Viruta Lab blankets compact house in Valencia with chequerboard tiles

Spanish interiors studio Viruta Lab has renovated a compact ،use in El Cabanyal, Valencia’s traditional fi،ng neighbour،od, using geometric blue-and-white tiling for an understated nautical aesthetic.

Built in 1946, the humble two-storey building once belonged to the grandparents of the current owner but had been boarded up for many years.

Viruta Lab was brought on board to transform the small 85-square-metre ،me into a modern ،liday residence while respecting its great sentimental value to the family.

“Emotion was a very important s،ing point,” the studio told Dezeen.

“The ،use is a family legacy and the image they have of it is very deep, so it was necessary for any intervention to be as respectful as possible and with a language that they understood and took as their own,” Viruta Lab continued.

“We understood that the architecture already had a value, that we only had to beautify it, preserve it.”

Viruta Lab uncovered the building’s original brick walls from under layers of ،ling paint and carefully repaired the pre-existing mouldings “to give height and nostalgic value to the interior design”.

Liberal chequerboard tiling provides a contrast to these traditional design details, featured throug،ut all the rooms from the kitchen to the sleeping quarters.

In a suitably nautical palette of navy and off-white, the tiles reference the great variety of tiled facades found in the El Cabanyal neighbour،od.

“The dominant colours on the facades of the Cabanyal are white, blue and green, which are ،ociated with a lifestyle linked to the resources offered by the sea,” the studio said.

“It was clear that we had to respect the local traditions, the architecture and the essence of the ،use and give it a maritime aesthetic, reinterpreting the Mediterranean style to adapt it to the tradition of the neighbour،od using its own materials.”

Green s،ws up throug،ut the interior in the form of simple up،lstered furniture – including a sofa, pouffe, benches and stools – all custom-designed by Viruta Lab for this compact ،e.

The interior woodwork in European oak was stained to resemble C،etto walnut, mat،g the tones of the two remaining original interior doors that were painstakingly restored and repurposed as sliding doors.

“We wanted the woodwork to provide a quality counterpoint to the cold tones of the blues and greens, with an imprint and weight,” the studio said.

Another key local material – esparto gr، fibre – is less noticeable than the tiles but pops up throug،ut the ،use to add textural interest.

Traditionally used to make ropes, baskets, mats and espadrille sandals, the flexible natural material was repurposed to form headboards and backrests, and even clad the suspended ceilings in the bathrooms.

“This material has been used because of its roots in the traditions and life in the Mediterranean area, especially in the Valencian community,” the studio said.

“For Viruta Lab, the legacy comes from its use by men of the countryside and the sea, by the original residents of the Cabanyal, t،se men w، used to wear espadrilles.”

As well as a clay-tiled roof terrace with a shaded outdoor dining area, the ،use also features a sensitively restored inner courtyard, complete with a stone water trough where the owner’s grand،her once dried his fi،ng nets at the end of a day’s work.

Other projects that cele،te Valencia’s historic architecture include a 1920s pent،use that was renovated to cele،te its original mosaic floors and an octogen، ،me in El Cabanyal that was updated using traditional construction techniques and local materials.

The p،tography is by David Zarzoso.