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» Decorating a refuge
THE FIRST FEELING transmitted by this solid house is one of peace and warmth, of protection against the inclement weather of the Pyrenees mountains of Spain’s Aragon region where it is located. And if the first impression is also what matters when it comes to decoration, that goal has been achieved: the house is a mountain haven for enjoying a weekend or a vacation, and, at the same time, aesthetic pleasure.
The owners opted for an interior decorating style that is both modern and cozy in order to offset from within the cold of the long winter months. The house is set amid a landscape always visible through large windows that open from the rear slope of the roof.
In winter, light and heat are precious commodities. So the decorating style enhances the spread of natural light by joining rooms and purposes —the living room is connected to the kitchen, and the bedroom flows into the main bathroom. It also creates a homey atmosphere through a careful selection of Porcelanosa Group materials that blend restrained, warm tones and are strengthened by the natural leather and wood textures of the furniture. The idea is heat but without isolation.
Two rooms in one
The design of the house shuns the traditional recourse to wood paneling and introduces earthenware coverings with a sophisticated finish. They add a taste of the unexpected. Porcelanosa’s Xian Negro floor coverings get this job done, especially in the large living room-kitchen area. The light that enters through the large plate-glass windows gives tonal movement to the rusty-look metallic enamel. Its flat tone lets the chromium distributed around the house stand out more, such as in the legs of the LC1 armchairs by Le Corbusier or the kitchen utensils and furniture. The rawhide of the armchairs lends the rustic touch expected of a natural setting that this house has. Other elements that enhance the sensation of atmospheric warmth in the living room are the brandy-colored leather of the three-seat sofa by Bo Concept, and the hassocks that fit under the wengue-wood table, in addition to the rugs of varying sizes, done in flecked beige shag. To add a flair of originality and surprise, an attention- grabbing wicker armchair from La Oca was chosen, as was a broad range of leather,wood, carvings and copper-colored materials that accentuate the rustic, but state of the art, look of this home.
 Totally integrated kitchen
The area earmarked for the kitchen and dining room is distinguished by the translucent Glacier Naranja tiles by L’Antic Colonial that are placed on the rear wall.
They add a bright, vibrant tone that contrasts with the more sober one of the living room. In the kitchen —model G640 in heather oak by Gamadecor— the area with the shelves and appliances is a wall unit with sliding doors. If so desired, it can cover up the oven and microwave to give a greater sense of integration with the rest of the room. Across from it, the cooking and working area is also done in heather oak, in contrast with the white Zeus counter the living room stretches into the kitchen and the bedroom into the main bathroom.
The big bedroom suite
On the upper level of the house, once again rooms and their functions are joined for the enjoyment of wide, open spaces. In this case, the floor coverings mark the transition between the bedroom and bathroom.
Around the bed, which has a wengue wood base, single-strip parquet of the Merbau Kenya Oscuro model was placed, while the area of the bathroom establishes continuity with the downstairs level and has the same Xian Negro tiles from Porcelanosa around the Versâtile bathtub by System-Pool —which features a hydro-massage unit— and in the area of the toilet and shower. Although the wall covering of the bathroom is generally the Marmi China model of Monker, Porcelanosa has placed Stick Iroco tiles measuring 20 X 31.6 cm in three places: in the
half-wall between the tub and the toilet; in a stretch of wall in which the Quatro model faucet is embedded over the wooden Anake counter and the clear glass Acuario sinks, by Noken; and on the walls of the Prisma Walk In shower stall by System-Pool, which features a curved, translucent glass partition.
For the furniture, once again noble materials are used but with a modern, imaginative design. Serving this purpose are the console table of wengue wood, a bit darker than the parquet, the ochre-colored long shag rugs and the toasted leather of the Bonet arm chair. But the most surprising touch is the lamp made up of a bundle of rods that seem to lean casually against the wall. The warmth of the bedroom contrasts with the more aseptic look of the bathroom.
But at no point does this sacrifice an architectural and decorative unity designed so that comfort
will accompany every day-to-day task.
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