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Outlined by a pine forest, the lush garden of this villa in the south of Portugal, created by landscape architects FC Arquitectura Paisagista, is home to a variety of Mediterranean plant species. Along the infinity pool, the brushed concrete pavers create the perfect spot to bask in the sun on Elit folding loungers by Marcello Ziliani for Ethimo. -
In the entrance of the guest house, bagged brick meets terrazzo and kambala wood panelling, with a tapestry by Lauren Williams, an antique chest of drawers, a lamp by Oluce and sculptures picked up during the owners’ travels creating a warm welcome -
The entrance hall of the main residence features a bamboo table from Selency and vintage chairs from Harmonia. -
Designed by architect Pedro Reis, the pool is coated with Portuguese Atlantic Blue limestone. -
In the “winter” lounge, a linen Salinas sofa from Botaca is complemented by a coffee table and armchairs thrifted by the owners. -
The chic dining area is separated from the “winter” lounge by a panel of moveable kambala wood modules, created by contractors Arima. The raw timber table, made to order by interior designer Marta Mantero’s company Rice, is surrounded by chairs from Branca Lisboa. The light fitting is from Bolia. -
Custom joinery in the kitchen is offset by light tiles from Aït Manos and an expansive granite-clad island. -
Indoor-outdoor living continues in the guest lounge, with a Bolia sofa and vintage armchairs inside, and tables and rattan chairs by Rice outside. -
Alfresco summer dining happens in comfort courtesy of Gommaire furniture. -
The pool house features a sitting area designed around built-in masonry benches and a summer kitchen that’s as discreet as it is functional. -
A small patio off the main bedroom provides a private morning-coffee spot. -
For the main living room, Marta chose two sofas from Bolia and a custom rug by Ferreira de Sá. The coffee table, designed by the owners and Marta, echoes the vintage armchairs with Missoni cushions. Two works by Madrid artist Maria Yelletisch hang on the wall. Completely open thanks to glazed stacking sliders, the space seems to extend into the garden. -
An oasis between the main house and the guest lodgings, the garden – maintained by Terra Lógica – is a communal gathering space, where the owners and their visitors can relax and unwind. -
The owners’ minimalist en suite bathroom is a canvas of pale terrazzo and white bagged brick. A basin carved from Portuguese Lioz limestone sits atop a wall-mounted vanity designed by Pedro and custom-made in kambala wood. The outdoor shower’s blue zellige tiles from Aït Manos provide a backdrop for the banana tree and rosemary bushes. -
Connected to a landscaped outside patio, the owners’ bedroom is an ode to wood, with sand-blasted oak flooring, and a feature headboard wall and sliding shutters made in kambala.
WORDS Laurence Dougier and Steve Smith PRODUCTION Laurence Dougier PHOTOS Nicolas Mathéus
An ode to tropical Modernism and hidden in a lush garden, this villa in the south of Portugal allows its owners and guests to unwind in the shade of a pine forest.
Ask about Portugal’s best beaches, and most point to the southeastern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. They are, of course, talking about the famous Algarve – but if you’re ever in the area, it’s the region just above it that’s really worth a visit. It’s known as Alentejo and, far from the Algarve’s tourist
swarms, life in this land of wheatfields, cork-oak forests, wildflower meadows and white-washed villages is lived at an altogether slower pace. It’s one of the least-developed and least-populated regions in western Europe, with 100 kilometres of coastline protected by the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park – and it’s here that the owner of this home chose to build. “It only took us three days to completely fall in love, buy a vacant sloping site with a sea view, and embark on a five-year adventure to build our dream house,” she says.
Two plots (“shaped like pizza slices”, she says) open up like a funnel onto the slope of a hill. The parcel of land allowed architect Pedro Reis to design a villa with the buildings and terraces as the high point, overlooking the pool and the sea in the distance. Two bankrupt builders later, his vision of sleek minimalism slowly took shape.
The brief was to re-create a Brazilian-inspired Mid-century Modern villa – an ode to Tropical Modernism – with a large main house and an adjacent smaller house for visiting friends. The idea was a property that could accommodate 18 people in total, allowing for both a degree of independence as well as a communal gathering space at the pool and in the lush landscaped garden outlined by a pine forest.
Paying homage to the principal force behind the Tropical Modernist aesthetic, Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa, Pedro used appropriate materials in the construction of his design – concrete, bagged brick, terrazzo, and a dark natural wood known as kambala, native to the west coast of Africa. The latter has been used throughout the home in the bespoke built-in fittings.
It’s a baton picked up by interior designer Marta Mantero, who also used the wood in the wall panelling and dividers, along with rattan and other muted natural fibres. Bespoke soft fabrics and furniture, and unique pieces by contemporary designers are complemented by vintage armchairs that were sourced by Marta and the owners.
Known as Casa Fibi, it may not be a truly seaside home – the coast is part of the natural park, so no private residences are permitted – but the tranquillity this region affords more than makes up for it. Besides, a morning spent on one of the beautiful crowd-free beaches is just a short drive away.
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