Family Villa,Sierra Blanca Marbella.
This family had bought a beautiful villa in Sierra Blanca, one of Marbella's most sought after neighbourhoods, full of traditional Moorish architectural detail. They loved the character of the place but wanted it to work properly for a young family, starting with the kitchen.
They didn't want a full transformation, more a considered update. The kitchen needed to become the true heart of the home, somewhere the family could cook, eat and gather together, without losing the Arabic influence that gave the villa its character in the first place.
Arabic style architecture has a very particular language, intricate detailing, strong lines, a real sense of history. Bringing in a modern, functional kitchen without it looking like it had been dropped into the wrong house was the main challenge. Everything needed to feel like it belonged. On top of that, the kitchen was dark and shut off from the dining room next door, which made it feel smaller and far less sociable than a family kitchen should be.
We leaned on rich walnut and carefully chosen marble to bridge old and new, using them with clean, contemporary detailing in the custom cabinetry rather than anything overly traditional. To deal with the dark, closed off layout, we knocked through the wall between the kitchen and dining room, creating one open plan space that lets in far more light and gives the family a proper sociable area to cook, eat and spend time together.
For the worktops, we chose a marble with warm gold veining that echoes the marble floors running through the rest of the villa, so the new kitchen ties back into the original spaces rather than feeling like a separate addition. Integrated appliances and considered storage keep the room looking clean and sophisticated, with nothing on show that doesn't need to be.
The kitchen now feels like the natural heart of the villa, warm, functional and unmistakably modern, while still carrying the same sense of heritage found throughout the rest of the home.
Taking on a villa renovation in Marbella and want a design that respects what's already there?
