Casa Ter

Mediterranean Country Living

With its traditional Catalan vaulted ceilings, sand-toned concrete exterior rendered with stones from the nearby River Ter, and artisanal ceramic tiles by makers from a nearby village, Casa Ter presents a two-pronged approach to design. The home is emblematic of the zero-kilometer movement where building materials are sourced locally and of the seasonal Mediterranean lifestyle lived easily between indoors and out.

A home consciously constructed to blend into its scrubby, sunny Mediterranean surroundings and create a minimal footprint, this villa for rent in Spain stands like an earthen outcropping in an evergreen stand of olive, holm oak, and pine trees. The work of Barcelona design studio Mesura, the property bears witness to the local architectural vernacular, combining the arching overhead volumes of a classic Catalan brick ceiling, a concrete exterior offset by origin-protected (yes, like a wine) ceramic tiles from the nearby village of La Bisbal, and stones from the banks of the River Ter.

Low-slung and L-shaped, the home is bisected by an open-air passage that serves as a covered dining room in warmer months, and a natural path to the garden pool that juts into the rural lot below. The pool is framed by local tiles, and these rosy rectangles also form the stairs into the water.

Mostly single-story, except for the chunky roll of the principal bedroom rising over its flat roof, the house is deeply rural, located inland from Spain’s rugged Costa Brava and topped by a planted roof of creeping sedum. The home’s standout feature is its tactile, earthy exterior walls. La Bisbal ceramic insets in the concrete create horizontal striping across the exterior, broken only by square windows of varying sizes. Wood joins the concrete and stone as an interior design element, and the overall aesthetic is warm, natural and organic.

Read more about the location of this home in our Stories section here.

AROUND

This villa for rent in Spain is named for the nearby River Ter that crosses this Catalonia region, extending from the Pyrenees to its opening into the Mediterranean Sea. The house is a five-minute walk from one of the Baix-Empordà region’s prettiest villages at the intersection of sea, mountain, and country fields. The colorful, water-crossed town of Girona is an easy drive from the house, as are the turquoise coves and secluded bays that make up the Costa Brava. 

Casa Ter was created with ceramics from the neighboring village of La Bisbal d’Empordà, the inland region’s capital and one of only five accredited World Craft Cities in Europe, and the tiles, along with stones from the Ter, give the home an authentic sense of place. Widely regarded as a ceramics capital and home to the famed Terracotta Museum, La Bisbal also offers easy access to seaside villages, unforgettable bays and fishing ports, and further afield, the town of Figueres, birthplace of artist Salvador Dalí.

Medieval villages, including the jaw-dropping town of Pal, dot the rural region. The countryside is rich with artisans and winemakers, with a long, colorful history, and many options for adventure. Guests can arrange to visit the region guided by perfumers and sailors, vintners and ceramicists, chefs and farmers, or pre-book bike, plane, or balloon adventures. 

LOCATION

Girona, Catalonia, Spain. Nearest airport: Girona

BEST TIME TO VISIT: April to October