Real Living home Australia – December 2022

Villa Can Ressol in Ibiza has been published in the Real Living Home Australia magazine, n.05 of December 2022.

The project was made by the Rodrigo Izquierdo Design Studio.

 

WHEN INTERIOR DESIGNER Rodrigo Izquierdo first set foot on this property near Santa Gertrudis in Ibiza, he was immediately captivated by its unusual setting. “It was immersed in a pine forest,” says Rodrigo. “and it was not that typical house, with all the bougainvilleas and direct sunshine. It surprised me because here we are not used to being in the middle of a forest, surrounded by pine trees more than two metres high.” Tranquil yet also dramatic, Rodrigo’s idyllic holiday home was bought in 2018 and updated in 2020. This is his escape destination whenever he can leave behind his busy working life in the Italian city of Milan. SPANISH ROOTS Renovating the 1980s home involved unifying and brightening communal living areas, reorganising spaces, redecorating corridors and updating the kitchen and bathrooms. Traditional farmhouse aesthetics were accentuated with Pietra Compattata floor tiles, rough concrete, lime stucco, Ibizan marble, crisp white paint and built-in seating. Rodrigo says the home is “a hymn to style in a Mediterranean context”. “Inside, you can’t tell whether you’re in Ibiza, Costa Brava or Costa Azul.”

MED MOD Once the neutral Mediterranean narrative was refined, Rodrigo added rationalist design principles and layers of ’60s elements on top. In the home you’ll find bold colours, geometric patterns, earthy vintage tiles and redwood panelling. WOODLAND LIGHT The home’s facade is north-facing (which is not the sunniest aspect to have in the Northern Hemisphere) and the forest backdrop also limits light. Yet these two factors were turned into something extra special by landscaper Flavio Pollano, who worked intuitively with the setting. Instead of clearing vegetation, Flavio limited his intervention to pruning plants and trees and removing only spent debris. “Now the sunlight enters diagonally through the branches and you see lights and shadows moving throughout the day,” says Rodrigo. “The different plays of light and shadows created in the spaces of the house also simulate the rays of the sun that occur naturally in the pine forest. I can’t even describe it. You have to live it … it is magical.”

Casa linda “This home is a retreat for me to relax with my family and friends,” says Rodrigo. In the living room, blues, reds and browns combine with geometric prints to add echoes of the 1960s. Coffee table by Anticuable. Built-in sofa designed by Izquierdo Design Studio with cotton Arrow-stripe cushions from Colville. Silenzio wall art by Nicolas Denino. Tribal rug, part of the Collectives Collection by Carlotta Fortuna for Amini. And what holiday home doesn’t need a shiny gold crab from Australia in prime position? Sweet dream (opposite top) Peek inside the bedroom. You’ll find Nicola Samori artworks, Zara Home floor lamp and a tapestry from Santorini in Greece used as a rug. Multi-colour blanket and cushion, Colville. Side table, New Life Home Past to present (opposite bottom) The bathroom features tiles from Ferres Ceramica. Series O tapware from Iconico. One door handle designed by Piet Boon for Formani. Cadaques jug from Datcha Paris. “The aesthetic of rationalist houses from the ’60s is particularly present in the bathroom,” says Rodrigo.

Natural beauty Earthy and Mediterranean elements come together harmoniously in Rodrigo’s stylish kitchen which feels both contemporary and traditional. The wood panelling and La Pietra Compattata concrete tiles work their magic against the kitchen’s sleek marble benchtop which sits on plaster. Bar stools from Zara Home complete the look. “The inspiration in my home goes back to the simplicity of the rationalists,” says Rodrigo. “There are smart distributions, spaces that are proportional and materials that recall the Mediterranean cultural vernacular.”

“The different plays of light and shadows created in the spaces of the house also simulate the rays of the sun that occur naturally in the pine forest. I can’t even describe it. You have to live it … it is magical.”
Rodrigo Izquierdo

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