A Modern Experience in a Traditional Home — A Blending of Two Worlds
In Maltese architecture, tradition is the bricks and mortar that holds every structure together. This is particularly true in regards to limestone, used in construction since the island’s earliest days, and responsible for giving the country its characteristic golden colour. Over time, a design trend has emerged in Malta that juxtaposes the historical and traditional features in a house with a modern aesthetic. This isn’t the erasure of history that we have seen with interior design in previous decades, but rather a deliberate choice to respect and even highlight the old whilst bringing in the new. Down an old street in Naxxar, one of the main towns in the North of the island, we can see this in practice.
A traditional example of a townhouse with a modern twist, this three-bedroom home is being sold through Curbsy. Click here to see the full website listing and more detailed photographs of the various rooms.
An interesting example of this blend of old and new can be noted upon first entering this house. A traditional staircase with wrought-iron railings has been laid with wooden treads, an unusual choice in Malta where wood is historically scarcer than stone. There is always something so appealing about a winding staircase, isn’t there? A beckoning to ascend and follow wherever it leads, as if the steps themselves are infused with something magical.
The upper levels of this home showcase the height of the ceilings, displaying the traditional wooden beams and adding a certain character and flair. All too often this is lost in modern construction which appears to favour steel beams or simply prefers not to expose them at all, opting instead for a more neutral, uniform appearance. The main contrast in this room, of course, is between the traditional arched window, the exposed limestone wall, the ceiling fan, which is not particularly commonplace, and the modern wooden platform which leads up to the room itself.
Perhaps the most exciting example of this melding of two worlds is in the hub of the home: the living area. A place that, by day, offers a traditional backdrop with the quaint Maltese balcony (pictured in more detail below) but by night, when you pull down the blinds and turn the lights off, transforms into a home cinema to share movie nights with family and friends. This is thanks to the projector on the back wall and the screen hidden discreetly at the front of the living room, effectively creating a modern experience in a traditional room.
The attractive features of this home coupled with the marriage of the traditional and modern present the new owners who utilise this space with a wonderful blueprint to work from, incorporating the natural light that floods the rooms and allowing their own artistic licence to flourish. Ultimately, that creativity and the people who inhabit a space and fill it with memories and love, is what turns a house into a home.
