A “Haunted” 860-Square-Foot Casita in Spain Gets a Colorful Second Life

Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar
·5 min read

Antonio Montilla isn’t scared of ghosts. “I’m intrigued by strange things,” admits the Spanish-born, London-based architect and furniture designer, who put his spooky side on show last year when scouting around for a pied-à-terre in Marbella, Spain. “The estate agent called it the ‘Horror House,’” he says of his current abode. “Apparently no one would spend longer than five minutes inside.” So obviously, he set out to be the exception. The longer-than-five-minute search paid off, because it gave him time to recognize that the 860-square-foot property was, in fact, great. It was located in a charming 1980s complex and was surrounded by lush vegetation and huge lakes.

The arched doorways and exposed plaster walls in the living room, as well as throughout the home, are inspired by vernacular Andalusian architecture.
The arched doorways and exposed plaster walls in the living room, as well as throughout the home, are inspired by vernacular Andalusian architecture.

What wasn’t quite so great was the interior, which, as he recalls, was dark, dank, and infested with giant mosquitoes. “But I fell in love with the pretty views and weird layout, and knew right away that I could make something special out of it,” remembers the designer, who moved to London in the 2000s and took up jobs as an ice cream man, an assistant at Hugo Boss, and as architect and designer at IDL Group—in that order—before starting his own furniture and decor company, Montilla. As Antonio explains, the move to London was career-worthy, but it fulfilled his mind more than his heart, and that in due course, he felt a desire to return to his roots, even if only for a few months each year. “I felt like I needed a place [back home] where I could safely leave a piece of myself behind,” he reflects. This home, it turned out, was that place.

“The kitchen and dining area are definitely the heart of the home,” says Antonio, and it’s clear he isn’t just talking about their placement. With an emerald tile backsplash, warm timber millwork, and a clay chandelier by Kyiv-based Clayp, the collective space doubles as a haven for entertaining. The dining table, Antonio notes, is a particular curiosity. “It was made by a family member to beautifully echo the arched doors,” he says. As for the other furniture, everything is from Montilla, because as Antonio puts it, “Why buy anything when you can make everything?”
“I wanted to create a Mediterranean look with a twist,” says Antonio of the entrance, which he enlivened with arches and a black-and-white microquartz mosaic that runs across the floor and walls.
“I wanted to create a Mediterranean look with a twist,” says Antonio of the entrance, which he enlivened with arches and a black-and-white microquartz mosaic that runs across the floor and walls.

There was never a question in Antonio’s mind about how he would design the home. “I dreamed of creating a space that would fully represent who I am, with furniture and decor of my own design. It was my way of turning my brand into a 360-degree experience, or as I call it, my life showroom,” says the designer. Antonio christened it Casa Noma and quickly made it his own with Mediterranean textures, pops of green and crimson—his brand colors—and floors and walls mosaicked in Italian microquartz. “I saw the mosaic idea in a little apartment in Venice and fell so in love with it that I knew I had to replicate it,” he says. He used tile wherever he could in other equally unconventional ways, like in the bedrooms, where he created an entire headboard wall of honey-toned zellige tile; and in the bathrooms, where he used them to fashion vanities. “I loved tile even before it became trendy, and I always look for ways to use it in odd spaces,” he explains.

A monolithic screen in the living room offers glimmers of the landscape beyond. “The idea was to blend the indoors and outdoors. I’m very lucky to have such beautiful views,” says Antonio.
A monolithic screen in the living room offers glimmers of the landscape beyond. “The idea was to blend the indoors and outdoors. I’m very lucky to have such beautiful views,” says Antonio.
Of all the spaces Antonio wanted to bring alive, the most significant was the terrace. “It was originally enclosed, so I demolished all the ceilings and opened it up to the sea views,” he avers.
Of all the spaces Antonio wanted to bring alive, the most significant was the terrace. “It was originally enclosed, so I demolished all the ceilings and opened it up to the sea views,” he avers.
“My favorite part of the house is the outdoor dining space. Being able to enjoy a meal with family and friends amidst such beautiful views is the ultimate luxury. On a clear day, you can see as far as Africa,” says Antonio.
“My favorite part of the house is the outdoor dining space. Being able to enjoy a meal with family and friends amidst such beautiful views is the ultimate luxury. On a clear day, you can see as far as Africa,” says Antonio.

Antonio’s approach, as he puts a finer point on the subject, wasn’t just aesthetic. “As an architect, I relied much more on bringing in function through permanent elements. Seventy percent of things here are built-in—including the sofa, wardrobes, vanities, and kitchen—which meant I had to be a hundred percent sure about the layout and flow because these are things you can’t change easily.”

A honey-toned headboard of zellige tile is the crown jewel of the primary suite. Cushions from Montilla and half-moon lights picked up from a flea market in Puerto Banus add pizzazz to the otherwise pared-back setting.
“I wanted the bedroom to be a calming sanctum,” Antonio says of the primary suite, which he subdued with off-white walls and microquartz flooring. To give his furniture pride of place, he integrated storage into the shell.
“I wanted the bedroom to be a calming sanctum,” Antonio says of the primary suite, which he subdued with off-white walls and microquartz flooring. To give his furniture pride of place, he integrated storage into the shell.

The move was strategic, because the monolithic look helped emphasize his furniture collection. “There is no push and pull between pieces, and almost everything that is not built-in is designed by me and made with love at my family’s workshop in Lucena,” he shares. The home may be the life showroom he always wanted, but the end result, he admits, looks a little different from what he originally imagined. “The wonderful thing about such projects is that the vision develops as you go along. Luckily, this one is the best yet.”

In the guest bedroom, Antonio let no square inch go to waste, integrating built-in shelves above the bed and emblazoning the space underneath with beautiful zellige tile.
In the guest bedroom, Antonio let no square inch go to waste, integrating built-in shelves above the bed and emblazoning the space underneath with beautiful zellige tile.
A broad arched doorway separates the guest bedroom from the living room beyond.
A broad arched doorway separates the guest bedroom from the living room beyond.
With hand-troweled walls, monolithic forms, and earthy finishes, even the bathroom looks like it could have emerged from the earth.
With hand-troweled walls, monolithic forms, and earthy finishes, even the bathroom looks like it could have emerged from the earth.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest

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