Ever since Julie stumbled upon Quinta da Corte, a newly revamped guest house at a winery in Portugal’s Douro Valley, we’ve been admiring its warm minimalism, the way the silhouettes of the furniture balance each other, and how plenty of negative space—textural plaster walls—frames the rooms like art.
The 200-year-old winery, renowned for its ports and red wines and owned by French art collector and winemaker Philippe Austruy, had fallen into disrepair before he bought it, and has recently been brought back from the ashes by French architect-of-the-moment Pierre Yovanovitch. Among the buildings is a guest house, complete with sitting areas, a library, a kitchen, and eight bedrooms.
Yovanovitch, a collector and a furniture designer himself, filled the rooms with vintage pieces, his own designs, a palette of neutrals and rust, and objects—ceramics, ashtrays—by local Portuguese makers. We can’t quite put our finger on this style that we’re noting everywhere—sculptural minimalism? Or, as Quinta da Corte calls it, “studied simplicity?” But it’s our new favorite point of view when it comes to interiors. Take a look inside the guest house.
Nearby is the library, where Yovanovitch chose each of the titles himself.
Meals cooked at the casa include “toasted almonds, homemade jams,” honey, and olive oil, all procured locally and from the grounds.
Interested in booking a stay? Go to Quinta da Corte for more information.
Portugal is having a moment. For more places to stay, eat, and shop, see our Portugal Design Guide. And for more examples of what we’re calling “sculptural minimalism,” see:
- Numeroventi in Florence: A Modern Guest House in a 16th-Century Palazzo
- Kafeteria and Kunst: A New Copenhagen Cafe by Frederik Bille Brahe and Danh Vo
- A Modest, Mostly Vintage Rental in Berlin by Quiet Studios
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