Globe-trotting textile designer Carolina Irving unwinds at her romantic retreat on a remote stretch of Portugal’s west coast
By Carolina Irving Photography by Miguel Flores-Vianna Styled by Carolina Irving
Six years ago I fell in love with the Alentejo, a region in south central Portugal at once austere and poetic, planted with umbrella pines and cork oaks, and graced with a pristine coastline—a sandy, secluded beach that stretches for miles along the Atlantic. I owe this to my friend Christian Louboutin, who in the spring of 2013 said to me, “Get on a plane and meet me in Lisbon. I’m going to take you to a magical place.”
The home’s whitewashed walls and tile roof reference neighboring architecture.
From the airport we drove south for a couple of hours, continuing past the rice fields of Comporta. After passing the tiny and charming village of Melides, we turned onto a sandy path heading west toward the ocean. To one side, the road ran parallel to emerald-green rice fields that almost made me think I was in southeast Asia, and to the other stood a beautiful pine forest as far as the eye could see.
An Ikea fabric covers a bench on a terrace.
I had been to Portugal many times before, from north to south, but had somehow skipped over the Alentejo. I was instantly captivated by the landscape, the savanna-like aspect of fields with just a few sculptural trees silhouetted against the intensely blue sky, the rolling hills covered with beautifully twisted cork oaks. Because it was springtime, all was covered in blooming white cistus. Storks circled over the rice fields and nested on rooftops and old electrical poles.
The “road” was dotted with just a few humble houses with thatched roofs, cactus hedges everywhere in the sand. After a few miles, we arrived at a three-acre plot with a crumbling ruin on it. The view was breathtaking, extending across rice fields and a lagoon teeming with birds to the sea in the distance. It was love at first sight, and I knew I had to buy this heavenly place and make it my own.
Building the house was fairly simple, if not entirely easy. We—my boyfriend, Bertrand; my two daughters, Olympia and Ariadne; and I—wanted to respect the landscape and the local architecture. The original fishermen’s houses are built of brick that is then limed for protection from the elements. We tried to give ours the same look but chose to use old tiles for the roof instead of the traditional rice-straw thatch. (Thatch is charming but needs to be replaced every four years, as the salt air is quite destructive.)
Swirly bowl; $75. ci-daughters.com Photo: Courtesy of Carolina Irving
The laws being very strict, we had to heed—to the inch—the footprint of the previous house, which was just under 1,000 square feet. (Annoyingly, there were satellite images dating from the ’70s documenting the original size.) But it has been a real lesson in respecting the genius of this place. I had to edit, be rigorous, and focus on the essential—and that wasn’t easy for me, someone who loves a profusion of fabrics and color.
The kitchen was built and sourced locally, including the earthenware dishes.
My great indulgence was the living room floor, for which I chose hexagonal, handmade emerald-green tiles from a traditional workshop called Azulejos de Azeitão. I went and chose the exact shade of green, my favorite color. All the tiles are made by hand, so I had to wait a long time for them, but it was worth it. To be honest, the tiles were more expensive than anything else in the house!
With that grounding, the rest of the room could be simple and rustic: whitewashed walls, a long built-in banquette with cushions of Majorcan ikats, Spanish and Portuguese ceramics, Mexican terra-cotta plates on the chimneypiece, a simple wood table covered with a black-and-white Portuguese rug.
An antique Greek tapestry hangs behind an Ikea sofa; pillows covered in a Carolina Irving Textiles linen.
In a little nook under the stairs up to the roof terrace sits an Ikea sofa covered in sunflower-yellow cotton. Above it hangs a tapestry from Crete of the most beautiful crimson with multi-colored bouquets of flowers. It looks totally at home with the rest of the objects, as I truly think that all crafts from southern Europe and the Balkans share a common thread.
The three bedrooms are of monastic simplicity—built-in furniture, white handwoven Portuguese bedcovers, and a pair of blue woolen Indian hangings flanking the window. There’s nothing superfluous to distract from the view
The banquette cushions are made with an ikat by Bujosa Textil. Floor tiles by Azulejos de Azeitão.
Outside was a different story, all sand and not an ounce of soil. I had to forget about the romantic garden I used to have in Amagansett, lush with crab apples and ancient roses. But here I could plant all sorts of cacti and strange (to me) tropical and subtropical plants like jacarandas, loquats, albizzias, mimosas. . . . Even strelitzias, which I had always hated—they always made me think of those hideous bouquets you see in posh hotels—but have now learned to like.
Criss Cross platter; $250. ci-daughters.com Photo: Courtesy of Carolina Irving
Pergolas run all around the house for shade, covered in bright blue convolvulus, which is threatening to engulf everything. We all come as often as we can. Except for a couple of winter months, we live out of doors—just following the sun or hiding from it. Weather permitting, all meals are taken outside. I love entertaining and am totally obsessed with everything to do with it. Thank God, Olympia and Ariadne suffer from the same affliction, which is why we decided to create our tabletop collection, Carolina Irving and Daughters. I can’t think of more joyful work than traveling with them in search of artisans to collaborate with.
A table is set with a mix of local, Carolina Irving and Daughters, and Vista Alegre tableware.
This house is truly a place for family and friends, so I was thrilled when my dear friend Lisa Fine asked me to be in her new book Near & Far: Interiors I Love ($60, Vendome Press). And I was even happier when I knew that Miguel Flores-Vianna would photograph it, as he has an unerring eye and sense of the poetic. It’s all been a dream come true.
Grape plate; $75. ci-daughters.comPhoto: Courtesy of Carolina Irving
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