Island Idyll – The charming "Töpferhaus" in Sylt

“This house is filled with charm. After almost 250 years, it has many stories to tell.” - The owner

Anyone arriving here, whether resident or visitor, feels like they are coming home. “Töpferhaus” – which translates as “Potter’s House” – is emblazoned in large letters above the light blue front door. Blossoming roses reach up entwining around it, while the traditional local thatched roof sits atop the house like a brunette hood. An inviting scene.

Real estate market Sylt: natural beauty and tranquil charm

Properties like this one are incredibly sought-after on Germany’s largest North Sea island. By people far and wide. This is compounded by the fact that such listings hardly ever come onto the market. The real estate market on Sylt is one of the most desirable in the whole of Germany. People are drawn by the dream of strolling along the beach or across the island and just letting the fresh sea air blow away the cobwebs. And the Sylt phenomenon is a persistent one: demand is huge, while supply is low. Meaning that those who have the long sandy beach, the dunes and the Wadden Sea – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – right on their doorstep can consider themselves all the luckier. The tranquil village of Keitum, where boat captains once lived, is home to magnificent old Frisian houses set in romantic gardens dotted with mature trees. Exclusive boutiques, arts and craft shops, galleries and cafés round off the scene.

Timeless beauty in Keitum

The “Töpferhaus” in the idyllic heart of Keitum is a special example of how pure beauty can be preserved and prosper over so many years. In the 1960s, the house was renovated and redesigned over a period of four years under the direction of the artist and goldsmith Wolfgang Skoluda. He would buy up historical building materials found in attics and building sites on Sylt and then combine them all together in and around this property. The Töpferhaus got its name when his wife Regine opened a small pottery studio in the workshop at the end of the 1960s. It went on to gain a reputation as a place of timeless creativity for many decades. Generations of Sylt residents and visitors to the island have since found ceramics individually designed in the studio for their own kitchens at home. The Skoluda pottery studio was closed in its original form in 2019.

The artistic aura of this place lives on to this day, in beautiful, carefully curated details that give the house a special quality indeed. Whilst the building is forever enmeshed with local history and tradition, the former owners were also influenced by the philosophy of the Far East. For them, this island dwelling also embodied the idea of wabi-sabi – an aesthetic concept originating in Japan whereby beauty is found in the impermanence of nature.

Preserving history during renovation

The listed property, which dates back to 1780, is divided into a large apartment on the ground and upper floors, as well as a guest wing and a workshop on the ground floor, which is the former pottery studio. The adjoining studio building can be found at the rear of the house, providing abundant scope for creative and artistic pursuits. The floors and fittings on the upper level are largely made from pitch pine, purchased from an old hotel in Westerland during the course of renovation work. The ground level floors are laid with old tiles in some rooms, combined with various wooden floors and modern finishes in both bathrooms. All materials have been adapted with great sensitivity to fit in with the original building.

There are carefully preserved gems hidden throughout the house. Two almost life-size guards adorning ceiling-height sliding doors are just one exceptional example. The jovial-looking gentlemen stand in frock coats, armed with pointed hats and rifles, guarding the entrance to a room overlooking the lush south garden. The Sölring Museum in Keitum still has one of these pairs of guards in its collection – and there are no other known examples of these unusual paintings on the island. “My favourite place in the house is the room behind the guards. I was born right here in this room. The view of the garden is fabulous and so very calming. The old planting bed with the huge poppies, lupins and peonies gives a face to the seasons. It’s tall, wild and beautiful,” says Skoluda’s daughter, the current owner, with enthusiasm.

A green oasis full of stories

The grounds around the house span more than 2,000 square metres. The south garden is filled with old fruit trees, perennials and hedge roses. The climbing roses at the front of the property have been blooming steadily for many years. A private well that is connected to the south garden makes watering so much easier. The north garden has generously sized dimensions; large greenhouses used to stand here when the house was home to a nursery. A beautiful old mirabelle plum tree provides both shade and fruit.