With its pristine beaches, rolling plains and cork oak forests, Portugal’s Alentejo region is rated as one of the most unsullied corners of Europe.
The perfect spot, then, for Evelyne Tissier and Claude Martin to concoct their antidote to Parisian bustle: a vernacular ‘beach house’ cast in cool concrete by Portuguese architect Manuel Aires Mateus.
‘I liked the idea of having a little hamlet on a hill,’ fashionista Tissier tells us of her rural escape, situated an hour south of Lisbon close to the hills of Serra de Grândola.
The retreat combines a main residence – featuring communal dining and living space and an en-suite bedroom – with three independent casitas, each offering an en-suite bedroom and sea-facing terrace. Outside lies a heated pool and lemon, orange and olive groves.
Tissier’s creative coterie shaped the vision: fashion designer Bill Gaytten picked the spot and photographer Matthieu Salvaing suggested imprinting the concrete with wood to create an organic relief.
Vast glass doors showcase the natural setting, while spartan interiors sport vintage pieces such as José Espinho’s 1950s sideboard, sourced from Setúbal-based dealer Antonio ‘Le Brocanteur’
When the tranquillity gets too much head 20 minutes west to Praia do Carvalhal for decent surf and grilled fish at O Dinis.
ADDRESS
Serra di Melides, Alentejo
-
Palm Beach Tree House overhauls a cottage in Sydney’s Northern Beaches into a treetop retreatSet above the surf, Palm Beach Tree House by Richard Coles Architecture sits in a desirable Northern Beaches suburb, creating a refined home in verdant surroundings
-
Our highlights from Paris Design Week 2025Wallpaper*’s Head of Interiors, Olly Mason, joined the throngs of industry insiders attending the week’s events; here’s what she saw (and liked) at Paris Déco Off and Maison&Objet in the city
-
Meet Samsung’s Galaxy S25 series, designed to set new standards for AI-powered smartphonesWelcome to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, Galaxy S25+ and Galaxy S25 – tech editor Jonathan Bell gets some hands-on experience with the new-generation devices
-
Wallpaper* Design Awards 2025: meet the travel winners transcending destinationsDiscover the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2025 travel winners: the year’s places to stay, dine, drink and join
-
2025 getaways: where Wallpaper* editors will be travelling to this yearFrom the Japanese art islands of Naoshima and Teshima to the Malaysian tropical paradise of Langkawi, here’s where Wallpaper* editors plan to travel to in 2025
-
Find serenity at Casa Fortunato, a Portuguese bolthole filled with lightDesign-savvy duo Antonio Falcáo Costa Lopes and Filipa Fortunato chose Alcácer do Sal as the perfect setting for the second iteration of their original Casa Fortunato
-
Lisbon hotel Locke de Santa Joana wins Wallpaper* Design Award 2025Born from the restoration of an old convent, Locke de Santa Joana receives our Best Opening award for its design inventiveness and sunny disposition
-
The Rebello is a chic hotel with an industrial past on Porto’s riversideTransforming industrial buildings on the Douro river, The Rebello is a new hotel ‘with an old soul’
-
Modern, earthy lodges await at Lavandeira Douro Nature & WellnessLavandeira Douro Nature & Wellness in Portugal boasts off-track luxury cabins by FCC Architectura
-
The Algarve welcomes Austa, an all-day kitchen in touch with its heritageFrom breakfast to dinner, Austa embraces honest eating and local community
-
Marqí hotel brings a minimalist 1970s feel to Portugal’s Sintra coastDanish duo Mikkel Kristensen and architect Mikas Emil’s mansion conversion offers dreamy, cinematic escapism at Marqí, a secluded boutique hotel
