| A Family Affair |
 “Location, location, location!” – the familiar house-buyer’s mantra was the main priority for Jules Franken and her husband Robert as they searched for a new home on the Costa del Sol. Jules and Robert had lived in Spain for many years, but in 2003, after living in a variety of properties that were never quite what they wanted, they decided to build their own dream home. After a lengthy search along the western Costa del Sol, they eventually found a plot of land in El Rosario, a luxury urbanisation a short drive from Marbella. Jules and Robert worked on the design of the house together, only recruiting the services of an architect in the final stages. “We wanted to create a space that would be cosy in winter and cool during the summer months,” Jules explains. “A mix of Colonial style with a hint of Moroccan.” “We are very sociable people,” she continues, “so we included in the design several large terrace areas to use for summer parties. And in the winter our guests can gather in the large kitchen and living room around the open log fires, which create a cosy atmosphere.” Both Jules and Robert work. Robert runs a successful insurance business and Jules has a busy advertising company with offices close by. They have two children, Alexandra, 12, and Jordan, 11, who go to school in the area. “Location was so important and El Rosario ticked all the boxes,” Jules explains. “I didn’t want a long commute to work and we didn’t want Alex and Jordan to suffer a long journey to school.” Jules continues. “Added to that, we have a supermarket a short walk away with a newsagent next door and there is a tennis court just down the road that the kids use regularly.” As we take a tour of the house and gardens Jules explains how the family approached the interior design of their dream home once the construction had been completed. “The development of the interior has been an organic experience,” she says. “We acquired pieces that appealed to us along the way. We wanted the house to be comfortable and approachable, with lots of family areas.” Jules and Robert are very family-orientated and this has influenced the choice of many features in the house. Adjacent to the front door is a lion head fountain. Jules explains: “We chose the lion head in memory of my dad who was born under the star sign of Leo. The two paintings of pears that hang in the kitchen were given to us by my friend Jaqui Ashworth, a well-known artist in the area, and the porcelain zebra fish ornament in our bedroom was a gift from Robert’s father. We think it is Austrian and probably more than 100 years old. “We wanted to gather each piece individually, collecting items that mean something to the family. A lot of Spanish families want to move into a property that is fully furnished right down to the cutlery and crockery. We didn’t want to do that.”  We continue the tour and arrive at the large open plan American-style kitchen dining area, with a dining table and chairs from a furniture market in Ronda. “The kitchen was designed by Danspan Marbella, who had to accommodate my many requirements as I love to cook,” says Jules A striking feature of the comfortable living room is the massive opium table from Bali. “We don’t use it for its original purpose but Alex and I are avid jigsaw puzzlers and it is ideal for that,” laughs Jules. The living room and master bedroom both feature double-height vaulted ceilings, creating a spacious feel. To complement this, Jules and Robert chose a king-size bed and orange lacquered Chinese furniture purchased locally. Double glass doors lead from the master bedroom on to the breakfast balcony, which has stunning views of La Concha, the Mediterranean, Gibraltar and the North African coast. The en-suite bathroom is tiled with Travertino marble. Jules chuckles: “I love the effect of Travertino marble but it proved to be so expensive that in the end we decided to have only the bath surround and one wall tiled.” Walking through the master bedroom I comment on the orange and white modern art canvas on the wall. Jules smiles: “It was a moment of madness really. My dad, a keen artist, had recently died. I created the painting to express my feelings at the time. It was a family moment but I certainly won’t be taking up a career as an artist.” The entrance to the house is through double hard wood doors, which lead to the entrance hall and a view of the inner courtyard, which is also a favourite spot for guests to gather at parties. The glass-topped threshing table was found in an antiques shop in nearby San Pedro. Relaxing on the spacious terrace, Jules concludes: “It has taken us almost three years to get the decoration of the house to this stage and we are still a long way from completion, but we prefer the slow approach as it results in less purchase regret. Anyway, we don’t intend on going anywhere else for a long time!” |
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