{"id":880102,"date":"2026-10-12T21:20:18","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T21:20:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/880102\/"},"modified":"2026-10-12T21:20:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T21:20:18","slug":"tour-a-colorful-apartment-in-seville-by-amaro-sanchez-de-moya","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/880102\/","title":{"rendered":"Tour a Colorful Apartment in Seville by Amaro S\u00e1nchez de Moya"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Estimated3 min read<\/p>\n

\u201cMy aim was to give the property an unmistakably eclectic character, as though it had been passed down through generations or had always been a cherished family home,\u201d Amaro S\u00e1nchez de Moya<\/a> says of the Seville apartment he transformed for his friends and clients, Ra\u00fal and Manuel Romero.<\/p>\n

Charming, sharp, and, of course, a true aesthete, de Moya combines architectural design with a deep understanding of the past. \u201cI wanted to avoid any sense of it having been designed all at once, to create the impression of layered histories\u2014of many past inhabitants who never actually existed\u2014while also reflecting the experiences of the current proprietors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Located in an 18th-century palatial building in La Antigua Juder\u00eda (\u201cOld Jewish Quarter\u201d), the roughly 1,300-square-foot apartment was acquired in 2019 by Ra\u00fal and Manuel, who live in Madrid, as their pied-\u00e0-terre. Having met in the Andalusian capital at a party, they sought a residence in the historic center, near the Cathedral\u2014one that felt distinctly Sevillian.<\/p>\n

\"amaroRicardo Labougle for VERANDA<\/p>\n

White Macael marble columns and old local lanterns punctuate the patio. Stone floors, a fountain, and shady plants in clay pots offer a cool escape in the summer.<\/p>\n

For decades, the estate had belonged to the N\u00fa\u00f1ezes, a prominent livestock-breeding family who, in the 1980s, commissioned heritage architect Rafael Manzano Martos (known as Manzano). Renowned for his Mudejar style, he was asked to divide the property into separate dwellings while preserving the common areas typical of an aristocratic home\u2014such as the carriage entrance, staircase, and central colonnaded patio with marble columns.<\/p>\n

When the apartment came into Ra\u00fal and Manuel\u2019s hands, they entrusted the renovation to de Moya, who had studied under Manzano at the University of Seville. Ra\u00fal gave de Moya clear guidance: \u201cI told him I wanted something that reflected his style while also paying tribute to a decorator I deeply admire\u2014Jaime Parlad\u00e9. I love how he blends the English countryside with the Andalusian cortijo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"amaroRicardo Labougle for VERANDA<\/p>\n

An 18th-century design inspired the blue-and-white Portuguese backsplash in the kitchen.<\/p>\n

De Moya worked closely with Ra\u00fal on the project, carefully restoring original features such as the doors, wooden beams, windows, and latticework and fully redesigning the kitchen and two baths. The pair studied historic patrician houses in Seville, such as Casa de Pilatos, a 15th- to 16th-century palace that blends Gothic Mudejar and Renaissance influences, compiling a library of details to adapt to a more modest home.<\/p>\n

Features include Manises-style tiles, convent-style painted doors, a warm palette, and neo-Mudejar elements. The decor reflects a provincial fascination with English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish furniture, as well as Anglo-Saxon textiles, influenced by 19th-century British wine-growing families who settled in Jerez de la Frontera and mingled with Seville\u2019s elite.<\/p>\n

De Moya chose to preserve the original, albeit unusual, layout spread across three levels. \u201cThe apartment feels like a dollhouse\u2014almost like a Sevillian-style cottage,\u201d he says. \u201cIts layout enhances the sense of living in a small, charming house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"amaroRicardo Labougle for VERANDA<\/p>\n

Living room seating features a Louis XVII daybed covered in indigo florals and checks, along with a yellow velvet sofa (GP&J Baker). The Turkish kilim is from a Lisbon auction.<\/p>\n

