A Basque country house with a tactile interior filled with antiques and eye-catching fabrics

Impressive in size and location, this house on the south-west coast of France is the holiday home of hotelier Cristina Lozano who, together with her long-time collaborator Lorenzo Castillo, has transformed the large, lofty rooms into tactile, characterful spaces
This typical halftimbered Basque baserri has been given a fresh contemporary look with woodwork painted in pale grey...
This typical half-timbered Basque baserri has been given a fresh, contemporary look with woodwork painted in pale grey ‘Cornforth White’ providing a subtle contrast with the façade in ‘All White’, both by Farrow & Ball. The spacious balcony and wraparound veranda below offer inviting seating areas that make the most of the light at different times of dayDaniel Schafer

Though local planning laws are strict for exterior alterations (particularly with regards to an acceptable colour palette), the original interior did not have to be retained. So spaces have been remodelled to ensure that the house works as well off-season as it does in the summer, when the family try to spend at least two months together. The warmer, cosier drawing room and dining room upstairs come into their own in spring and autumn. In the summer, the focus tends to shift downstairs and outside, principally to the garden-level wraparound veranda that is divided into a series of areas, designed to follow the course of the midday and afternoon sun before it drops into the sea at sunset.

Walls and units in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Chappell Green’ echo the garden, while wooden fish bought in Sicily and a rattan pendant light give it a charmingly rustic look

Daniel Schafer

‘I don’t understand space – my perception is all about texture, colour, pattern and decoration,’ says Cristina, explaining how she relies on Lorenzo to translate her requests into reality. The designer, who began his career as an antique dealer, describes his style as a ‘fresh update on classicism’, often featuring a mix of fabrics, furniture and decorative objects sourced all over the world. ‘There are no rules – you educate your eye with experience.’

As with all their projects, Lorenzo and Cristina trawled flea markets and antique shops together, frequently developing the design of a room around a specific purchase. For example, the carved wooden chimneypiece in the drawing room and the oversized rattan lampshade in the dining room – found in a Parisian antique shop and market – became signature features around which the schemes took shape.

Where Lorenzo and Cristina are concerned, nothing is simple, nothing is bland. Colour and pattern sing in every room; eye-catching fabrics collude and collide; books, lamps, plates, birds, shells and flowers populate shelves and tables, walls and floors. No space feels unloved or unthought through.

Verre églomisé wall panels made by Arantxa Hergueta create an atmospheric backdrop for a large rattan ceiling light and bamboo chairs picked up at Parisian marchés aux puces. The marble-topped dining table is from El Rastro flea market in Madrid

Daniel Schafer

Lorenzo has used many of his designs for the textile studio Gastón y Daniela in the wallcoverings, rugs, upholstery and curtains. Cristina has indulged her passion for the fabrics of Nathalie Farman-Farma at Décors Barbares. Both acknowledge a love of English country-house style. The look they have created in this house has provided inspiration for another of their recent projects – a real gem of a hotel in the heart of Menorca’s capital, Mahón. This is the first opening for the Cristine Bedfor guesthouse brand, which is due to expand to include sites in Málaga and Seville. The latter promises to be another Lorenzo and Cristina collaborative extravaganza.

Cristina is passionate about her love for this house and its sensational location overlooking the ocean in a quiet, residential neighbourhood of the French seaside town. ‘What we enjoy most is the weather, the food, the surfing, the hiking and all the other endless outdoor activities on our doorstep,’ she says. ‘It’s the perfect place for making memories’.

Lorenzo Castillo: lorenzocastillo.org