When renovating her new property in Birgu, Eliza Costabel faced two challenges. The first was ensuring the house, parts of which date back to the 1500s, kept its character whilst at the same time making it a home for modern times. The second was turning a space with a width of just 2.5 metres into a place that felt spacious and comfortable. She overcame both challenges with aplomb, and today the four-storey house has been transformed from a dark and stuffy property into one that is filled with light and air and has a wonderfully relaxing and tranquil mood about it. Having lived most of her life overseas, in particular in North and East Africa, the U.S., and the Far East, Eliza’s home is also decorated with lovely objects from around the world that add interest and charm. Getting to this point wasn’t easy, though, especially with the challenges of doing major conversion works in a space so tight. She and her fiance’ Alberto went through three contractors which stretched a six-month renovation to over a year. ‘The first contractors unfortunately let us down,’ she says. ‘The third was Nino Marotta and he was our saviour. I call him an artist builder; he puts passion into whatever he does, not just the building but also the finishes and details.’ As well as being owner of landscape company, The Garden Studio, Eliza is also an interior architect so she was clear about what needed to be done to make the property liveable for herself and Alberto. ‘None of the back rooms had ventilation or natural light and were very dark and damp so we demolished the back part of these and inserted an open shaft that stretches from the first floor to the top of the house,’ she says. ‘This way all the rear rooms either have a skylight or window that opens onto the shaft which brings ventilation and light throughout the house.’ Although narrow, the ground and first floors had lovely high ceilings and arches which were left untouched. However, to find space for the bedroom, on the second floor, a loft was built above the first floor living room, and throughout the house she demolished walls, ceilings and rearranged room accesses to open up the spaces and make them code compliant. Despite the major works, the character of the house has been kept, from the soaring ceiling arches to the elegant spiral stone staircase between the ground and first floors, and the original stone walls. The latter, though, have been tempered with sleek white plastered gypsum panels that cloak the lower half of the walls in the main rooms. ‘This counterbalances the stone and prevents the rooms from having a “cave effect”,’ explains Eliza. ‘And I think this style suits Maltese houses of character because it allows the stone to reign supreme, but without a feeling of claustrophobia.’ The all-white scheme is also crucial in creating the home’s ‘warm minimalist feel’ as Eliza calls it. The colour palette has been kept deliberately neutral and natural materials dominate, from wood that has either been left natural or white-washed with chalk paint, to fabrics of burlap and linen along with rugs of sisal and jute. ‘This house reflects my minimalist taste, my love of nature and international background, but I think it is also what most suits the architecture of this tiny house,’ she says. Plants play a part too, of course. ‘I have put in each space as much greenery as makes sense to have,’ says Eliza. ‘Together it’s a real antidote to the heat and congestion of Malta. I wanted a house with a relaxing resort-vibe all year round, a place that is restful to the mind and the spirit.’
The custom-made sofa is made not just for lounging - it can also be a bed for guests. The last section is detachable and can be moved around as a pouffe. The white panel, as well as
counter-balancing the stone, conceals LED strip uplighters which, when on, accentuate the texture of the stone walls above. The materials, with the natural and neutral palette, are the perfect backdrop for the Moroccan brass plate on the wall, the metallic sheen adding a warming touch. The timber ceiling and beams have been whitewashed to accentuate the lightness
Dining Area
At one end of the living room is a small Carrara marble bistro-style dining table that seats four. ‘The house is designed for two people to live in, with a maximum of two guests,’ says Eliza. The two chairs were her grandmother’s and have been reupholstered and re-painted by Shabby-Chic. ‘I didn’t want four chairs around a table so instead there is a two-seater bench of solid mango wood,’ says Eliza
Kitchen
On the ground floor, the kitchen is full of light thanks to the skylight at the far end. Instead of a clear sheet of glass, Eliza has decorated it with the stalks of sisal plant, bought when she was in Kenya. The smooth white kitchen units contrast the walls and enhance the light, and ladder-style shelving gives extra storage without cluttering the space. The original arched niche at the back, perhaps once an oven, is now cleverly converted into shelving and breakfast counter. Old chemistry beakers are used as vases. The gold wire stools are from Loft
Kitchen
