One of the things I have learned after selling so many homes is that it is not a one-size-fits-all situation. We need a wide choice of designs and styles to suit different people, and finding the right home is an art.
Does modern architecture assume we all live the same way?
Every now and again I look at a property and think, yes, I could imagine living there. Not necessarily because it has the latest design or the most dramatic architecture, but simply because the house makes sense.
That was my reaction when I looked at this villa at Mijas Golf. It feels like a comfortable, welcoming family home. The layout is straightforward, the rooms have a purpose, and there is enough space for a family to be together without everybody having to be together all the time. And that got me thinking about the way we design homes today.
We see a lot of contemporary villas on the Costa del Sol, and I have absolutely nothing against contemporary architecture. I have lived in contemporary homes, traditional homes and rustic homes, and there are pluses and minuses to all of them. What I do find interesting is that we seem to be in something of an all-or-nothing period. I genuinely can't remember the last time I saw a new villa project that wasn't contemporary in style. Presumably that reflects what the market is demanding, and fashions in architecture have always changed, but I do wonder whether everybody really wants the same thing.
Open-plan living is a good example. Personally, I like a farmhouse-style kitchen where the kitchen and dining areas are open to each other and live together. I'm less keen on having the kitchen completely open to the sitting room. When I go into my sitting room, I quite like getting away from the kitchen. But that's simply the way I live.
I can completely understand why a family with younger children might want a large open-plan kitchen, dining and living space. You can cook while seeing what the children are doing, everybody can communicate, and the whole family can be together. The question is what happens when you don't want to be together. Open-plan living can be wonderful for bringing a family together, but sometimes a family also needs somewhere to get away from each other. A separate sitting room, TV room, study or even another comfortable living area can make a considerable difference.
The same applies to those wonderful large living rooms with vaulted ceilings and huge expanses of glass. I love walking into them. They can look fantastic. But I've also lived with that sort of space. In winter, there are evenings when you don't necessarily want to sit in a huge open room. You want somewhere you can close the door, put the heating on and feel warm and comfortable. If a property is principally being used during the warmer months, that may be less important. If it is your home throughout the year, you may see things differently.
Traditional Mediterranean houses evolved as they did for a reason. Thick walls, smaller windows and shaded areas made sense in this climate. Modern insulation, glazing, heating and air conditioning have changed what is possible, of course, but after living here permanently for a while, you can sometimes begin to appreciate why houses were designed the way they were.
Again, there is no right or wrong. Someone coming from a traditional house in Northern Europe may quite understandably arrive on the Costa del Sol wanting something completely different, with large windows, lots of light and open spaces. Someone else may want a more traditional home. Many buyers will probably want something somewhere between the two.
Which brings me back to this villa at Mijas Golf.
There is a guest bedroom with its own bathroom on the main floor, which can work well for visitors and also avoids everyone having to use the stairs. The family bedrooms are upstairs, each with its own bathroom and access to a large terrace.
The main living room is spacious, but it provides different areas for sitting, dining, reading and relaxing. Then there is the glazed terrace, with further sitting and dining space and glass curtains that can be opened or closed according to the weather. The home also has lovely gardens and a swimming pool.
For a family, that gives you options. You can be together when you want to be and find your own space when you don't.
There is also a spacious kitchen, and the accommodation is arranged simply over two floors. There isn't a basement full of additional space that you then have to decide how to use. It is straightforward, usable accommodation.
That's really what caught my attention. I looked at the house and thought, yes, I could imagine living there. It would work. Not everyone will feel the same way, and that's exactly the point. There is no single correct way to design a home because there is no single way in which we all live. Contemporary, traditional, rustic, open plan or separate rooms, they can all work for the right person.
I just hope that as architecture on the Costa del Sol continues to evolve, we continue to have a choice. Different styles, different layouts and different ideas will suit different people.
Sometimes it's nice simply to find a house that feels like a home.
If you are looking for your ideal home on the Costa del Sol, our job is to help you find it. Call us on (0034) 952 90 52 00, WhatsApp us, or email info@michael-moon.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
