Interiors

July 8, 2020 – Published in Design & Decor Summer 2013 issue

Comfort and space – stylish living in the 21st century!

Words: Andrea Christians

Photography: Alan Carville

This modern town house is located in one of Malta’s more sought after residential locations and was purchased by its current owners a few years ago. It is three bedroomed and has a layout that is spacious and filled with natural light. Being a townhouse the front door opens into a small hall area with stairs that lead up to the first floor. Here the owners opted for a simple layout of a large open plan living/dining room and separate kitchen.

With light beach flooring running throughout the kitchen makes a strong contemporary style statement whilst also being practical and informal. Supplied by Gala the dark base units are wenge coloured and contrast nicely with the white stainless steel edged work surfaces and more subtly with the other glass fronted cupboards that are tinted a mushroom shade. Being a large room with ample volume the owners decide on two islands. A square island providing extra workspace is centrally located whilst a larger rectangular one at the rear of the room is used for informal dining and has accompanying suede upholstered stainless steel chairs. Other interesting features include stainless steel tiles above the work surface on the wall next to the ceramic hob that were sourced from America whilst the rear wall at the other end of the room has been painted a dark red to give a dramatic accent colour and has a painting by artist Christine Zammit at its centre. A single drop shade light hangs over the first island with a triple repeated over the larger one which, together with custom made blinds, complete the chic, minimalist look of this modern kitchen.

The sitting room is large and well-appointed making for comfortable, informal living. As space is certainly not an issue here the sofas chosen are large and angular and come from Berloni and are upholstered in white brushed cotton. The textured paint on the wall behind is particularly unusual and attractive and is enhanced by large scatter cushions that were custom made by Gabbi Rizzo in complimentary shades. The rug underfoot adds to the feeling of textures and comfort in this his room whilst another work by Christine Zammit hangs centre stage on the wall and again mirrors the colour scheme. The large coffee table that stands immediately in front of the sofas was custom made and has a marine glass surface and houses four Dunlopillo poufs beneath that came from Form.

Adjacent to this stand, what were originally leather chairs that have been reupholstered in cloth for greater comfort. The nearby television cabinet has a tempered glass surface and a leather frontage whilst a slim wall hung electric fire brought from Britain hangs immediately adjacent. The dining table in the room again reflects the kitchen colour and is wenge coloured with matching microfiber chairs. The final object of interest and an indication of the owners appreciation of art is an original painting by well-known Maltese artist, Arthur “Rizo” Turo, hanging on an nearby wall.

On the upper floor a landing opens to a family bathroom and three bedrooms, one of which is used as a home office. The master bedroom is large with the textured wall paint of the lounge area again repeated on the wall behind the bed and works well with the colours of the bed linens. The bedside tables and wardrobe in this room are Berloni whilst the bed was also sourced locally. The leather reclining chair next to the bed is from Form whilst the side lamps and attractive chandelier above add a certain nonchalant elegance and were also bought locally. The curtains and blinds of this room were again custom made and blend in unobtrusively whilst the floor rug adds a feeling of depth and texture. The carved mirror on the adjacent wall is inset with blue and is of eastern style and comes from Bali and is the finishing touch in a bed room that is quietly understated and has a relaxing atmosphere.

The ensuite bathroom is again simple and uncomplicated and makes optimal use of the space available with fashionable square white ceramics on one side and a large walk in shower on the other. The white contrasts nicely against the chocolate brown whilst the neutral shades of the smaller inset tiles add aesthetic interest making this a functional and stylish bathroom that well complements the style of the master bedroom.

In conclusion what we have before us is a modern, state of the art home with large airy rooms that favour the relaxed 21st century lifestyle. The subtle use of colour and sense of continuity throughout are a credit to the owner of this property who obviously has a flair for design and has been successful in creating a home environment that is both comfortable and practical without any compromise on style.