Category: News

Having a stylish modern home does not preclude you from incorporating classical elements, heirlooms and antiques into it. Indeed, there is no rule saying contemporary design has to be minimalist and pristinely homogenous.

Minimalism is a modern design school that was very much in vogue a few years ago. It comes in many forms but very often focuses on very clean, uncluttered, almost empty interiors dominated by sleek white walls whose at times barren aspect can create the kind of stark effect best left for the pages of design magazines and not real homes.

Many homeowners and interior designers have come to the same conclusion and the style is increasingly overshadowed by richer interpretations of contemporary architecture and décor that involve other textures, colours and also more furniture and decoration in general, replacing the almost plastic-like quality of minimalist homes with a warmer environment.

Modern should be fun!

We’re glad that things are going this way because, while we love modern homes there is absolutely no reason why contemporary designs and interiors can’t be fun. In fact, there is no incompatibility whatsoever between stylish refinement and fun. They say you should surround yourself with the things that make you happy, and it makes sense that this applies to homes.

We all want a stylish interior to impress, but first and foremost your home should impress you – and make you happy. After all, you’re the one who spends the most time in it, so it should reflect your personality, and a little bit of stylish quirkiness helps to do that. So not only are heirlooms and antiques a welcome addition, they help your living space to be uniquely yours.

Mix and match

Now that white-and-black are out and colour is back in we are moving back towards a happier design doctrine with lots of possibilities and scope for personal expression. Use colours and textures to set the tone, find stylish contemporary furniture and then add eclectic elements that can be antiques, ethnic pieces from around the world or even retro modern.

Those old tin toys could look great on display, as would a Bakelite telephone, an early radio or a medieval book displayed on an 18th century table. It takes a knowing touch to get it just right, but a home that blends contemporary décor with such eclectic elements looks all the better and more sophisticated for it, though you might need a little help from our side to get it just right!

If you would like to liven up your modern home or renovate a property to blend modern and classical elements, we can help create a guaranteed and assured outcome ready for the pages of a décor magazine. Just contact us for a free consultation or drop by our studio for a coffee.

When it comes to interior design, the bathtub makes for an interesting decorative element in which the creative possibilities are endless. Long gone are the days when the bath was placed in the bathroom as simply a necessity. Today the bathroom has become the hub of relaxation, a place to unwind, reflect, dream and wash your troubles away.

The Bathroom

These days, the bathroom is a room of importance within the home; many now feature the latest in technology, with steam showers, ipod docking stations, televisions and in shower telephones.

What was once a requirement has now become a luxury that can be styled into a tranquil haven within your home. The theme of your bathroom is defined by the décor and style that you use, placing a whirlpool bath next to large windows will not only enhance light and warmth but it will also create a sundeck look and feel within the bathroom. Adding accessories such as smooth pebbles, scented candles and chandelier lighting will help to create a sense of luxury, while green plants, wooden decorations and a walk-in tub produce a calming and natural ambiance ─perfect for enjoying some downtime after a busy day at work.

Bathtub Design

We have seen the bathtub develop from the traditional cast iron model to the porcelain corner bath, the stone bath and now the very popular walk-in spa bath. With the bathtub the possibilities are endless, and when it comes to design, small details such as the claw-foot and waterfall taps add an elegant style to the bath, while large free-standing transparent and wooden designs turn the bathtub into a statement item.

It’s not only the shape of this object that has evolved, so has its location. In recent years we have seen the bath move into the bedroom and even out to the terrace or garden—there is nothing more relaxing than a long soak while breathing in fresh air and gazing out at stunning views of mountains or the sun setting over the sea. Bath time has become an experience for the senses in its own right.

ID Latinia has extensive experience in bathroom design and can help you decide on a style and theme that will mirror your personality and make the most of your space. If you are thinking about redesigning your bathroom, or are looking for an alternate location within your apartment or villa in which to add a bath, contact us to book your free interior design consultation at our showroom in Puerto Banús.

Stairway or staircase design may be something that you only think about when you are in the process of building a new property on the Costa del Sol, but it is an important part of the overall look of your new residence and at ID Latinia we have some inspirational ideas to share with you on this subject.

Contemporary architecture demands stairs that harmonise with the overall style, and the diverse range of designs available now are far from being merely a functional element of architecture but are also beautiful design objects in their own right. They illustrate an aesthetic quality, creativity, design and innovation that are critical factors for creating the overall effect.

Modern stairway design

Designers wishing to evoke a stylish ambience create modern stair designs to high artistic standards. For example, cantilevered structures accurately reflect the spirit of the time and modern glass stairs visually enlarge the space of the rooms they are in. Glass panelling enhances transparency and lightness, but metal or wooden stairs produce a sense of stability. Indeed, staircases offer a lot of creative freedom, as long as they fulfil their basic function.