On the ground floor, the kitchen is full of light thanks to the skylight at the far end. Instead of a clear sheet of glass, Eliza has decorated it with the stalks of sisal plant, bought when she was in Kenya. The smooth white kitchen units contrast the walls and enhance the light, and ladder-style shelving gives extra storage without cluttering the space. The original arched niche at the back, perhaps once an oven, is now cleverly converted into shelving and breakfast counter. Old chemistry beakers are used as vases. The gold wire stools are from Loft
Kitchen
On the ground floor, the kitchen is full of light thanks to the skylight at the far end. Instead of a clear sheet of glass, Eliza has decorated it with the stalks of sisal plant, bought when she was in Kenya. The smooth white kitchen units contrast the walls and enhance the light, and ladder-style shelving gives extra storage without cluttering the space. The original arched niche at the back, perhaps once an oven, is now cleverly converted into shelving and breakfast counter. Old chemistry beakers are used as vases. The gold wire stools are from Loft
Open shaft
Light is supplied to the rear of the house through an open shaft running from the roof to the lower floors, three stories below
Staircase
The view from the first floor, the new metal steps leading to the roof terrace
Staircase
The view from the first floor, the new metal steps leading to the roof terrace
Bedroom
In the new loft that is the bedroom, one wall had to be chiselled out to create a 15mm niche so that once the bed was installed, there was room to move around. The Faro Barcelona wall lamps are multi-purpose - ambient and reading lights but also a shelf and a USB charging point - making them
perfect for a small space. Eliza did not want any doors to keep the flow of light and air throughout the house. Instead, she has used two mango tree trunks as pillars to define the space. Here, as between other
rooms, there is a curtain that can be drawn across to keep the room warm or cool
Bedroom
In the new loft that is the bedroom, one wall had to be chiselled out to create a 15mm niche so that once the bed was installed, there was room to move around. The Faro Barcelona wall lamps are multi-purpose - ambient and reading lights but also a shelf and a USB charging point - making them
perfect for a small space. Eliza did not want any doors to keep the flow of light and air throughout the house. Instead, she has used two mango tree trunks as pillars to define the space. Here, as between other
rooms, there is a curtain that can be drawn across to keep the room warm or cool
Bedroom entrance
Walk-in Wardrobe
While the bedroom has storage
drawers, the couple’s clothes are in a good-sized walk-in wardrobe. The lamp is Taccia by Flos
Walk-in Wardrobe
While the bedroom has storage
drawers, the couple’s clothes are in a good-sized walk-in wardrobe. The lamp is Taccia by Flos
Entrance to Bathroom
This is the only room to have doors for privacy, and these are a pair of old Indian doors bought from a market in Mombasa onto which Eliza has had the dotted pattern found in Maltese prehistoric temples hand-chiselled on by a local artisan.
Entrance to Bathroom
This is the only room to have doors for privacy, and these are a pair of old Indian doors bought from a market in Mombasa onto which Eliza has had the dotted pattern found in Maltese prehistoric temples hand-chiselled on by a local artisan.
Bathroom
Inside the bathroom, the floor and walls are of micro-cement in a warm, grey shade. ‘I didn’t want any grout lines anywhere in the house to keep the design as minimal and uncluttered as possible’ says Eliza
Bathroom
Bathroom
Inside the bathroom, the floor and walls are of micro-cement in a warm, grey shade. ‘I didn’t want any grout lines anywhere in the house to keep the design as minimal and uncluttered as possible’ says Eliza
Bathroom
Ornate wooden doors conceal the deep storage space
Bathroom
The shower stall is fully rendered using micro-cement
Study
Despite the small size of the
property, Eliza managed to fit in a good-sized study. ‘In this small space we have achieved all the rooms we needed - an entrance, a kitchen, a living room, a bedroom, bathroom, a walk-in wardrobe, a home-office, as
well as a roof terrace,’ she says
Roof Terrace
The roof terrace has been made
into an outdoor living room which is a lovely place to be, especially at the end of the day
The built-in seating is of Tanzanian teak and the fence is made from sisal stalks, their
wavy shape throwing interesting shadows on the ground. The ornamental grasses and sun-loving plants at the back add privacy and refreshing green
Stairwell
The original stone stairs between the ground and first floor are unusually wide and beautiful.
Stairwell
Half way up, the chase from the original pipework, has been kept and turned into a light feature.
Entrance
Eliza kept the lovely arched ceilings, which date back to the
1500s, to create an eye-catching entrance. ‘I wanted the first impression of the house to have that “wow!” effect,’ she says. ‘It is the business card of the house.’ The sleek white half-wall, made of gypsum and painted, is a lighter contrast to the stone walls. Furniture is kept to a minimum and practical. The enormous Monstera plant and
tropical underplanting in an extra-large Tunisian pot adds to the effect