Teresa Sapey’s home is a designer masterpiece bathed in light and bold strokes of white. LYNN TAN discovers what makes this work of art so unforgettable.
"Teresa’s dining table and chairs are from Heirloom, complemented by a Murano ceiling lamp overhead."
Teresa Sapey, an Italian architect and designer based in Madrid, has had a career designing for luxury clients spanning over 25 years. Chief among them are brands such as Bulgari, Citroen and Disney, and she has been conferred awards by Architectural Digest, Wallpaper and Elle, to name a few.
The Spanish city she calls home is also where the majority of Teresa’s works are sited, including her very own home, Casa Teresa Sapey.
Located in Los Jeronimos, one of the most exclusive neighbourhoods in the capital, Teresa’s abode is a microcosm of her world. The walls, floors and spaces are conceived as a white canvas upon which she can create her masterpiece.
“I own a lot of family furniture and furniture designed by me. I also have a collection of contemporary art, as well as paintings. I wanted to bring them together inside a white container where I can display them, but at the same time, I wanted it to be a place where I can feel relaxed,” Teresa explains.
The 1,615sqf apartment occupies the top floor of a five-storey block facing Retiro Park. The spacious living room enjoys stunning views overlooking the park and there is a distinct gallery feel to it. The walls, floors, ceilings and even furniture are almost entirely white. Against this white backdrop is a composition comprising modern and antique furniture in a mix of styles and colours.
The original guest roomcumstudy was converted into a dining room. This is, again, an eclectic showcase of furniture and art pieces from different periods, enveloped within a stark white enclosure.
Teresa personalised the kitchen with a horizontal band of bright yellow that sweeps across the kitchen worktop and continues vertically up the wall directly behind it. “The kitchen is characterised by practicality, functionality and warm colours,” says Teresa. “And as with all good Italians, Illy coffee and De Cecco pasta,” she adds.
The main bedroom was designed to be more private and intimate. This is expressed through the use of another palette of colours, materials and furniture. The floor, up until then white, was carpeted in a colourful rug designed by Teresa, which continues into the bathroom. This reversal is accentuated by the white bed, bed linen and headboard that play up the contrast with the rest of the vibrant furniture, objects and art in the bedroom.
Casa Teresa Sapey was a house that Teresa rented and completely refurbished and decorated according to the way she wanted it.
"What J wanter to do was to bring everything J love together inside a white container."
A Charles and Ray Eames lounge chair blends in with the white palette. A digital work by the homeowner herself sums up what her house means to her.
Against this white backdrop is a composition comprising modern and antique furniture.
The kitchen is personalised with a striking yellow band on the counter and wall, as well as with wallpaper on the ceiling.
OPPOSITE
The living room is where contemporary pieces such as the Hands dining table and modular sofa by the designer herself are juxtaposed against heritage furniture such as the wooden console.
The vibrant colours of the Joan Miro lithographs and Adam Head stools for Vondom by Teresa Sapey stand out against the white canvas. The Flexo Tolomeo lamp is designed by Michele De Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassina for Artemide.
