Concrete dwelling merges cliffside on the Balearic Sea

Casa del Acantilado is a bright white house nestled on a cliff in Calpe, Alicante, Spain by architecture studio Fran Silvestre Arquitectos and features an 18 meters long balcony that stretches out towards the Balearic Sea. The home is comprised of 2,604 square feet (242 square meters) with the living rooms and bedrooms contained within the protruding upper level, offering panoramic views through a completely glazed facade. The entire structure is composed of concrete, but the walls are coated in stucco to create the clean white aesthetic.

From the architects, “We like the virtue of architecture which makes possible constructing a house on air, walking on water…An abrupt plot of land overlooking the sea, where what is best is to do nothing. It invites to stay. A piece that respects the land’s natural contour is set in it. Above, a shadow, the house itself, looking calmly at the Mediterranean. Under the sun, the swimming-pool brings us closer to the sea, it becomes a quiet cove. In the inflection point, the stairway proposes an evocative path, a garden in the basement…

Due to the steepness of the plot and the desire to contain the house in just one level, a three-dimensional structure of reinforced concrete slabs and screens adapting to the plot’s topography was chosen, thus minimizing the earthwork. This monolithic, stone-anchored structure generates a horizontal platform from the accessing level, where the house itself is located. The swimming-pool is placed on a lower level, on an already flat area of the site. The concrete structure is insulated from the outside and then covered by a flexible and smooth white lime stucco. The rest of materials, walls, pavements, and the gravel on the roof… all maintain the same color, respecting the traditional architecture of the area, emphasizing it and simultaneously underlining the unity of the house.”

Photos: Diego Opazo

Casa del Acantilado | House on the Cliff by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos from Fran Silvestre Arquitectos on Vimeo.

Modern penthouse loft overlooking Barcelona

A penthouse next to the port of Barcelona, Spain with views and plenty of natural light was given a modern renovation to adapt perfectly to the lifestyle of the owners. The owners are a young couple, newly married, without children and with much social life, knew that it could become the home of their dreams. They trusted the project and decoration to the studio of Pia Capdevila Interiors & Events. The first step was a demolition of all partitions to achieve a new, very modern distribution, with two well defined public and private spaces. In the center of the attic and to the left from the entrance, the kitchen, open and connected to the living room was an environment that extends out to a terrace, recovered to take advantage of the reform. The private area, to the right of the entrance, is accessed through a corridor that leads to two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

The Interior Designer combined smooth walls with brick and gave maximum prominence to a front, covered with slabs of natural stone. This large irregular surface enriched with its chromatic mix and its relief decoration in black, white and steel kitchen. Continuous concrete flooring painted in a gray tone epoxy serves as a common thread among the environments, gives cohesion to the project and contributes, along with natural light, to creating more spaciousness in the home. To highlight the interior design, designs were made by Studio Pia Capdevila, from the headboard with bedside tables along the bedroom wall, to the base unit that runs along the window of the living room.

Photos: Spotted on Mi Casa

Breathtaking modern holiday retreat in Cádiz

Surrounded by a beautiful garden, this vacation house spotted on Nuevo Estilo is located in the residential community of Sotogrande, Cádiz, Spain and designed by the architect Enrique Johansson representing the image of the contemplative life. Designed for an extended family that receives many house guests, the home was designed to be comfortable, spacious and very modern. The gorgeous interiors were designed by Carmen Brujó. Both professionals got the goals set by the owners who wished for a place of rest and relaxation, modern architecture and quiet interiors. The designers had full freedom, with the work being executed in nine months.

The home was new construction, designed as a succession of volumes in an L-shape “closed” to the adjacent streets and set flush into the garden. This relationship with the outside intensified opening horizontal holes to the South and East which it filled with light and creating generous porches. In addition, the social areas with the installation of a living area and a dining room outdoor have doubled. The combination of white facades and exposed concrete produces an effect of dynamism between the varying heights and structural elements.

Cubic volumes and different levels make up the elevation of the facade, which highlights powerfully the greenish blue door.

