Classic Marbella villa between mountain and sea

From its position within the prestigious Marbella Hill Club, this beautifully styled villa is rather spectacularly framed by Marbella’s iconic La Concha Mountain. This is the view that greets one as you approach the property, but once you’ve turned into the automatic gate and driven through a beautiful arbour of trees that line the driveway to the garages and carports, the focus is back across an entire expanse of coastal plain all the way down to the sea.

Indeed, step from the atmospheric forecourt into the tall, elegant entrance and the views already come into focus. In classic architectural style, the eye is trained along the stylish living room and terrace, across the impeccable lawn and between two strategically placed trees towards the sea. “The positioning of the trees helps to define the perspective,” says the owner, for whom creating this fine villa has clearly been a labour of love.

A long-time visitor to Marbella, he decided to buy a plot of land and build a villa to his own specifications when he found it hard to encounter a property that brought all the right ingredients together in one place. “We bought the land from Diana Morales Properties and from this began a very pleasant personal contact through which she also recommended the architect and landscaper who helped us to create this home.”

Timeless quality

With the family’s input, Juan Salvador Schvarzberg designed a home with a timeless sense of styling and classic proportions that mark a truly skilled architect. “We wanted a home suited to the outdoor Marbella lifestyle,” says the owner, “but coming from Northern Europe we also wanted a level of home comforts that were not yet common here when we built the villa twelve years ago.”

These include under floor heating placed not under marble or terracotta tiles, but solid wooden floorboards. At the time they were hard to come by in Spain, so were brought in from the forests of Belgium. Tall ceilings add to the sense of space and refinement created in the elegant living room, which finds itself flanked by a formal dining room and a cosy family room with modern audiovisual equipment. Just beyond here is a lovely country kitchen that reflects the Provençal touches enhanced by grey-green shutters and chic interior tones.

Also on the ground floor are a laundry and pantry area, with access to the garage, and four private bedroom suites complete with large, luxurious bathrooms and ample dressing areas. Each also enjoys private access to the garden and pool area, while the three suites on the first floor – including the impressive master suite with walk-in dressing room and marble his-and-her bathrooms – connect with a panoramic terrace from which the views across mountain ranges, valleys, golf courses and the shoreline all the way to Gibraltar and Morocco are breathtaking.

A private domain in Marbella Golden Mile

In Marbella, such interior style and luxury is always mirrored by equally appealing outdoor settings, where one can enjoy the climate and lifestyle to the full. For this reason even the games room and guest suite on the lower level follow the natural gradient and offer direct access to the garden, most of which occupies level land within beautifully landscaped gardens in the formal style.

“Isabel Pallares, who was also recommended by Diana Morales, has created a beautiful setting that works well with the level plot and complements the large terraces, the swimming pool with its outdoor bar area, and of course the imposing views.” From this private domain one can follow a pathway to the natural vegetation that forms the perimeter of the villa and even includes a charming organic vegetable garden that produces a ready supply of fruit and vegetables.

Close to Marbella, Puerto Banús, golf courses and all the other amenities of this area, the villa is set between sea and mountains, offering not only commanding views but also a sense of peace and privacy close to nature trails at the edge of a protected reserve.

Pia Arrieta, 16 Mar 2018 - Property