Casa da Lila in the historic old town of Silves in southern Portugal is full of surprises. Hidden behind its modest traditional façade, you will find contemporary architecture and an exquisite interior. What at first appears to be a small single-storey house, turns out to be a spacious three-level home offering spectacular views across the city and the surrounding hills.
Dating back to the 1950s, the decaying town house was almost completely rebuilt. The rooms on the garden side of all three levels open through large windows onto sun-drenched terraces. The ground floor houses the living room and kitchen as well as a multi-purpose room which can be also used as a bedroom. A staircase of polished concrete leads down to a garden-level bedroom and a terrace with plunge pool and outdoor shower. An open wooden staircase leads up to another bedroom on the upper floor. The attached lounge-terrace features a small outdoor kitchen. A great deal of thought was put into Casa da Lila’s interior design. The hand-made tiles and furnishings that include selected vintage pieces by renowned designers, the lighting design and impressive technological features: every detail has been carefully considered and artfully executed.
What to do
Golf, restaurants, nearby beaches, shopping, art & culture (Silves features a museum castle and cathedral), markets, hiking, water sports and boating.
Why we like this house
A cool town house in the historic old town of Silves - complete with amazing views.
This house is great for
For small groups and families with older children. Due to its open staircases and terraces the house is not suitable for small children
Owner
We are Herman and Angela, a Dutch- Brazilian couple. The little girl in the photo is our little princess, Isabella.
We love the Algarve. We love its weather, nature, golf, beaches, food, wine and above all its people. We are passionate about architecture and interior design. We also wanted to do something back for Portugal, investing in Casa da Lila, sourcing only Portuguese materials. And we also wanted to make Silves just a little bit more beautiful...
Details
| Region | PT – Portugal, Algarve, Silves |
| Name | Casa da Lila |
| Scenery | in the centre of a small town |
| Number of guests | three bedrooms, up to 6 people |
| Completed | 2016 |
| Design | studio arte, Portimão (Architect: João Carrico, Creative Director: Arnold Aarssen), Interior Design: Herman Koppe & Angela Galvão |
| Published | archello.com, Book A-DETAIL #5, Book "Architecture today houses" 2017, TV report from RTP3 / RTP Internacional, 4/2017 |
| Architecture | Modern, Old & new |
| Accomodation | House |
| Criteria | 1-2 (house/apartment), 1-4 (house/apartment), 1-6 (house/apartment), Family, Golf, Pool, Sea, Urban |
Availability calendar
The calendar shows the current availability of the accommodation. On days with white background the accommodation is still available. On days with dark gray background the accommodation is not available.
What a lovely place, we felt so much at home, everything you could wish for was there! The interior is beautiful and when our family visited us for some day during the holiday there was more than enough space and privacy for all 5 of us. The location of the house in Silves is very central you can visit from there the whole of the Algarve easily. A place to go back for!
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Casa da Lila is simply amazing… I have had the pleasure of staying in many beautiful houses around the world and this tops them all! Not only is the house itself an architectural pleasure, but the attention to detail on the interior is just fabulous. I spent most of time smiling to myself and reflecting on how fortunate I was to be staying here. The house is as luxurious as can be, with more TV channels (including premium sports) than you imagined existed and it’s very own DVD-player room. The dipping pool is also a pleasure amongst pleasures as is the fact you have 3 private outdoor spaces to choose from.
The house is within 5 minutes walk of everything you need in Silves. The town is extremely quiet and perfect for a stroll. The piri-piri chicken restaurant close to the bridge is recommended as is Cafe Ingles. There is also a small supermarket nearby and a bigger one just about within walking distance.
I thoroughly enjoyed my stay here – it was perfect: the most peaceful of breaks imaginable.
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My wife and I have traveled quite extensively and can say without a doubt that this was the best stay of our lives.
The property is absolutely stunning, somehow pictures don’t do it justice. Perfectly situated about 15 minutes from most of the best beaches in the Algarve however you get to spend your time away from the crowds in the beautiful quiet town of Silves.
Without question staying here was the highlight of our trip. The house is very modern and incredibly comfortable. The plunge pool is perfect on a hot day and the terraces offer views that are breathtaking.
If you have booked a stay here you are very lucky, if you have not you should do so immediately.
Herman was incredibly helpful throughout the process and always responded back promptly. We ended up having to alter the time of our stay and Herman graciously accommodated us.
A truly unforgettable experience.
Luke Roffe
Southport, United States
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Meine Frau und ich verbrachten die ersten beiden Juni-Wochen 2017 im “Casa da Lila” und waren restlos begeistert! Schöner Ort, wirklich wunderschönes Ferienhaus und beste Betreuung durch Natalie!
Eignet sich hervorragend vom Standort um die gesamte Algarve und das Hinterland zu erkunden. Wir kommen wieder!
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We had such a wonderful time in this special house. The house is perfect, comfortable, beautifully designed, clean and very luxurous. Suitable for 6 persons, intimate enough for 2 as well. Warme welcomed by Nathalia, who gave us a lot of good tips for exploring the region.
The evironment is stunning, there is so much to see and do! We loved it!
Silves is a town where it seems if time has stood still…. it is so quite and authentic and still very attractive, lot of good restaurants and very friendly local people. Away from it all and far away from the horrible tourist places like Albufeira.
As far as we are concerned a must do and must see, this lovely Casa da Lila in Silves with its wonderful views!
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