Sun, Style and Soul

This Spanish villa belonging to a couple from Wicklow is a stunning home from home designed to celebrate its sun-drenched surroundings, thanks to Emma Cooling of Cooling Design.

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When this couple decided to swap their compact holiday hideaway for something more spacious under the Spanish sun, they turned to Emma Cooling of Cooling Design to lead the transformation. The result is a beautifully renovated villa that embraces its Mediterranean setting while offering comfort and beauty.

“This Spanish villa was built 20 years ago,’ Emma begins. ‘My clients already had a smaller holiday villa in the same area but wanted a larger property as they planned to spend more time in Spain.’ Located in the southeast of the country in a popular golf region (though the clients are cyclists, not golfers), the villa is now a bright, textured, and deeply personal home that supports remote working and frequent family visits.

‘The renovation was comprehensive. ‘The house had beautiful high ceilings in the living room with timber beams and traditional style arched windows,’ Emma explains, ‘but the rest was quite dark and dated. A lot of heavily tiled bathrooms, outdated curtains, light fittings and a very small, dark kitchen.’

Today, the property spans 12 rooms including three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a home office, a den/cinema room, and expansive living and dining areas. Emma’s team reimagined the internal layout, converting an underused enclosed outdoor area into a new kitchen and dining space. ‘We designed a bespoke kitchen with the focus on a large island with plenty of seating for relaxed dining and entertaining. There’s also a window seat with lift-up storage beneath a large window that overlooks the sunsets and gives easy pool access during the day,’ Emma adds.