A Neo-French Provincial Townhouse in San Juan

An irregularly shaped townhouse is always a challenge to renovate, but when a designer understands the needs, preferences, habits, and lifestyle of his client, doing so would be a breeze. This is exactly what interior designer Mike Suqui set out to do when his clients asked him to fix up their four-storey, 200sqm townhouse. “My challenge here was planning the space,” Mike shares. “We needed to address some issues regarding door location and walls, since my client wanted plenty of open spaces, despite the unit’s irregular shape.”

The project involved tearing down walls and relocating doors, creating hallways, plus lots of hidden storage, in order to accommodate the belongings of this family of four. Mike also went for a neo-French provincial look—incorporating elements of a country-inspired space into a decidedly contemporary setting. “I would say I specialize in translating an old style into a more transitional, contemporary look,” he says. This shows in the choice of light fixtures, like the dainty chandelier in the dining area and one of the girls' bedrooms.

A faux brick wall was used as an accent in the living area, which also serves as a TV room. The “brick” is actually made of cement, which were simply formed and finished to look like rustic brick painted white. Floating shelves display other countryside elements like framed leaves and butterflies. Curtains were used to soften the stiffness from all the straight lines, while a huge sectional sofa provides space for every member of the family.

While townhouses offer plenty of vertical space, this particular unit is able to maximize the horizontal (albeit asymmetrical) space on each floor into functional but still visually aesthetic areas.