- Outdoor & travel
Mas Pla de Calabuig is located in a small piece of paradise in Empordà, the heart of Catalonia. This place of three hectares of tranquillity boasts exquisite furnishings with good taste for details and a unique Mediterranean garden. Looking out over the most beautiful views, interior architect Carme Pardo created this family home. A simple, sober and timeless universe where local craftsmanship is expertly honoured.
The Mas Pla de Calabuig estate is beautifully surrounded by cypresses, olive trees, lavender and wheat fields. This Mediterranean setting provides an outstanding combination of both nature and remnants of the Middle Ages. More than that, amid the sea and mountains, this family residence is not known as the small and Catalan Tuscany for nothing. When the couple Carme and Enric Pardo discovered this farmhouse, previously renovated by a well-known designer, they did not hesitate any longer. She is an interior designer by profession in Barcelona, which lent itself perfectly to finding out the potential of the place. In addition, her knowledge also facilitated the renovation process. How the couple found the estate was already promising. With only a simple rearrangement with an eye on a large family that would also like to host many friends, it seemed to be a renovation of short duration. Moreover, the big plus was that three independent houses are located on the same estate. This allows a large family to spend a lot of time together and still be able to live at their own pace. Interior designer Carme Pardo managed to turn it into a magnificent and serene retreat, full of natural colours, thatched ceilings, centuries-old doors and Moroccan decoration. In short, immense beauty in one place. With her own and her clients' tastes in mind, she restored the floors, ordered a handmade thatched roof from the Pont de Querós fibreglass company, improved the garden and decorated every corner of the resulting seven bedrooms and five bathrooms to her taste. ’I wanted to keep the rustic feel, but as the buildings already had the uniqueness of the walls, finishes and beams, I gave them a more modern touch, with vintage furniture, some contemporary lamps and a built-in bookcase in the main house,’ explains the interior designer. The estate consists of three houses and a studio, spread over a total of 600 square metres, each with its own style yet a harmony to the whole. All four evoke an atmosphere of simplicity and serenity. The property has two entrances, one with a hundred-metre driveway, majestically accompanied by cypress and lavender trees. The property is landscaped with a careful selection of Mediterranean plants that move to balance the Empordà air. With her own and her clients' tastes in mind, she restored the floors, ordered a handmade thatched roof from the fibreglass company Pont de Querós, improved the garden and decorated every corner of the resulting seven bedrooms and five bathrooms to her taste. ‘I wanted to keep the rustic feel, but as the buildings already had the uniqueness of the walls, finishes and beams, I gave them a more modern touch, with vintage furniture, some contemporary lamps and a built-in bookcase in the main house,' explains the interior designer. 
Happiness is not a coincidence but a choice
The estate consists of three houses and a studio, spread over a total of 600 square metres, each with its own style yet a harmony to the whole. All four evoke an atmosphere of simplicity and serenity. The property has two entrances, one with a hundred-metre driveway, majestically accompanied by cypress and lavender trees. The property is landscaped with a careful selection of Mediterranean plants that move to balance the air of Empordà. ’This magical place possesses the perfect amount of unevenness to keep it authentic and real,' says owner Carme Pardo. 
In short, it is a mix of rustic with mid-century furniture straight from Germany and France, contemporary Italian design pieces, art and antiques from China, and handmade items such as the large rug in the middle of the living room. The guesthouse is characterised by white plastered walls and furniture, details of local crafts and natural materials such as esparto grass and linen, which blend perfectly with the more contemporary elements. 
Get to know similar hotels through our collection book PURE Hotels.
Photography by Eugeni Pons
Styling by Susana Ocaña