Holiday home Hira

Among the Hausa people of West Africa, ‘Hira’ refers to the moment when the sun sinks below the horizon and the warmth of the day slowly fades. Then mats are rolled out beneath the baobab tree and small stools are brought out so that, by lantern light, you can sit tog­ether, chat and share: expe­ri­ences, stories, time. Moments that are becoming incre­asingly rare in today’s hectic everyday life, and which the Hira holiday home on Denmark’s wild west coast aims to create space for. For days without grand plans and all the more freedom.

You could almost overlook the house, which blends into the heathland of the Tranum Klit­plantage – a pro­tected nature reserve – nestled between the sea and the forest, very close to a secluded beach hidden behind the dunes. Here, amidst heather, pine trees and juniper, Hira stands on a vast private estate. No neigh­bours, no roads in sight, just the sound of the North Sea in the distance. A place entirely focused on nature – and nature plays its leading role to per­fection! The summer house follows suit, eschewing any desire for attention.

Designed by the Danish architect Rasmus Bak, it com­bines Scan­di­navian craft­smanship with hints of Japanese aes­thetics and cap­ti­vates with its simple, modest form and its clean, graphic lines. It is as though the roof and the dark timber cladding were drawing con­tours into the land­scape. Mean­while, trees and shrubs are reflected in the window fronts, making the building itself seem to dis­appear.

Craft­smanship with echoes of Japanese aes­thetics, it cap­ti­vates with its simple, under­stated form and its clean, graphic lines. It is as though the roof and the dark timber cladding were drawing con­tours into the land­scape. Mean­while, trees and shrubs are reflected in the window fronts, making the building itself seem to dis­appear.

Inside, too, every room is designed so that the ever-present natural world, with its changing seasons, becomes part of daily life – both through the floor-to-ceiling windows and the ori­en­tation towards the heath. The round lime­stone table is the cen­tre­piece of the open-plan kitchen and, tog­ether with the sofa lounge in front of the fire­place, forms the heart of the house. This is where people cook, eat and chat late into the evening. On balmy evenings or sunny days, the shel­tered ter­races on either side of the house, beneath the over­hanging roof, invite you to enjoy the out­doors.

Three beds and two bath­rooms set against the coun­tryside: the master suite, with its free­standing bathtub, opens out through large windows onto a small private terrace – and to the morning sun, which bathes the coun­tryside in golden light. The study, with its small bespoke desk, offers tran­quillity and a space to focus, and can also be used as a double bedroom. And in the terrace room, the smallest of the three bed­rooms, privacy extends out­wards as well. Thus, everyone finds a space to retreat to. Accom­panied and sur­rounded by nature, tim­eless Scan­di­navian design and natural mate­rials that further strengthen this con­nection – from the clay tiles and natural stone to the Douglas fir timber. The overall colour scheme and fur­nis­hings of the house remain – despite its ele­gance and com­for­table amen­ities – as simple and under­stated as pos­sible, staying true to the star that lies just outside the door. It’s best to put your mobile phones and watches aside as soon as you enter and simply sur­render to this special place.

What to do

Walks and hikes through the dunes to the wide, peaceful beach at Tranum, along the River Lien, where the landscape changes from heathland to steep valleys and ancient beech forests, or on to Fosdalen; cycling through the Tranum Klitplantage on one of the property’s four e-bikes; fishing; for lunch, we recommend the Svinkløv Badehotel, one of Denmark’s best-known seaside hotels; browsing local galleries and small farm shops; or day trips to Aalborg (approx. 45 mins) or Aarhus (approx. 1 hour 45 mins)

Why we like this house

Hira fulfils its intended purpose – creating architecture for a space where time seems to stand still.

This house is great for

Ideal for couples, families and groups of friends of up to six people looking for a secluded retreat close to nature with a special atmosphere; also excellent for focused work, writing retreats or remote working;

Sustainability

On-site electric charging station

Details

Availability calendar

The calendar shows the current availability of the accommodation. On days with white background the accommodation is still available. On days with dark gray background the accommodation is not available.

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