Chacra in Rincón del Indio

Layout and spaces:

The house draws attention and creates a sense of distorted scale in the viewer: a living room ten metres high is unusual. For Ravazzani, exaggerated dimensions are the main ingredient in the work’s impact. They create a generous, expansive space that its occupants gradually furnish with domestic-scale pieces.

• The layout was conceived as several houses within one.
• Two spaces are connected by a large glass hall, with views in two directions across the surrounding countryside.
• The main bedroom and its enormous bathroom are on one side; the kitchen is on the other.
• An upper level above these two wings has rooms for guests.
• At the centre is the large living-dining room, with big iron-and-glass windows defining the façade.
• The living-dining room and pool are the most frequented areas of the house, which is always open to receiving friends.

Garden and decor:

From the outside, the house has a dominant, simple and symmetrical form. A wonderful garden with old, tall trees frames the property and gives it even more character.

Luis Rusconi explains that spaciousness is essential to him and that he likes to keep spaces uncluttered. He could not live in a house crowded with furniture and keepsakes held onto for sentimental reasons that get in the way of daily activities. For advice, he asked Mimmi O’Connell, who had already worked on other houses in the region. The Argentine decorator, who has lived in London for many years, described how interesting it was to take part in the interior design of this house. From a young age, she understood the importance of creating harmony in decor: to create an environment with its own character that is also neutral and welcoming, one often has to challenge convention. She generally mixes furniture and objects with contrasting shapes and colours, unrelated in style or origin. One must follow one’s instincts and aim for a result that is pleasing to oneself and to others.

For this house, she worked with the owners and chose furniture with clean, simple lines that would not clutter the rooms. The owner and his wife asked for neutral furnishings that would not interfere with the architecture: sofas, consoles, lamps and a harmony of white and neutral tones. They wanted a modern house that would retain its local roots, conveyed by local stone, wood and iron, Mimmi says.

Result:

Although the house is highly modern, every architectural detail provides unexpected warmth. The continuity of the spaces, the great height of the walls and the simplicity of the lines make this imposing place very special. The house embraces with all its strength and purity. It shelters, and more than architecture, it is like a sculpture in which life unfolds. Here, one can dream the most human of dreams: a perpetual vacation.

Internal Reference: Tera-1824