Throughout the home are Turkish limestone floors, providing a sense of cohesiveness. The interiors are committed to freshness and lightness mixed of warm notes. The eclectic, but balanced, selection of-vintage, contemporary design and family antiques furniture, the skillful use of color to give continuity or prominence, the choice of textiles… Everything contributes to create the pleasant climate of a relaxing holiday home.

The interior designer Carmen Brujó selected from her showroom many furniture and objects that furnished the house.

This orientation of the House mitigates the noise of the adjacent streets. The concrete plasters and paint in white are the dominant finishes.

A previously restored wooden board and industrial legs form this large dining room table.

The dressing room features plenty of natural light with the skylight above.

The top floor terrace offers magnificent views of the garden and the swimming pool.

Sustainable and ecological country house in Segovia

Camouflaged in a dense oak forest in the province of Segovia, Spain, this house is the epitome of sustainable construction, the impulse of a couple who decided to leave Madrid for a life in the county. The owners had a strong desire to escape city life, but not too far away from the city to go as often as they need to. This family home is owned by Tino De la Carrera, a graphic designer who wanted to have a sustainable home and space to be able to work from home. The project has been designed by Garcia German Arquitectos with builder La Colombina.

This is the first housing of a future ecological urbanization which, with homes distinct from one another, will respond to a form of essential life with solar panels, garden, septic and power generation through a simple biomass system that reduces the consumption of electricity and gas up to 70%. The house was constructed in very little time, with prefabricated panels of plywood. Between the house and the ventilated facade there is 7 inches of rock wool insulation: “It’s like a great parka that keeps her warm,” explains De la Carrera. As for the interior, it’s airy and flexible to not obstruct from the views and allows you to modify the distribution at will. If that wasn’t enough, its price is lower than traditional construction.

The layout of the hall between the two large panoramic windows can be seen from this perspective. The porch has a cubic design and a depth that helps protect the interior from direct sun in the summer months.

The living/dining room, from which leads to other rooms, is a splendid view to the landscape.

The home office of the owner of the house, graphic designer Tino De la Carrera, is located on the top floor.

The house, which sits on a brick foundation, boasts flat roofs, thermal insulation and integration into the landscape.

The two floors of the house are heated by the wood Hergom stove.

All the equipment in the kitchen is from Ikea.

The concept of reuse is also transferred to this bedroom: headboard is built and painted tables, a former mannequin serves as a valet and the table comes from a demolition.

Nature sneaks into the bathroom through the window that encloses the shower, clad with stone. A carpenter’s bench has converted into a bathroom vanity cabinet; the mirror, sconces and sink is from IKEA.

Photos: Nuevo Estilo

Delightful Villa Mandarina along the Costa del Sol

Villa Mandarina is a stunning home set along the Costa del Sol in the south of Spain, taking advantage of an incredible location to create a delightful retreat. The charming home features clean lines and crisp white interiors, adding brightness to the space. Warm and welcoming interiors offer an infusion of elements, objects and textures, creating a tranquil environment. The outdoor patio offers stunning coastal views and cozy sitting areas along with a fabulous swimming pool.

Images: Courtesy of Masfotogenica

Beautiful architecturally salvaged home in Madrid

An elegant and imaginative collage aesthetic permeates this house spotted on Nuevo Esilo, situated in one of the most dynamic areas of Madrid, the Barrio de Las Letras. With an unbeatable blend, interior designer Marie-Caroline Willms, who runs EMCI. ID Projects has achieved an environment full of creativity and surprising contrasts. The home is located in the cultural axis, the Art triangle, which is a valuable factor to boost the reform of an abandoned home during the last hundred years. But, in addition, the floor itself was a diamond for polishing. But with a legacy, the typical distribution of the century past, of labyrinthine corridors, a kitchen away from the rest of the rooms and electrical wiring at the sight, its great potential is intuited under so much decadence.

