The relaxed elegance of this home is created by the fusion of beautiful fabrics, international art and timeless antiques. It defines the ‘joie de vivre’ of the owners and the importance they place on quality time with family and friends. This renovation was very hands-on, and we flew over every six weeks to monitor progress. Due to us being on-site a lot less than we are used to our planning and drawings had to be exact.

Our builders were terrific and our objectives were achieved with new spaces being opened up and all the requirements accommodated. We excavated the garage successfully and created two bedrooms, a gym, a cellar and a laundry on the third level. The second level now has a vast room that has a lounge/desk area and space for ten children on stacking / movable bunks. The additional two bedrooms on that level were given a facelift and the two bathrooms were left as they were with their typically brightly coloured Portuguese tiles.

The ground floor and main bedroom on the top floors were beautifully restored with white walls, high ceilings and lovely high gloss black floors. This home is a delight to be in, be it in mid-summer or with burning fires in winter. Due to the terraced nature of the home, there is always an easy escape on family holidays for the older generations (or whoever) to disappear to their rooms for peace and quiet. Family holidays while great fun can get rowdy – especially as the kids become teenagers. The majority of the furnishings were manufactured and procured in South Africa and shipped over to Portugal. Our installation team flew over to install.