How do you go about renovating a Catalonian mansion? If you’re Barcelona-based designers Francesc Rifé Studio, you prove that simple is beautiful with the perfect marriage of traditional and minimalist design. The original masonry stones have been kept in fantastic condition, only added to with minimalist elements, with the majority of changes made to how the entire property is brought together, including the earlier addition of horse stables.
When there are multiple buildings on a site, it can be tricky to get a sense that they all belong together, especially if they were added at different times throughout the property’s history. In order to bring a sense of unity and continuity throughout the spaces – something Rifé do better than anyone else – they’ve added a fantastic pergola, large oak surfaces and concrete floors.
To give the house a light airy feel, large arched windows flood the rooms with Catalonian sunshine, playing perfectly with the natural tones that the designers have selected.
When you have three floors in your property, it pays to have a fantastic looking staircase as well. The integration of a vaulted staircase, part made from forming an iron sheet, brings a flow between the abode ceramic and wooden finish.
These modern additions to the house give a great contrast to the old stonework and wooden beams, the large metal pergola being one of our favourites. Embracing both the front and back of the house, it invites you to make the most of the glorious outside space, with a garden that expands into the nearby forest and a new swimming pool that begs to be dived right into. Just keep your polo and water polo separate…
If you fancy something a little more remote check out this Off-Grid property…
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