This colorful apartment in a 1950s building is redone and ready, so a couple with two teenagers can enjoy relaxed weekends and free time with family or friends in the legendary seaport province of Alicante, on Spain’s southeastern coast.
Located in “the Land of Valencia,” along Costa Blanca (meaning White Coast), Alicante is known for sunshine, citrus, snow-white cliff faces, blanca sand, and white-washed houses, an old Spanish tradition.
The homeowners bought the apartment as a second residence and decided to keep the exposed brick walls and original structure as is, to represent the essence of the building’s past. The rugged, unfinished ceilings also speak to that.
“The clients wanted us to design a place for fun, and we enjoyed that,” says Hugo Coloma García, who co-founded Arquitectura Studio HC in Alicante with Carlos Amorós. Their studio provides architecture and interior design services.
“We played with some powerful elements, such as color in the kitchen,” García adds. Storage space in the cucina was at a minimum, so they added streamlined cabinet units in turquoise and orange to organize dishes and glassware.
“Pion,” the contemporary marble dining table with lacquered legs, was designed by Ionna Vautrin for the Spanish furniture brand Sancal. Her design was inspired by the game of chess, another fun pursuit.
Gazing out over the table in the kitchen/dining room common area is “Delphine,” by Madrid artist Joselu Montojo. She is one of his pop-art-inspired images of women, done on linen and canvas.
A “super comfy” armchair (the Tortuga, by Isaac Piñeiro) is the perfect seat near the window to enjoy a book and a drink, says García. The laid-back sofa is a Studio HC design manufactured by a local artisan. The cover is a linen and polyester blend.
It’s a casual place, a low-stress space, even if it is on one of the main streets in the province. The owners can open the door, unpack their bags and settle in for playtime.
Photography by Belén Imaz.
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