Stairway placement

When considering a design, it is also important to think about the placement of the staircase in the home, as it can separate key areas of the house and create a more dynamic living environment. It is also important to have a discussion with your architect about the ways in which a staircase can provide an opportunity for structural innovation that bridges the architectural gap between engineering and design. And, we’d also add that when choosing a design, consider what it will look like in the future; a well placed and beautifully designed staircase should never look dated.

Stairways and light

Another point to consider in relation to a staircase is lighting. As stated earlier, a glass staircase expands the sense of light in the home and makes spaces feel larger. The use of LED lights in open treads and surrounding areas creates a stunning daytime look that at night becomes a spectacular feature.

Overall, the design of a stairway can influence the choice of other materials throughout the home; not only does it physically link the floors of the house, it also has the potential to provide an aesthetic connection that runs through all the main design elements your home.

Colour trends

The overriding movement in 2017 is towards softer, gentler, dreamier tones that set the tone for a comfortable home in which cosiness and wellbeing blend with style to produce a harmonious balance between form and function. There is no one colour that we will all have to slavishly apply – let your personality and inspiration guide you. But this year bright and bold make a splash, and pastel tones make a comeback. This return to colour of itself signals a certain fatigue with the black-and-white minimalism of recent years, so let’s celebrate with a wonderful palate of tones that brighten up home and heart.

Wacky details

If you’re looking for the latest print and wallpaper designs, don’t be surprised if you come across a lot of wacky designs featuring colourful cactus and leaves. Paris-based design studio Pierre Frey is making a splash with them right now and has let the inner child out and made it acceptable for youthful motifs to spill over into ‘grown-up’ parts of the house. In the same vein, mixed patterns are brightening up bedrooms with their complementary matching of colours and tones, while softer textures that offer more tactile interaction on sofas, beds and walls are further enhancing the latest colour shifts.

Faux textures

Once unseemly, faux finishes are now very much in. This is partly because the latest technologies make them look fantastically real not just to look at but also to the touch. There’s a real sense of quality about faux wooden beams, marble floors, stone columns, leather dressing and a range of other applications that is enthusing many about the boundless possibilities they offer. Rugs need similarly not be made of real wool or cotton, but having a nice quality carpet adorning important floor spaces is part of the latest decoration trend.

Softer modern

Modern technology and styles continue to be highly popular, but 2017 sees a concerted desire to soften the effect and make it less industrial and more sensitive to the human living environment. In keeping with this, handcrafted accessories and furnishings made by artisans have also made a significant comeback. Put these in the spotlight along with the rest of your home’s décor by ambient, but at times also quirky lighting.

Material finishes

Finally, while there is a swing towards matte finishes, as seen in matte concrete floor tiles, brass details, wooden kitchen elements and furniture to complement pieces already in your home, glossy materials such as lacquered cabinets and shelves are still on trend. Overall, then, the trend is towards homeliness, comfort and wellbeing that remains innately stylish and visually enthralling.

With an impressive portfolio of Marbella villas, apartments, offices, spas, restaurants and other beautifully decorated spaces, speak to ID Latinia about how to beautify your home or commercial projects.

The original use of lighting was naturally purely to illuminate otherwise dark spaces, but very early on architects and designers realised how effective light could be to create a setting or mood. This was used to great and rather dramatic effect in cathedrals, temples and palaces, but it wasn’t long before for the art of lighting also found its way into private homes. Of course, in the beginning this was limited to luxury homes, but today all homeowners have access to ambient lighting. It isn’t so much a question of money but rather taste in how you choose the right ones, combine them and produce a setting that makes you feel at home.

You will have noticed that in hotels, restaurants and shops, great effort goes into setting the right tone and producing a welcoming ambience. Much of this is achieved with lighting, so the old industrial-style neon lighting of the past has been almost universally replaced with softer, warmer light that emits not a cold greenish-white glow but a golden one. Especially in winter this draws you in, makes you feel comfortable and transfers a stylish setting into a cosy, welcoming one.

To replicate this effect at home, focus more on smaller individual lamps strategically distributed near chairs, sofas and tables to produce an informal but elegant effect supported by the warm glow of spotlights. Make sure the bulbs you choose do not produce a bright, cold light but rather a yellowish-orange hue that emits a sense of warmth and wellbeing. The light they cast against walls and furniture will mark the room out as a space you will want to spend time in, so reserve brighter overhead lights for when you really need to see clearly and rely on lamps, shades and spotlights to create the right mood.

A modern twist and very exciting development in this field is not only the rise to prominence of energy-saving LED lights but also the trend of creating skirting lights that highlight features such as cornices, bars, cabinetry, kitchens and other parts of the home whose styling and modern lines you want to stand out. What’s more, such lighting often comes with software that follows time settings or light sensors that automatically switch preselected lights on so that you don’t have to do the rounds yourself. You can also create light patterns – handy at parties but best avoided as part of serious décor – and change the intensity or even colour tone to suit your mood or the evening you have planned.

