...: La Maddalena

La Maddalena, an island off the coast of Sardinia on the Tyrrhenian Sea, is your typical Sardinian fare…which means I want to go to there!

Today’s house tour features the work of French architect Jean-Paul Arrivetz who, after a heart attack and a friend’s ‘fluke,’ decided to build this simple, modern abode on the island of La Maddalena. This achingly beautiful villa is simple, and open and has amazing views (amazing!) of the cliffs of Bonifacio. There are only windows where there would be walls and there’s a really even flow/balance between indoor and outdoor spaces…

Shown here is the lounge with a simple gray sofa and a white coffee table, adjacent an extended fireplace. Sliding doors (also a bad 90s movie…) made of glass separate this space from the patio.

I just love these textures; the thatched roof of the patio, the rough white brick of the side wall and the wood planks. On the patio, are one of my favorite mid-century modern chairs- the Verner Panton S Chair, in black and yellow, for a touch of color and modernity.

image via marie claire maison, photo by vincent leroux

The kitchen efficient kitchen opens up onto the patio and features two small refrigerators that don’t obstruct the views of the cliffs of Bonifacio:

image via marie claire maison, photo by vincent leroux

This bath tub is made of black resin and I want it:

image via marie claire maison, photo by vincent leroux

The bedroom opens up onto a terrace, still with magnificent views. (I’m noticing a theme here.)

I’m thinking that sliding glass doors was an ingenious move on Arrivetz’s part because, while they provide the protection that regular walls and doors do, nothing feels closed off; the space really does feel open.