Mirrored screens and retro design elements helped de Moya blend modern comforts with the home\u2019s historical features. \u201cWhile it\u2019s essential to live with technology, modern appliances and systems can clash with the environment they\u2019re meant to coexist with,\u201d he explains. \u201cIn this case, air conditioners, radiators, electrical mechanisms, and televisions gradually merge into the decor, like a chameleon\u2019s skin, adopting forms and finishes that seamlessly integrate.\u201d<\/p>\n

For de Moya, it was an enriching journey, as he usually approaches projects with a more academic focus, where stylistic cohesion and \u201ccultivated\u201d styles dominate. \u201cDesigning a home with a strong vernacular character has been an unexpectedly rewarding challenge, pushing me to step outside my usual comfort zone,\u201d he reflects.<\/p>\n

Hall\"amaro<\/p>\n

Ricardo Labougle for VERANDA<\/p>\n

A Neo-Mudejar arch frames an 18th-century Italian giltwood console and a lithograph by Luis Gordillo.<\/p>\n

Dining Area\"amaro<\/p>\n

Ricardo Labougle for VERANDA<\/p>\n

\"amaro<\/p>\n

Ricardo Labougle for VERANDA<\/p>\n

Left: A contemporary lithograph by Jos\u00e9 Guerrero<\/a> holds court above Napoleon III dining chairs; the tablecloth is a 19th-century cashmere shawl from Lyon.<\/p>\n

Right: Handmade enameled tableware is stacked atop Bordallo Pinheiro<\/a> cabbageware plates. The flatware is by Ishela<\/a>, and the glasses are by Carla Montes.<\/p>\n

Bedrooms\"amaro<\/p>\n

Ricardo Labougle for VERANDA<\/p>\n

In a guest bedroom, a pair of late 18th-century Portuguese Do\u00f1a Maria\u2013style beds stands among a series of botanical engravings.<\/p>\n

\"amaro<\/p>\n

Ricardo Labougle for VERANDA<\/p>\n

\"amaro<\/p>\n

Ricardo Labougle for VERANDA<\/p>\n

Left: The guest room walls are covered in Marly Verdure wallpaper by Colony<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Right: In another bedroom, a canopy bed designed by de Moya\u2019s studio is paired with custom wooden chests serving as nightstands. Headboard fabric, Gast\u00f3n y Daniela<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Bathrooms\"amaro<\/p>\n

Ricardo Labougle for VERANDA<\/p>\n

\"amaro<\/p>\n

Ricardo Labougle for VERANDA<\/p>\n

Left: A Rococo-style mirror shines atop paisley walls in the primary bath. Wallpaper, Thibaut.<\/p>\n

Right: In another bathroom, old carriage lanterns refashioned as sconces flank a 19th-century Spanish mirror. De Moya utilized Manises-style tiles (Azulejo Factory<\/a>) to integrate decorative elements into the architecture. \u201cThe floral-patterned tiles create the effect of a mural, as seen on 19th-century Portuguese facades,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Join VERANDA\u2019s Design Society\"Join<\/a>Join VERANDA\u2019s Design Society<\/p>\n

Featured in our May\/June 2025 issue. Interior and Architectural Design by Amaro S\u00e1nchez de Moya; Photography by Ricardo Labougle; Produced by Cynthia Frank; Written by Susana Ordov\u00e1s.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"3 min read \u201cMy aim was to give the property an unmistakably eclectic character, as though it had…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":880103,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[228,226,227,253217,369843,253216,334220,1240,369842,229,3179,88,265529,873,223877,369841,316394,212754],"class_list":["post-880102","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-collection-from-veranda-magazine","tag-collection-small-spaces","tag-collection-the-ultimate-house-tours-guide","tag-collection-vds-silver","tag-content-type-feature","tag-contentid-925d6e0c-b6bd-4c30-af93-2ddac617d940","tag-design","tag-displaytype-long-form-article","tag-entertainment","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-locale-us","tag-read_time-4","tag-shorttitle-step-inside-a-colorful-spanish-pied-a-terre","tag-sponsored-false","tag-subsection-house-tours"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/880102","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=880102"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/880102\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/880103"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=880102"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=880102"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=880102"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}