The objective was starting from scratch, but respecting the identity of the building: “When I saw the high ceilings with crown molding, self-leveling floor… I got excited with its possibilities”. It was necessary to re-distribute the spaces according to the life of the new occupants. The designer restored the original framework, with beams and pillars of wood, and brick walls that were left exposed. The floor became a loft with environments by original combinations, which highlights a subtle elegance and a chic Bohemian flair. The house is a suggestive compilation of trends, well-seasoned with powerful notes of humor, classic refinements, unique accent pieces such as a bouquet of flowers made with colorful balloons in the living room and antiques.

Dark and dramatic design showcased in Print Avenue

Print Avenue is an incredibly designed vintage pavilion by interior design studio Egue y Seta, hand in hand with Sabaté lab, a digital printing, large format and museographer company in Barcelona, Spain. Walking along a game board decorated with “engraved” past century lettering digitally printed over pinewood, we introduce ourselves, box by box, into a playful atmosphere: an entrance hall, a waiting area and a reception; or perhaps a shop with its counter or a walk-in printed surfaces catalog. All outfitted under an aesthetic scheme that flirts with the popular strategy game, while posing a fresh, sustainable and customizable decorative strategy: Printing!

Photos:  Vicugo

Inspiring and colorful home of Architect Eva Palao

Spotted on Nuevo Estilo, this beautiful house in Barcelona, Spain is that of architect and jewelry expert Eva Palao. The first impression that one gets upon entrance to this unique home is a burst of color, light and a wink of humor, constant references to a calming mix of styles and a great example of how to pair different concepts into a coherent and harmonious whole. The home was originally built in the early 1900′s, with the characteristic hydraulic floors and high ceilings with ornate moldings. A gem which offered great possibilities of becoming the highly personal house that it is today.

The structure was in good condition, but a reform was necessary to adapt to new needs. The objective was that each room has its own character, achieved through the use of color and pieces chosen little by little. Hydraulic tiles have been kept in the living room and kitchen, but not in the bathrooms and bedroom. These rooms instead feature black slate and wood. Paint on the walls plays a very important role in the differentiation of spaces. From the modern and powerful glossy black finish in the bedroom, running through to the hallway to the warmth of the Moroccan stucco in a sand tone in the living and dining room. Decoration was done slowly, adding objects as needed, wishing to preserve the aura of the original architecture.

Charming S’Hotelet de Santanyi in Mallorca

Serene, secluded s´Hotelet de Santanyí is found in charming Santanyí, an enchanting village full of tradition to the island’s south. Next to the town’s church in the heart of Santanyí is where S´Hotelet de Santanyí is found, a centuries-old family home that has been converted into a hotel disposing of five rooms and a private house. The hotel is a masterstroke of dream combinations, minimalist yet cozy, with a soothing neutral palette brought to life with exotic artworks gathered from across the globe.

Open all year round, the hotel offers all the comforts necessary to enjoy the tranquility and the authenticity of lifestyle in a town. All of the rooms and lounge rooms, as well as the interior patio and terraces have been designed following balanced and harmonious guidelines making each space welcoming and delicate.

To stay at this beautiful Majorcan retreat, prices start at $243.16 per night, from here.

Old mill-warehouse transformed into cozy home

The building is located in a small historic village of Priorat, a region of Tarragona, Spain dedicated to wine production. The building was an old mill-warehouse that was used to store wheat and was abandoned. The owner runs the prestigious winery that produces the Clos Erasmus, one of the finest red wines of Priorat, and obtained the highest score in the famous list of American expert Robert Parker. The request he made to Studio MINIM was to transform the mill into a comfortable home that also had an area for the winery.

Inside the home is a single open space comprised of over 1,506 square feet (140 square meters), and a gable roof over six feet tall. Architectural elements throughout were very dilapidated and, in some cases, in ruins. The first goal of MINIM was to restore, if possible, all the elements of architecture and interior design a project based on the original materials of construction, typical of rural households in the area. The rehabilitation respected the structure of the original box, recovering the original openings of the facade, pillars, stone walls and vaults of the basement, which was turned into a wine cellar. A bold “sculpture-staircase” was added in order to organize the building internally.

Photos: Albert Font Stylist: Mar Requena