Fashion and interior designer Georgina “Geo” Giner Gallardo and her art director partner, Zoe Barceló Vicedo, never intended to move to Lanzarote, the fourth largest of Spain’s seven Canary Islands. That is, until they found the perfect spot for their dream house.

Zoe, originally from Alicante, was living in Madrid, while Geo, from Barcelona, was working as a fashion designer in Amsterdam. “We were tired of big-city life,” admit Zoe. “We’d never thought about Lanzarote, but it was where we found this plot of land.”

“I’d never imagined the Canary Islands would be the place,” Geo says in agreement.

When they discovered the property on the island’s northeastern coast in December 2021, it had two similarly sized structures: a shed used to store tools and agricultural equipment, and a dog kennel. Each building was around 650 square feet in size and Geo describes their condition as “unloved.”

The surrounding countryside is characterized by the black volcanic soil typically found on the island, which is set off the west coast of Africa. The fertile land would allow Geo to fulfill her dream of creating an organic vegetable garden, and the surf in the area is good, too—another priority for the couple. They purchased the property, began renovating the following August, and completed the project in January 2023.

It’s early March, and the pair are in short sleeves, sun streaming into their bright-white concrete kitchen through giant, south-facing windows.

Their property still consists of the two original structures, which are set less than 200 feet apart and connected by a wooden walkway. Geo and Zoe live in the former shed, which they converted into a home by overhauling the finishes and incorporating a kitchen and bathroom that were previously located outside. Now, the only thing separating the kitchen from the living and sleeping area is an open doorway. “It’s enough,” says Zoe. “When there are few walls or rooms, 650 square feet is quite a generous, open space.”

The former kennel serves mostly as a studio and storage space dedicated to the couple’s business, Latitud Fuego, a clothing, interior design, and cosmetics brand born in the Canaries.

Aside from the cost of buying the land (€140,000) and the foundation, structural work, roofing, flooring, and wall finishes (about €48,000 in total), one of the biggest costs was the investment in nine solar panels and two lithium batteries, for a total power capacity of five kilowatts. This setup alone cost the couple €11,500.

€140,000 Land	€6,000 Design Fee	€11,812 Foundation
€14,405 Structural Work	€14,419 Wall Finishes	€3,432 Flooring
€3,899 Roofing	€2,719 Electrical	€3,917 Plumbing
€11,500 Solar Panels	€3,150 Kitchen & Bath Fixtures	€4,235 Lighting
€11,500 Countertops	€10,306 Windows & Glazing	€4,735 Doors
€4,464 Millwork	€6,250 Furnishings & Decor
Grand Total: €256,743

“We are not on the electric grid,” explains Zoe, adding that, in addition to the electricity provided by their solar panels, they have a gas supply from a butane tank. Which explains the two cooktops: a two-plate induction range from German brand Teka (€349), and a four-burner Smeg gas cooker (€689). The gas cooker was a splurge, as was the combined fridge and freezer, also from Smeg, and priced at €1,837.

“Because of our situation, it made sense to have both cooktops,” says Geo, noting that on cloudy days, the induction plates, powered by the solar panels, become too energy intensive. He prefers cooking on a gas stove, but acknowledges that induction is quicker for certain things, like boiling water.

Just as she always imagined, Geo grows all manner of fruits and vegetables in the garden: mangoes, bananas, avocados, figs, passion fruit, lettuce, beets, carrots, sweet potatoes, and arugula, to name a few. It’s a pastoral paradise that feels a world away from mainland Spain. “Whenever we come back here from Barcelona, the first thing we notice is that it’s finally quiet,” says Geo.

“The only sounds are natural sounds,” adds Zoe. “When you walk in our garden, you can hear the wind in the leaves of the fruit trees. And sometimes, when the sea is rough, we can hear the waves crashing on the beach.”

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While the main house embodies the island’s characteristic bright-white minimalist architecture, with its smooth, rounded concrete edges and rustic, built-in storage, the second building is a futuristic pink rectangle.

And, while, the main house is furnished mostly with vintage, hand-selected pieces, the studio is function-forward, with chairs from Zara Home and storage from Ikea.

“In the main house, we wanted to keep the Lanzarote mood,” says Zoe, explaining that, traditionally, houses on the island were colored with locally produced white chalk, which helps to reflect sunlight.

And if there is one thing Lanzarote has plenty of, it is sunshine.

More Budget Breakdown stories:

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Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Fran Amorós

Builder/General Contractor: José Miguel Molina, Javier Caamaño

Interior Design: Geo Giner and Zoe Barceló, Latitud Fuego

Cabinetry Design/Installation: Steven Blommaert, Koperen Kraanwerk

Correction on 3/17/25: This Budget Breakdown table initially included a €90,000 estimate for site work, which was ultimately not a part of the final budget—the chart and total cost have been updated accordingly.

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Budget Breakdown: They Turned a Shed Into an Off-Grid Island Home for €257K