San Pawl Tat Targa is one of Malta’s most sought after residential locations. An existing client approached us looking to reinterpret the interior and garden space of a relatively compact ground floor maisonette.

Our client was considering renting the property or even potentially living in it, but felt it needed a new design interpretation that could lift the overall experience of the maisonette. Whilst the space wasn’t too large, we could see the possibilities in it – so we explored ways that could keep a sense of openness but infuse it with originality.

We felt that the use of natural materials, such as timber could create a warm and inviting feel and help us to effectively segregate the rooms even though the kitchen especially was open plan. We designed the kitchen area with a pastel wood that helped the space feel light but solid. We lifted this wood from the kitchen cabinets and detailed it onto the ceiling over the kitchen area and clad the walls in the same material. This was paired with a blue coloured wood for the front of the cabinets, also pastel to be both neutral and complimentary. These same woods and colour schemes were taken into the bedroom for consistency – giving the maisonette a design purity through the removal of strong colours and altering styles in each room.

We wanted to avoid bland walls, instead giving the space some life through unusual box styled wall panels – creating a feature to be enjoyed in the kitchen and bedrooms alike. These were complimented with pastel wallpaper on the walls in vertical and rectangular designs. Large concrete floor tiles added a touch of contemporary style. We dropped down large circular globe styled light bulbs in the kitchen, giving the eye unusual levels to rest on and enjoy.

Using timber in its natural state really gave this maisonette a fresh upgrade. The client loved the end result to such an extent, they felt it was almost too nice to be placed on the rental market.

In our opinion interior design isn’t about just rethinking space for the sake of it, following fads that client would grow tired of quickly. It’s about finding ways for the space to have a new character that welcomes and inspires for the foreseeable future.