A hilltop situation brings many advantages to a house, like beautiful open views and privacy, but it also comes with some constraints. These constraints are mainly related to climate, as the house must have a weather-adapted shape. Athfield Architects have visited the site many times before they finalized the design. They checked among others the frequency and direction of the winds over the different seasons, the degree of sun exposure and the best angles. Based on their observations and on the brief from the future owners, they designed a robust and durable house, with a solidly grounded base and a lighter, yet strong structure above. The spaces are securely enclosed and protected, but at the same time open and exposed to the exceptional surroundings. The interior design is rich in styles and meanings. From contemporary to industrial to ethnic, they create an eclectic interior with a lot of personality. One can feel that many of the decoration and art pieces have a story of their own and are loaded with emotional value. The art works inside the house rival the natural works of art framed by the big windows and glass doors.
The one and a half height on the ceiling in the living area creates a beautiful volume flooded by light from all directions through strategically places windows.
Beautiful stand-alone pieces of furniture harmonize with the built-in elements to create a very welcoming and cocooning atmosphere.
The art works on the walls are individually lit by spot lights, thus emphasizing the value they represent to their owners.
The kitchen and dining room have a lot of industrial accents, mainly the chairs and stools. They come to match the exposed white brick walls of the house. The black-board style walls of the pantry have become a giant memo board, with recipes and phone numbers scribbled all over for a very cheerful, lived-in atmosphere.
The perforated round shades of the pendant lamps create a magical game of lights and shadows on the staircase walls.
The glass doors slide and fold to open up the same to the maximum when the weather allows for it.