ID Latinia works together with the best lighting experts in Marbella to plan and create stunning lighting effects in the homes and commercial premises we decorate, renovate and dress. Please contact us if you would like to know more about what is possible with lighting today.

As interior designers we are not only passionate about furniture, accessories, wallpaper, lighting, paint types and materials such as wood, stone, marble and steel that create a whole range of tonal and textural possibilities – we also love fabrics!

Soft furnishings are a very important element in making your home look stunning, stylish and also comfortable and welcoming. They can convey a particular look, set the tone for your preferred style and also provide the soft, cosseting materials that are beautiful to look at and gorgeous to the touch. Some people prefer harder, more solid upholstery, where others love to sink away in the plush comfort of cushions, pillows and duvets. Carpets can produce a similar effect, as can curtains, drapes and tapestries.

The modern styles that dominate today err on the side of minimalism or at least shy away from too much in the way of soft furnishings, but this is not to say that you cannot make your home super comfortable, cosy and stylish at the same time. Fortunately there is a wide range of materials, textures, tones and designs available to hit the note you’re looking for. With the most minimalist tendencies beginning to gradually fade and be replaced by warmer, eclectic blends you can also give your individual taste and personality free reign.

Dedar Milano

At ID Latinia we work with a broad palette of suppliers, aiming always to offer our clients quality and value, and for this reason we scour the international markets for exciting new finds. One of the most impressive ones in recent years is a brand called Dedar Milano, which recently was awarded two important design awards. Elle Decoration Russia chose the Dalie Papaveri Tulipani as the Best Fabric of 2016, while the Silkbird Jacquard was named Collection of the Year by The World of Interiors. It’s also one of our favourites, and even has pride of place in the shop window display of ID Latinia in Puerto Banús.

Come and visit us and see this and other glorious materials for yourself. We will be happy to advise you on the best in soft furnishings and how to use them to make your home a stunner.

ID Latinia is known in Marbella and beyond for the way they master space and aesthetics to create beautiful living, working and recreational environments that stand out for their balanced proportions and tasteful styling. With many years of experience in the business, Ruth Torre and María Florido can refer clients to a large and impressive portfolio of projects involving the decoration and complete renovation of anything from small apartments and country properties to luxurious villas and penthouses.

In addition, they have given offices, spas, clinics, shops, restaurants and boutique hotels a fresh, new look and not only brought them up to date but taken the entire look and brand appeal up to a new level. In keeping with this it is of course important to reflect such design skill and also the firm’s successful standing within its own premises in the luxurious Playas del Duque complex at the entrance to Puerto Banús. However, when you’re busy client’s projects come first, so for all successful professionals their own work always comes last.

In spite of this the team led by Ruth and María have managed to update their showroom and make it a true showcase of their ability that will impress even the most demanding of clients. “We naturally need a showroom that is not only representative of the work we do but also shows that ID Latinia is skilled at offering the latest designs, styles and interior solutions for a wide range of applications,” says Ruth.

Step inside ID Latinia's facility and you will immediately be impressed by the ambiance created by the soft yet functional lighting, which appeals to a variety of tones and textures that enhance the different options available to the client today. “We are very fortunate to be able to work in such a creative era for interior design and design in general,” says Maria, who adds that being your own client is always difficult, although she admits that she is really delighted with ID Latinia's new showroom. Stop by and take a look, we know you will!

Preparing your home for the festive season plays a very important role in getting you in the mood for the holiday season. This is even truer if you have young children at home, who are probably already clamouring for the Christmas tree to go up and the boxes of decorations to be retrieved from storage. But, there is more to dressing your home for Christmas than simply putting up a tree and some tinsel; think of it as an extension of dressing yourself for festivities and then appraise your home as a canvas to reflect your personality in the same way as your wardrobe.

Dressing the rooms

The sitting room is typically the focal point for setting a festive scene and it is usually where the tree will go, however, if you have a villa with a high-ceilinged hallway or atrium, this would be an attractive alternative. The dining room is another area that requires decorations and the key to successfully styling your home at Christmas is to look for the kind of seasonal accessories that complement the overall style of the home. Opting for a colour theme for decorations is one way to ensure that the end result is not a tacky rainbow of tinsel and glitter.

Lighting

Lighting has a huge impact on atmosphere. One only has to think of Christmas scenes of the past, where firelight illuminates the guests gathered around it, whilst the rest of the room benefits from the subtle tones of candlelight.

Softening the lighting in your home will make it feel warmer and therefore more festive, so this is the perfect time to indulge in a new collection of candles that fit in with your colour scheme and give off gorgeous Christmas scents.

