As we approached a new decade, the Costa del Sol’s love affair with sleek white modern architectural styles began to evolve. After almost ten years of avant-garde cubist domination, occasionally accompanied with minimalist colour tones and interior décor, a softening of lines began to enter the scene. Driven by feedback from buyers, Marbella architects began to return to some classic Mediterranean and Andalusian elements by incorporating sloping rooflines, more natural materials and sometimes even traditional rooftiles.
They found that combining such classic Mediterranean elements with modern architectural styling, sleek contemporary interior design and the latest mod cons works very well, even if it requires a little more creativity and a knowing touch. That, after all, is where architects, landscapers and interior designers have their opportunity to shine, and for many a layman we’ve seen a pleasant return to richer tonal and textural palettes, more welcoming natural materials such as wood and stone, yet the latter juxtaposed with industrial elements such as concrete and steel.
A new Marbella look
Urban and Scandinavian influences are blending with sustainable and organic ones to produce a newly evolved Costa del Sol style. The new Marbella home, is therefore evolving, and it’s a very successful mix of modernity and timeless classical elements in which each can decide exactly how they balance the different elements. Large, and occasionally oversized, windows are out, replaced by more manageable ones enhancing sunlight and views that are more effective for being framed, while fabrics and carpets are making a comeback too.
Since retro influences from the 1940s all the way to more recent Pop Art is back, and a fun way to mix things up a bit, being creative and giving a home your personal touch is more in vogue than it has been for some time. In many ways, the newest Marbella home designs are also influenced by the trend to renovate and modernise older properties in top locations, and very often this is done to stunning effect.
Sustainability being another keyword, landscapers are turning their backs on water-hungry subtropical gardens in favour of more drought-resistant local planting species – rediscovering in the process may of the intangible aspects that make life in this part of Spain so appealing. We’re awaiting the return, albeit in a modern guise, of the classic patio but already see that while 2020 has highlighted the importance of green and indoor living spaces, the large mansion-sized villas of a few decades ago have largely been replaced by more compact yet highly luxurious villas in the 300-500m2 range.
Between architecture, interior styling and landscaping, we entered the new decade with a very sensible and appealing evolution of the Marbella style that rather harmoniously blends modern style and technological features with classical Andalusian charm and natural materials born out of a desire to celebrate our beautiful natural surroundings and become sustainable.
