It was while living in the nearby town of Torroella de Montgrí, before discovering the land that he would use to create his dream home, that Danish artist Erik Peistrup fell in love with the Montgrí Massif, a Catalonian mountain range topped by an ancient fortress. ‘It’s iconic in the area,’ says Erik, who entrusted local firm Rien de Rien Architecture to design a new-build property that would not only frame views of the piste, but be orientated so that it could be lit mainly by the sunlight reflected off its picturesque slopes.
‘We have no windows looking directly to the south, which is strange,’ admits Erik, ‘but we get softer indirect light. When the sun goes down in the evening, it projects the colours of the mountain into the house.’
Of course, as an artist, light is important to Erik, but he is also inspired by design greats. By discussing his creative influences – Mexican architect Barragán, Tadao Ando’s supremely minimalist buildings and the clean lines of Studio KO’s contemporary projects – he bonded with Rien de Rien’s director Olga Lloberes. ‘We had the same thoughts on materiality, simplicity, rawness,’ says Erik. ‘She presented us with three proposals and this was the craziest one. There’s a lot of concrete. It’s very brutalist.’
What's everyone reading?
The house itself is the star here and, as such, furnishings are kept to a minimum. ‘If you fill a house like this with too much, you’ve just killed it,’ explains Erik. ‘I’ve always been quite minimalist, and every time I move I get rid of things. Basically, I just have my books, my vinyls, my paint and some Danish pieces that always follow me wherever I go.’
To his constant companions – a green-upholstered ‘4312’ daybed and ‘Spanish’ chair by Børge Mogensen – he has added sunny ‘Togo’ sofas by Michel Ducaroy for Ligne Roset (their low-slung nature further emphasises the height of that ceiling) and a revolving selection of rugs and ceramic pieces provided by his partner Reda Moumni, founder of nearby design store Darmoad, whom he accompanies on regular sourcing trips to Morocco.
‘I think I have changed my style a bit since I have been here,’ says Erik. ‘There definitely is a different inspiration I get from this place. In the morning, I head down to the living room and the first thing I see is the mountain, the sun on it. I open the windows and doors to hear the birds and go for a walk in my garden before I begin painting.’
It’s idyllic, this home’s atmosphere, but it isn’t something that Erik keeps to himself. He and Reda regularly open their homes up to other creatives. There have been exhibitions featuring friends’ artwork and, when we talk, the duo are preparing for a performance by interior designer, stylist and dancer Susana Ocaña. This home may be quite sparse in many ways, but it is undeniably full of life. erikpeistrupmortensen.com; rienderien-archi.com