From indoors to the terrace

Adding scatter cushions and throws in festive colours or with seasonal designs will also make you get into the spirit of the season, and why not decorate the terrace with the addition of an outdoor heater, throws to keep your guests warm and some stylish Christmas lights to add some more cheer.

Modern vs traditional

Many Marbella residents prefer traditional decorations such as a natural tree, or an artificial one that is green. However, some people like a modern theme with a white tree that uses purple and blue decorations, where the purists prefer red and gold. Another possibility is to forget about having a tree at all and choose a festive wall hanging or wall art as the focus of your celebrations. Modernists can also replace the traditional log fire with an electric fire with special effects.

Visit us at ID Latinia to pick up your decorations and for further ideas about styling your home for a very happy Marbella Christmas!

When you are designing your dining room, it is a good idea to start by thinking about how you want it to reflect your personality and your culinary tastes before contemplating what the space itself offers in terms of the style of furniture, accessories and the arrangement of both. In Marbella, we are blessed with a climate that permits long periods of al fresco dining as well as meals indoors during the winter months, and you will probably want to consider how to accommodate both in your home.

The contemporary dining style is much more flexible than in previous decades and, according to Flora Di Menna, a Canadian interior designer, is “very much inspired by the bounty of different lifestyles coexisting in our society, from formal to casual.” She describes what we have moved away from very accurately: “Gone are the days of a four-walled, enclosed dining room with a table, chairs and pretty, framed picture over the buffet.” Indeed, we have dramatically departed from this convention, and in Marbella there are numerous opportunities to create more personalised dining areas that express an individual sense of style.

Personalisation is rapidly becoming the core concept in interior design and we as designers have already seen a rethinking of the dining room amongst clients, who no longer slavishly follow a furnishing style for the space where they enjoy eating and socialising around the table. Instead, they want to think about how the space to be used relates to the activity of cooking and eating, as well as connecting it to other living spaces, rather than cutting it off from them.

One of the ways that we can achieve a more contemporary use of space that also follows the concept of ‘flow’, which is particular to the modern home with its open plan arrangements, is by using sliding doors to provide a boundary between a dining space and another area whilst still ensuring that they feel connected.

Large sliding doors in a variety of materials are ideal because in summer they can be opened fully, and in winter they can be closed without losing the view of gardens, pool areas and the landscape. It is a solution that provides the best of both worlds.

The use of sliding panel systems is another option. Sliding panels are usually used on large expanses of glass windows or doors, but they also make attractive and easy to clean room dividers. With the array of panel fabrics, colours and designs available now, our choices are very much expanded.

Add to these ideas, a glass-fronted wine cellar, textured metallic wallpaper and other accessories that maximise the room’s light. And then there is the table. The table is a central feature of any dining room and there is a multitude of designs to choose from that make a statement about your tastes, ranging from natural woods to stainless steel and glass.

Please contact us at ID Latina if you’re thinking of furnishing a new dining room or revamping your existing one – we will be delighted to talk through your ideas and offer you the right solutions for your home.

The fact that ID Latinia is not limited to private homes but also takes on commercial projects such as restaurants, boutiques, hotels and golf and country clubs is evidenced by the design of El Campanario – a stylish golf and country club situated just west of San Pedro Alcántara.

Built not merely as a clubhouse but also to provide a stylish social hub for the residents of the upmarket El Campanario residential urbanisation, the club is a very special spot surrounded by the lush greenery of a 9-hole golf course and a beautifully designed tropical garden complete with ponds, bridges and water features.

Originally inspired by the spa retreats of Bali, the building is a study in softly rounded, white-plaster Mediterranean architecture that is further enhanced with the gentle touches of Asian style wood, thatched roofs and water courses. Indeed, this complex has a somewhat colonial feel about it, right down to a wooden bridge over a manmade pond that one crosses to enter the reception area.

Here members and guests will find a gym, spa with heated indoor pool, a stylish bar and restaurant with elegant terrace, and more private areas in which to retreat for some rest, socialising or meetings. Our brief was to create a suitably tasteful decorative environment for the member’s club, and our challenge was to add further to the beauty of the building and its setting.

El Campanario has a very relaxing, refined ambience, so we worked with this, the architectural layout and the colonial feel of the complex to produce a country club environment that is exclusive and special whilst also being casual and inviting. Pomp and ceremony were avoided in favour of creating an intimate space that enhances the atmosphere of a select country club and spa – all the more one with a somewhat Asian/colonial feel.

We therefore sourced suitable furniture and decorative pieces that have a timeless quality about them, creating a setting in which style and comfort are in balance, where noble dark woods are offset by fine porcelain, handcrafted pieces and other noble materials. El Campanario feels like a true country club and spa but it is neither stuffy or old-fashioned nor the knee-jerk response to a passing trend. In other words, we are proud of the fact that we produced an environment that has evolved and grown with the times, offering those who enter this elegant space a sense of quality and refinement that has a style and charm all of its own.