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When sisters Ariadne and Olympia Irving first bought a vacation home in the seaside town of Melides, Portugal, visions of classic coastal retreats danced in their heads. “We could very easily imagine creating this serene and simple interior,” says Ariadne. “But we knew that was never going to happen for us,” she adds, laughing.
Instead, the Irvings have decorated the house with a spirited mix of color, pattern, and global finds to create a home that’s wholly their own, yet still retains a sense of place. It’s an approach that comes naturally to Olympia and Ariadne, daughters of legendary textile designer Carolina Irving, with whom they run the housewares brand Carolina Irving & Daughters. “Our design DNA is really about layering and having fun,” says Olympia.
Ariadne (left) and Olympia Irving at home. Gauras and blue plumbago create a sweeping meadow evocative of the region’s wildflower fields.
Francesco Lagnese
Painted in a traditional bright white with cerulean trim, the home’s exterior pulls cues from the local vernacular and landscape. A bench is covered in French Ikat by Carolina Irving Textiles.
Francesco LagneseThe sisters, who grew up in New York and now share a flat in London, have a longstanding connection to Portugal: Their company’s pieces are made in the country, and their mother also has a home in Melides. “We’ve always been drawn to the craftsmanship and the wild, untouched landscape of this area,” says Olympia. Plus, adds Ariadne, “it’s the rare place we could buy an affordable house two minutes from the beach.”
Glossy blue-and-white tiles made by a local craftsman envelop the kitchen, while open shelving displays Carolina Irving & Daughters dishes. In keeping with the casual setting, a curtain of Carolina Irving Textiles Indian Flower fabric hides pots and pans.
Francesco LagneseThe home they found within their budget—a 1990s build with an awkward layout and a mishmash of tile and laminate floors—needed some work. “But our mom saw it and said, ‘I promise you, this is a gem in the making,’” recalls Olympia. To fully expose that potential, “we took the house to zero,” she says. The floors were replaced with concrete that feels cool on bare feet on hot summer days, rooms were opened up for better flow and light, and the walls were refreshed with white plaster, which the sisters extended to new built-in shelving, beds, and banquettes. “Built-ins are quite common in the houses in the area, and we liked the clean, Mediterranean look of the white plaster,” explains Olympia.
The sisters built a fireplace and shelving to anchor the living room; their global, high-low approach to decorating plays out in the meeting of an antique wooden table from their father, a vintage Moroccan rug, and a pair of Ikea chairs with cushions by artist and designer Nat Sly. Concha Candle holder, Concha Triple dish, and Konstantin Cache Pot (on coffee table) by Carolina Irving & Daughters.
Francesco Lagnese
Rattan pendant lights and an Ikea sofa slipcovered in Carolina Irving Textile’s Palmetto fabric in the living room nod to the coastal setting. A set of Indian miniatures brings color even to an overhead beam.
Francesco Lagnese
The milky pink of the hallway was a custom color mixed by artist (and Ariadne’s godfather) Konstantin Kakanias, left over from a project at Christian Louboutin’s nearby Vermelho Hotel.
Francesco LagneseAgainst that breezy blank canvas, the sisters began the process of decorating each room, layer by layer. “We were on a budget, so it was about working with what we had,” says Ariadne; luckily, what they had on hand was a rather enviable collection that included furnishings passed on to them from their father, an antiques dealer, and textiles designed by their mother. They mixed more rarefied pieces like a 17th-century velvet chair and a John Dickinson table with budget finds from Portuguese markets and beyond to give each room a casually sophisticated sensibility. “We’ll happily inherit a beautiful antique chair, but we love a good Ikea sofa, too,” says Ariadne.
Olympia and Ariadne gave each bedroom its own color theme, with pillows and curtains in Carolina Irving Textiles’ Delos fabric providing the starting point; from there, they picked up the color on the ceiling.
Francesco Lagnese
Built-in beds and shelving create a streamlined look, while an arrangement of colorful tiles designed with a Spanish craftsman fill in for traditional headboards.
Francesco LagnesePassionate travelers and collectors, the sisters also spent many months carting bubble-wrapped art and objects they had collected on their own travels over the years to the house. “I love my ‘knicky-knackies,’” says Ariadne. “If there’s a surface, I’m going to fill it.” But they did so with intention and an editor’s eye. “Sometimes you have an urge to display everything you’ve got, but you have to step back, look at it, and trim the fat,” adds Olympia. Artful vignettes throughout the home reflect their talent for balancing exuberance with restraint, from a cluster of Mexican tin hearts on a guest bathroom wall to a series of Indian miniatures that bring saturated color to a beam in the living room.
In a guest bathroom, tin hearts the sisters picked up in Mexico City boost the space’s playful, artisanal quality.
Francesco Lagnese
An extra-long poolside banquette inspired by the lounge area at Soho House provides space for guests—and the sisters’ dog, Pepito.
Francesco LagneseTo further amp up the color and pattern—“We couldn’t just leave the walls white, after all,” says Ariadne—the Irvings got inventive. Multicolor marbleized tiles were installed behind beds in lieu of headboards, while vibrant squares were installed in checkerboard patterns in the bathrooms and kitchen. And in what was perhaps their boldest decorative move, Ariadne and Olympia painted wide, colorful stripes across the ceilings of several rooms.“It did feel like a bit of a risk,” admits Ariadne. “But we thought, we’ve gone so crazy with the house already—let’s just go for it!”
A cozy, pink-walled TV room filled with local finds and layered textiles. The built-in banquette features Carolina Irving Textiles’ Alexandria and Patmos Stripe, while woven animal heads, a vintage bamboo table, and Mexican art add eclectic charm.
Francesco Lagnese
A shaded deck area with an L-shaped banquette and extra-wide table (dressed in a Yellow Vine Tablecloth from their own line) make the backyard party-ready.
Francesco Lagnese
A shell dish and bud vases from Carolina Irving & Daughters bring color to an outdoor tablescape.
Francesco LagneseTHIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN VOLUME 15 OF FREDERIC MAGAZINE. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE!
