Valencian design studio Masquespacio reveals the colourful details of its home

After falling in love in (and with) Valencia, Masquespacio’s Christophe Penasse and Ana Hernández decided to put down roots. The couple – he from Belgium, she from Colombia – rented for a few years before starting the hunt for a traditional house just outside the city that they could tailor to their own style and both work and live in.

Masquespacio founders Ana Hernández and Christophe Penasse. The ‘Block’ chair and ‘Skyscraper’ vase for Poggi Ugo are both their own design

When they finally found the one, they asked themselves: how do we create our own thing here while retaining the building’s Valencian spirit?

The answer was multifaceted. Take the walls: they are well-built ‘in the sense that they will not collapse,’ says Christophe, but far from perfect. ‘In the past, residents simply took an object with which they could prop up the wall and used that,’ he explains.

In some places that means a vertical brick or some other strange element. ‘Sometimes those details don’t make any sense and that makes the house beautiful,’ he says. ‘We don’t want to hide what once was.’

The dramatic curtain wall is from Vescom, in custom colours by Masquespacio, while the shocking-pink outdoor furniture is part of their collection for Monoprix

While preserving original features was important, they didn’t want their home to feel too rustic. ‘We don’t like that,’ he says simply. Traditional elements that remain include the classic hydraulic tiles and rough walls, which are now finished with microcement.

Christophe and Ana designed every element here, from the aluminium cabinets and the blue Macaubas marble island down to the stools and the ‘Cookie Pots’ vases

The couple started living in the space with ‘a mattress, a table and a few chairs in the studio’. ‘That’s all we had,’ says Christophe. Taking their time ensured this multifunctional house beautifully illustrates the evolution of their fearless aesthetic, with every project from their portfolio represented in the rooms.

Christophe and Ana designed this extraordinary bed, made by Iberpoligraph, adding customised H&M Home lamps to the headboard

‘At first we were very Memphis, then more futuristic, then art deco. We are now a mix of all that,’ he explains. ‘We like to combine and contrast,’ he continues. ‘You can see it in our use of colour; we usually choose one or two for a room and play with the different shades.’

The crisp geometric shapes in this highlighter yellow bathroom really stand out. The vanity unit is bespoke and the tiles are from Maora Ceramics

Characterised by simple, geometric forms and fresh, optimistic colours, their eclectic home now radiates peace and brings a lot of happiness. ‘I was raised to believe the goal is a good job, a family and a normal house,’ Christophe concludes, ‘and now I live in this great house in these beautiful surroundings. I can’t believe this is my life – sometimes I hate that it’s becoming normal.’ masquespacio.com