom, making for a cosier, more inviting space. In this girl’s bedroom, a bright floral-patterned wool rug with a hot-pink background echoes and extends the colours and motifs on the wall art and pillow covers, helping to both unify and divide the room.

Here’s another example of how rugs can be used to mirror other design features, in this case beach huts are accompanied by sea bird and crab cushions to create a playfully nautical theme that would suit a seaside holiday home brilliantly.