{"id":253090,"date":"2025-03-26T12:08:26","date_gmt":"2025-03-26T16:08:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/?post_type=id_news&p=253090"},"modified":"2025-03-26T12:08:32","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T16:08:32","slug":"rietveld-schroder-house-design-book","status":"publish","type":"id_news","link":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/designwire\/rietveld-schroder-house-design-book\/","title":{"rendered":"Design Reads: Celebrating The Rietveld Schr\u00f6der House"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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March 26, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n

Words: <\/span>Nicholas Tamarin<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photography: <\/span>Courtesy of Pictoright<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Design Reads: Celebrating The Rietveld Schr\u00f6der House<\/h1>\n\n\n
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Before he was a rock star known for his distinctive black, white, and red aesthetic, Jack White was a furniture upholsterer obsessed with the early 20th century Dutch abstract art movement De Stijl championed by the likes of Gerrit Rietveld and Piet Mondrian. So much so, he named his cult classic album De Stijl<\/em> and, in his spare time, continues to operate Jack White Art & Design<\/a>. White recently visited Rietveld\u2019s house in Utrecht, the Netherlands, on the occasion of a new book celebrating its centenary, Rietveld Schr\u00f6der House: A Biography of the House<\/em>, which is challenging long-held narratives about this architectural landmark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This 896-page, bilingual (English and Dutch) volume, designed by Irma Boom,<\/a> reevaluates the roles of Rietveld and Truus Schr\u00f6der in creating the iconic Rietveld Schr\u00f6der House. Traditionally, Schr\u00f6der has been seen as Rietveld’s muse, but authors Jessica van Geel and Natalie Dubois present a compelling case for her as a pivotal creative force.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Cover Rietveld Schr\u00f6der House<\/em> \u2013 A biography of the house, design Irma Boom Office, 2024.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Dive Into The History of The Rietveld Schr\u00f6der House<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Van Gell and Dubois delve into the house’s history, from its inception and construction to its life through the war years and its modern-day status as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Drawing on previously unpublished photographs, drawings, designs, and letters, the authors paint a vivid picture of the house’s vibrant history and the dynamic between Rietveld and Schr\u00f6der. Notably, their research highlights Schr\u00f6der’s significant contributions, arguing that her creative vision was crucial to their joint projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The publication challenges “ingrained assumptions about the design process,” questioning the extent to which Schr\u00f6der’s role has been underestimated. Van Geel, who previously published a biography of Schr\u00f6der titled I love you, Rietveld<\/em>, has already suggested that Schr\u00f6der’s influence on the Rietveld Schr\u00f6der House and Rietveld’s other designs was substantial. This new book builds upon that foundation, providing a rich source of archival documents that further illuminate her contributions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Truus Schr\u00f6der, probably photographed in Rietveld\u2019s studio on the Oudegracht, 1940s, \u00a9 Centraal Museum Utrecht \/ Rietveld Schr\u00f6der Archive.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Gerrit Rietveld, c. 1941 \u00a9 Centraal Museum Utrecht \/ Rietveld Schr\u00f6der Archive.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The book’s design itself is a tribute to the house, reflecting the innovative spirit of Rietveld and Schr\u00f6der’s architecture. The use of two languages\u2014English in black and Dutch in blue\u2014conveys the house’s national and international significance. As the artistic director of the Centraal Museum in Utrecht notes, the book aims to show the “life, the conversations, the work, the love, the tensions, the peace and quiet, and the noise” that filled the house for decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schr\u00f6der lived in the house from its completion in 1925 until her death in 1985. It was where she raised her children, sheltered people during World War II, and eventually lived with Rietveld. The book reveals that Schr\u00f6der was not just a client but an “architecte d\u2019int\u00e9rieur,”<\/em> designing interiors and furniture and actively participating in Rietveld’s architectural commissions. She also contributed to the De Stijl movement, gave lectures, and helped organize exhibitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rietveld Schr\u00f6der House: A Biography of the House<\/em> is an essential reference for those interested in modern architecture, art history, and revolutionary design. It offers a fresh perspective on a well-known architectural icon, emphasizing the previously underestimated role of Schr\u00f6der and providing a deeper understanding of the collaborative genius behind this modernist masterpiece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Fresh Perspective On This Modernist Icon<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Schr\u00f6der House with the white rooftop room, late 1930s, \u00a9 Centraal Museum Utrecht \/ Rietveld Schr\u00f6der Archive \/ Gift of Maarten Schr\u00f6der.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Rietveld Schr\u00f6der House (Centraal Museum collection, Utrecht), 2018. Photography by Stijn Poelstra.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Authors Jessica van Geel (l) and Natalie Dubois (r) \u00a9 Centraal Museum \/ Wessel Spoelder.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n