Plateau Pioneer Landhaus Schmiedhof – Verena & Anton Hiltpolt

Even in the entrance area of the house, history can quite literally be touched. “The oldest door in the house dates back to the 13th century and comes from Stams Abbey,” Anton explains. His father already had a keen eye for old materials and often sought out items from demolished buildings or renovation projects. Back home at the Hiltpolt family’s forge in Seefeld, these pieces were stored and given new life. “Even the former door of the Magnus Chapel in Leithen found a new home with us.”

The same is true for old roof beams and other wooden elements from traditional farmhouses, including some from the Ötztal Valley. Today, reclaimed wood is highly sought after, but in the past hardly anyone paid attention to it. Yet the family always knew: “Wood has several lives — a roof beam becomes planks, later perhaps a bed, a table or a bench, and in the end, warmth in the tiled stove.”

Anton and Verena learned from an early age that old things can be transformed into something new. Anton was always allowed to help in his father’s workshop — “At first, it felt more like something I had to do, later it became something I was allowed to do,” he admits with a laugh — while Verena watched her mother sewing. “We grew up with it, and in turn passed it on to our children.”

Anton has always built the beds in the house himself. When his son recently moved into his own apartment and built his own bed in the workshop, it made Anton especially proud. “Well, he simply learned that in our family, you don’t buy beds,” Verena laughs.

Buying new things, consuming, and throwing them away has never really been part of the family’s mindset. “In the past, there was certainly often a necessity to be frugal and preserve things,” Verena admits. “But we never felt like we were missing anything. Maybe that’s why we see it more as having the privilege of preserving.”

Yet Schmiedhof is anything but old-fashioned. Old materials are thoughtfully reworked and combined with only a few new elements, ensuring that modern comfort is never missing while still preserving the warmth and sense of security of earlier times. An old cooking pot transformed into a stylish lampshade with an energy-saving light is just one example of upcycling at its finest. The games shelf and book shelf in the hallway offer old and new items to borrow, discover, and try out — while quietly demonstrating circular economy in everyday life. For Verena, decluttering does not mean throwing things away; it means putting them back into circulation. To extend this idea beyond their own home, she created Seefeld’s public book exchange box several years ago, where books and small toys constantly change hands and find new owners.

Almost everything at Schmiedhof feels natural — nothing appears artificial or implemented simply to meet guidelines. The fact that they rent apartments rather than rooms developed just as naturally. “We were probably among the first apartment houses back in the 1980s,” Anton recalls. But the decision had little to do with innovation and everything to do with practicality. “My mother passed away early, and my father had to take care of us children, the business, and the house — there simply wasn’t enough time for renting out rooms.”

The apartments remained even when Verena and Anton took over the house in the 1990s. And this never reduced their closeness to guests. “We have always been here, answering every question and sharing our garden and courtyard with everyone.” There are no house rules, inventory lists, or instruction signs — people simply talk to each other. “Or when it comes to sustainability, you simply lead by example.”

Verena and Anton find that managing sustainability is simply easier with apartments. “The whole kitchen issue disappears, and there’s much less waste and laundry,” they explain. The house runs energetically on district heating, solar power, photovoltaics, and the in-house stoves. The use and production of local foods — tap water, eggs, honey, various juices, and jams — are either demonstrated or offered for guests to taste. “We’re not trying to preach,” Verena says. “We make it enjoyable for ourselves and let the guests take part.”

She sees the same philosophy in her forest bathing sessions, nature education programs, and fairy tale reading barn: “It brings me joy when I can inspire someone with our lifestyle and love of nature.” Even the signs in the biodiverse garden subtly hint at sustainable practices. One humorous note reads: “We’re deliberately messy here, because it’s good for nature,” carrying a lot of truth beneath its playful tone.