Enchanting old castle style home on the coast

This beautiful stone house is located in the district of Jose Ignacio, Uruguay on 2 km of coastline of fine sandy beaches, secluded lagoons and creeks. This three-year-old house was constructed from local fieldstones and materials that had been salvaged from older houses nearby. The structure was designed Argentine-based architect Guillermo Alonso Reyes, so that every room including the kitchen has an ocean view. Polished concrete floors run throughout the spaces.

The home is on a two-and-a-half-acre property with a swimming pool, a rock garden and landscaping dotted with native plants. The great room feature dramatic 20-foot high ceilings and a wall of French doors that spills out onto the terrace. The beautiful gourmet island kitchen features a hand-made 100-year-old pinewood cutting board. The cabinetry is custom antique pine wood, and the 80-year-old English porcelain farm sink was discovered in a local antique shop. The countertop material is Carrara marble. The home also features maid’s quarters located just off the kitchen. The home contains four bedrooms, two on each side of the great room, designed with exposed stone walls, French doors and en-suite bathrooms.

The stone arches in the great room are held together by compression, not masonry.

An island in the kitchen is topped with Carrara marble. The cabinets are pine. There are polished concrete floors throughout the house.

The kitchen sink is porcelain. It is 80 years old and was found in a nearby antique shop.

The bedrooms are laid out with two on each side of the great room. Windows brighten the hallway leading to one pair of bedrooms.

The bedrooms all have exposed stone walls, French doors and en-suite bathrooms.

The bathtub, right, is fashioned from a depression in the concrete floor of the room. Each bathroom also has a stall shower.

The house is a long, narrow rectangle, laid out so that every room faces water.

An antique tub in one of the bathrooms. Lavender grows outside the window.

This gallery is an informal outdoor dining area off the kitchen. The wooden beams that shade the patio were reclaimed from an older house in the area.

Lavender seen in silhouette through the curtains.

A view out to the pool. Light is abundant with skylights and windows throughout and the interiors are decorated in earthy tones and with exquisite taste.

A terrace on the roof gives a view of the surrounding countryside.

The home has 100-year-old roof tiles and ceilings with exposed aged wood beams, giving the house an antique charm but with modern comforts.

The property features a very large deck complete with barbecue that opens out onto the lawn and swimming pool with hydro-massage and solarium.

The front door is made from reclaimed pine and antique iron hinges.

The lighthouse. Jose Ignacio is a resort town with upscale restaurants and a spa. It’s about a mile from the house.

Photos: Horacio Paone

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