In the harsh interior of Istria, in a completely untouched area of rolling hills, vineyards, olive groves, and truffle forests, near the picturesque hilltop town of Motovun, we found a house that delighted us both inside and out.
The estate where the house named Stanzia Vinella is located covers 60,000 square meters of land, and the house has 460 square meters of living space and an infinity pool measuring 5 x 14 meters. The owners of the house are a German-Ethiopian couple with two sons.
"We live in Munich. We are real estate investors and interior designers, and we tried to incorporate that into our fairytale oasis as well," laugh the owners, who revealed that they have been working in Istria since 2003.
"We also lived for ten years in the old town of Motovun before our children were born and had to go to school in Munich. As real estate investors, we have built and restored many stone houses in the Istrian interior. We have won numerous international awards and sold properties to famous clients from all over the world. We kept the most unique properties for ourselves, which are a large estate near Motovun and a palace by the sea in the old town of Rovinj. Both are available for rent," emphasizes Andreas Dussmann, owner of Stanzia Vinella, who admits that he and his wife have known and loved every little hamlet in northwestern Istria for 22 years.
"It‘s a love that lasts and won‘t end, it seems to me," laughs Andreas and reveals that, regarding this house, they collaborated with architect Dean Peteh from Pula.
"We did all the interiors, materials, and colors ourselves. We love that very much. Interestingly, this estate used to be a complete hamlet. We only restored the main house with the barn. It dates back to 1614. The house is under conservation protection, so we tried to restore it as authentically as possible and used all recycled materials such as stone, oak, and antique cotto tiles. This required a very experienced builder who knows how to use those materials. We wanted to create an estate with discreet luxury. Rustic, but with style and comfort. Nothing flashy or screaming ‘luxury.‘ This part of Istria is very wild and was once poor. In Venetian times, the hinterland was not developed. There were no large palaces like in Tuscany. Therefore, we wanted it to be modest but with all modern comforts such as underfloor heating, energy-efficient heat pumps, solar panels, and a saltwater pool. In addition, my wife is Ethiopian, and my children are mixed race. So, we have a lot of things from Africa and Asia in the house‘s interior. The house has a wabi sabi concept with ethnic interiors," revealed Andreas.
He added that the house has five bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. In the main house, there are four bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, and in the old barn, there is a separate entrance with an apartment with the fifth bedroom and bathroom, a tea kitchen, and a dining table.
The house also has two living rooms - the ground floor with an open fireplace, and the first floor with massive roof beams. There is also an entrance hall, a large kitchen with a dining area, as well as an outdoor dining area and, of course, a lounge. A separate house by the pool has a summer kitchen, dining area, and a space for relaxation and leisure.
"The most striking room in the house is the main living room with a roof structure of massive old oak beams, antique oak slats, and cotton tiles. The ceiling height and the size of the room with a beautiful view of the town of Motovun on the hilltop make this our favorite room in the house. But the upstairs bedroom also faces the valley and Motovun, and the feeling is like being on a plane. Especially in spring and autumn, when there is fog in the valley and only Motovun stands out, it feels magical. And then there is the infinity pool with this unreal view of Motovun and swimming in the Mirna valley, which is out of this world. Truly," says Andreas, who admits he is very pleased with the final look of the interior.
This rustic elegance is a style he generally likes very much, it is close to him, and the mix of wabi sabi and ethnic materials, antique pieces, and tribal art from travels through Africa and Asia give the interior a special charm and also celebrate other world cultures dear to them.
"Only natural pale tin colors from Bauwerk (Australia) were used. We used limestone floors from Burgundy, oak floors from the Netherlands, and large antique stone floors from Istria. Antique oak beams were brought from the old house, and the furniture is mostly made of linen, bamboo, and pale antique furniture. Many carpets are made of jute, and the lamps are made of rattan and cashmere. All bathrooms are finished in micro cement. Again, everything in natural earthy colors and all coordinated," describes Andreas and adds that he and his wife wanted everything to fit well with the fields, olives, vineyards, forests, and clay soil of the estate.
As for the furniture, as the owners say, it is a combination of everything and anything. Mostly antique pieces from Asia, some Italian designer pieces (Ghost sofas), Danish Tinekhome collection, Ay Illuminate lighting, and then custom-made oak cabinets and display cases. Of course, all the interior doors are also custom-made from brushed oak. The country kitchen is from London‘s DeVOL Kitchens.
"Of the details, the most prominent is the Ethiopian Orthodox cross from my wife‘s family in Addis Ababa and the beautiful LRNCE wall rugs we bought on our honeymoon in Marrakech," says Andreas, who admits that the whole project was challenging from the very beginning.
"It took us about a year to buy the hamlet from six families. Many meetings at the notary did not lead to success because many owners changed their minds and prices. It took a lot of patience and negotiation skills to bring it to an end. The hamlet was completely overgrown. So we had to bring in complete infrastructure, tame the wilderness, move soil and terraces for months, replant olives and vineyards, and return it to its original state. The reconstruction was a huge challenge for such a large old house, finding and replacing missing antique materials. Just laying the pool terrace with massive antique stone pieces with the help of machines and craftsmen took about four months," says Andreas, who especially remembers a nice anecdote related to the house, which was the filming of the Hollywood production "Speak no Evil" in the spring of 2023. The entire estate was turned into a boutique hotel in Tuscany, with outdoor stages, poolside bars, and a restaurant.
"Only our gardener was allowed to sneak in and talk to Hollywood movie stars," jokes Andreas, who is proud of the whole project and the way it was carried out.
"It‘s a small island with complete privacy. You only hear birds and bees in the midst of the bustling summer season, yet you are in Motovun in five minutes. The views of the valley and Motovun simply take your breath away. I have been there so many times, but they are still unreal to me," says Andreas, who did not want to reveal how much money he spent to turn this place into what it is today.
"You can never recreate the feeling and charm of an ancient house. It is 400 years old and has that old-world charm combined with our natural materials and luxurious comforts. It is timeless. It has a very positive energy. History says that ley lines meet in Motovun and you can feel the peace. It is very difficult to achieve harmony in architecture and interiors, for everything to work and nothing to interfere with anything else. After living in the area for many years and being inspired by our travels around the world, I think we have put together a beautiful combination that fits the area very well. Now it is barely visible, and many people driving through the Mirna valley think it has always been there. I think that‘s the ultimate goal," concludes Andreas Dussmann.
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