DATA SHEET
Architectural and Interior design: Iñigo Iriarte Interiorismo
Furnishings: Désirée, Iñigo Iriarte Interiorismo, French antique shop
Lightings: French antique shop
Decoration: Veluto
Bathrooms: CEA Design, NIC
Photo credits: Biderbost Photo
Protective and enveloping, the atmosphere of this abode in the Basque Country thrives on dark hues and echoes of the landscape. But also on relations with tradition, formulated as a secondary volume of a classic farmhouse, previously utilized for storage and now transformed into a small apartment for guests by the studio Iñigo Iriarte Interiorismo.
In a total area of 50 sqm, wood and stone generate the forms and materials, in dynamic harmony with a palette that further emphasizes the link with the territory. The spaces are dressed in tones of earth, greens and browns – for the living-kitchen-dining area and a night zone with bathroom – in an atmosphere of peerless natural warmth, also extending to the fabrics. In a mixture of tradition and modernity, the spaces flow within a rustic framework, where wooden ceilings form a contrast with floors in smooth concrete. The central features of the project is the three-way fireplace fueled by wood, placed at the end of the kitchen block. This is the element that gives meaning to the dwelling: it physically separates the bedroom from the living room, while joining the two spaces with its game of transparency.
The kitchen cabinets are custom made to interact with the living area, with hanging cabinets and a sculptural island, and an overhanging marble table. For greater uniformity, most of the appliances and functional aspects are paneled and built in, like the sink in the same marble as the worktop. To gain breadth and perspective views, an opening facing the garden surrounding the building has been expanded. The thick walls offered a perfect premise for the insertion of a window that functions on the inside like a sofa and a belvedere, while adding precise character to the façade.
In the bedroom the upholstered headboard of the bed and the brass appliques have been designed by the studio, while the bedside tables take their cue from traditional Basque stone, created by the sculptor Unai Gabilondo. The various textures that coexist in this zone of the house reveal the authorship of Iñigo Iriarte: the velvet curtain, the brass casements, the covered wardrobes and the bronze-color fumé mirror. The latter conceals the flush-mounted door leading to the bathroom, with a washstand in travertine and a shower, where niches of light are placed on both sides to offer a touch of modernity.
