Where Sea Meets Sky

By Matias Errazuriz photography by Emma Livingston

The pool surround extends slightly beyond the deck perimeter, creating the impression that it stretches out to sea.
The pool surround extends slightly beyond the deck perimeter, creating the impression that it stretches out to sea.
Beside the sandy beach in Punta del Este in “the Hamptons of South America”, this 
house, made of sun-bleached wood, metal and stone, sits quietly on the landscape looking out to the Atlantic. Cool in summer, cosy in winter, it is a haven of rustic simplicity.

Beside the sandy beach in Punta del Este in “the Hamptons of South America”, this 
house, made of sun-bleached wood, metal and stone, sits quietly on the landscape looking out to the Atlantic. Cool in summer, cosy in winter, it is a haven of rustic simplicity. 

For interior designer Pablo Chiappori, creating a beach 
house was an opportunity to cement his personal style. Having opened the Paul French Gallery in Buenos Aires several years earlier, Chiappori was keen to oversee an entire building project, and the idea of a wooden house facing the Atlantic Ocean was a challenge.

“For me, this new project is one way to show what is my style, and what the story is 
I want to tell,” explains Chiappori. A section 
of virgin beachfront in Uruguay’s Punta del Este – also known as “the Hamptons of South America” – is a rare find nowadays, and the unspoilt location set the tone for the house.

Wood was a natural choice for construction as it harmonises well with the landscape, and the material is carried through to the interior, blurring the lines between indoors and out.

The property’s layout is simple, consisting of two modules separated by the pool. The main module is a self-contained house comprising the living room, kitchen, a playroom, a bathroom and two bedrooms.

Upstairs, the master bedroom shares the first floor with another bathroom, dressing room and a small workplace with an ocean view. Across an internal courtyard, the second module is for guests, with two bedrooms and 
a bathroom. All the furniture and objects that decorate the house are sourced from Paul French Gallery, with a palette restricted to whites, stone, wood tones and gunmetal grey.

“The house is the result of putting wood and stone together – this mix represents the simple style of Punta del Este,” says Chiappori. “The wood is stained, and peeling paint recreates the effect that nature prints upon objects over the years.”

The overall effect is one of rustic simplicity, with metal lamps and furniture lending a slight industrial edge. The sea is only metres away, and the property is used throughout the year – sometimes for a month at a time – so the design accommodates each season, with semi-covered decks providing shade during summer and heating throughout to compensate for wintry Atlantic winds.

It’s an approach that works – perhaps 
too well, according to Chiappori, “The only problem of the house is when you are inside, you do not want to leave.”

Take a tour of this incredible house by clicking on the photos below.

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