The great and best thing about upcycling is the ability to put a unique spin on something that everybody else is doing. But even in the rather small niche of houseboat conversions, the Vatten Hus is a standout: this is not your regular houseboat conversion, and it’s not regular upcycling either.
The economic crisis and the housing crisis in major cities have breathed new life into the older concept of downsizing, forcing people to look for alternative living solutions that can cut costs, reduce the carbon footprint and, if possible, also offer increased mobility without having to leave the home behind. In areas with large bodies of water, former barges, and canal boats are being converted into houseboats, in what can only be described as an awesome instance of upcycling meets downsizing.
Even when they don’t move up and down the canals, these houseboats are amazing, especially for people looking to replicate the experience of being on water, combining it with all the advantages of downsizing. If you love the water, you can’t not love living on a boat, to put it differently.
Well, there are houseboats, and then there’s Vatten Hus. While still a good example of upcycling, Vatten Hus is a floating penthouse, a luxury home on the water that aims – and apparently is able to – replicate the experience of the superyacht-owning millionaire lifestyle. It’s still upcycling, but with a very luxurious and elegant spin on it. So yes, it’s still downsizing, but for the well-heeled.
Photo: Vatten Hus
More than anything, this houseboat is a good example of what can be achieved with a canal barge. The conversion was completed in 2020 and is located in Manchester, where it has become one of the hottest tourist attractions. It was never meant as a permanent residence, but only as a rental, so the budget for it was very generous, by comparison to similar builds, since it was an investment: £220,000 ($273,500 at the current exchange rate).
Vatten Hus started out as a 70-foot-long (21.3 meters) wide canal boat, the largest that’s allowed by law, and an idea by business partners Harry and Erin. They’d noticed a spike in demand for staycations after the initial wave of lockdowns in 2020, so they thought they’d give it a try. A houseboat was the only way in which they could afford a “property” in the city center, and the only way in which they could go for the luxury option.
Photo: Vatten Hus
The interior is by designer Claudia Chez and is a combination of yacht-like features with touches you’d find in a decadent, luxury penthouse. As long as you don’t suffer from anthophobia, which is an excessive fear of flowers, you’re supposed to appreciate the outrageousness of ceiling-mounted flower arrangements in both bedrooms and another one over the island in the open-plan kitchen.
Very spacious, the boathouse has a 2-bedroom layout, both of them with king-size beds and plenty of space to move about, a kitchen with an island and a bar, a VIP lounge, and an exterior terrace. The finishes are real wood and marble-like counters, with golden hardware for an extra touch of sophistication. There is a certain decadence to all the spaces, but it’s not of the gaudy, overtly tacky type – again, unless you have a thing against flowers and gold.
Harry and Erin say the conversion wasn’t just costly, but also time-consuming, taking 9 full months to complete. It was worth it in the end, because it’s being described as the most popular rental in the city of Manchester. That £220,000 ($273,500) price tag included the shell of the barge, the interior designer’s fee, £5,000 ($6,220) for the countertops in the kitchen, £1,000 ($1,243) for the linen, £2,000 ($2,500) for the beds, and another £3,000 ($3,740) for the fake flowers.
Photo: Vatten Hus
For those of you who don’t have any immediate plans to visit Manchester, or the desire to spend a vacation on the water, the Vatten Hus serves to illustrate the creativity that goes into conversions in general and houseboats in particular. It takes time, effort, and a good eye for design to turn a narrowboat into a home, and it takes double the quantity of those to turn it into a luxury, sophisticated floating version of a penthouse.
Narrowboats have the advantage of a larger footprint than tiny houses or van conversions, but you still have to use creativity to create a welcoming space in a layout that’s long and narrow. Vatten Hus does that by combining very light colors with dark tones of black and navy, and using glazing wherever possible, including for skylights, to allow natural light in and create the impression of airier spaces.
Whether it lives up to superyacht standards is ultimately up to you to decide, but one thing is clear: it does make living on the water, in a converted narrowboat a much fancier affair. Even if it’s only for the short term.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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