Collection by Tara Hunt
Stonework
The project’s signature material was discovered on a trip to a recycled brick yard, where Welsch and the homeowners found light, cream-colored bricks and fell in love. "It was a decision made on the spot," explains Welsch. The original plan was to find darker materials that would make the home feel more cozy and cave-like, but the way these bricks reflected the sunlight was just irresistible. "You don’t necessarily expect that soft light feeling from a material like brick."
Architect Benedetta Tagliabue was intrigued by the crumbling homes in her neighborhood in Barcelona and took to sprucing up an 18th-century flat. What makes her space unique are the countless period details that were not restored, but rather left to breathe as is and continue as is in their deteriorating state, adding character to the home. However, the walls were slowly peeled away, revealing a number of significant elements like a Gothic capital with an angel, and a frieze of vivid 18th-century decorative murals—with the original sketches for them on the wall of the adjacent room. Immersed in natural light, the rooms form a circular layout around a central patio. Diagonally placed rectangular patches of tined cement tile accentuate the effect, reflecting the sun’s rays. In the pool house, a shallow lap pool and wood burning fireplace present an urban oasis under ceramic, barrel-vaulted ceilings.
42 more saves