In a penthouse flat in Marbella’s Elviria district, it feels like you’re on a permanent beach holiday. The owners wanted their holiday home to have a relaxed beach vibe and the feel of a Mediterranean villa.
The home itself was in a good condition when it was purchased, but the finishes were rather generic. Following a renovation last year to update all of the penthouse’s finishes, the result is a timeless and soothing design.
The design team from Zoco Home Interior Services created a new style for the holiday home as well as co-ordinated the renovation, since the couple who own the flat could mostly only take part in the project remotely. Everything went smoothly, however, and after five months of renovation, they were able to move in and enjoy their revamped home.
The project was not without its challenges: with the building’s vertical pipeline running right where the penthouse’s future kitchen island would have been, the originally planned, completely open-plan kitchen and living room had to be abandoned. They decided to disguise the pipes as a column with an eye-catching recessed arc built into it.
The 150-square-metre home has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, a separate WC and, as an added luxury, a fabulous rooftop terrace. A common thread in the renovation was the use of microcement, which was also used on the rooftop terrace. The terrace’s traditional terra cotta tiles made way for a minimalistic and luxurious oasis with a hotel vibe, including an outdoor kitchen and shower.
Besides the modern and clean lines created by the microcement, another key material used to achieve the penthouse’s new style was rough, untreated wood. Light-coloured wood can be seen in the furniture as well as in the ceiling beams, which were added to the penthouse to give it a Spanish country house feel and bring warmth to the otherwise concrete finishes.
The colour scheme is very understated: whites and greys are complemented by the sophisticated hues of natural materials, the various textures of which give the decor a tactile effect. The only splash of colour is the turquoise Zellige tiles used on the wall of the outdoor shower on the rooftop terrace, echoing the sparkling Mediterranean Sea that opens up from terrace.
Now Casa del Olivo, as the penthouse has been christened, is the perfect place to take in the sea view and sunsets – both indoors and out. ■
