Casa Miranda offers a modern holiday apartment near the coast in Istria, Slovenia

...Hello, my name is Sonja and I am the proud owner of the holiday house CASA MIRANDA in Skofije, Slovenia. Here you can see me with my husband Damir and our two children. I would like to tell you a short story about our luxurious newly renovated and modernised house, full of Istrian character and charm.

We renovated the house with a great deal of attention to detail. We exposed the old stone walls, kept some of the old windows and shutters and added a modern touch by building an elegant white extension, a pergola and a spacious terrace.

We started by removing some of the internal walls to create one big spacious living area. All the stone we removed was reused to create the stone walls and paths surrounding the garden. The use of local stone further enhanced the traditional coastal character of the house.

The living / dining room is the central part of the house. In this room we found a magnificent stone wall hidden behind the old plaster. My daughter Tina and my husband Damir, who were my main workforce, cleaned, repointed and polished the stone wall. It became the central feature of the living area. We placed a large, comfortable sofa in front of the stone wall, ideal for watching TV or socialising with friends. In the evening the sofa can be transformed into a double bed if required.

The main feature of the modern extension are wide folding doors which connect the main lounge/dining area with the spacious outside terrace and lawns. On the terrace there are table and chairs for al-fresco dining and a BBQ which can be used as gas and/or charcoal. The terrace is shaded by a pergola covered with an old climbing wisteria. For sun lovers there is plenty of space on the lawns and terrace as well as a parasol for extra shade. Next to the terrace there is a herb garden and our guests are welcome to use the herbs for cooking.

We extended and modernised the kitchen which is now well equipped for food preparation and has plenty of storage. It has a dishwasher, microwave, oven, toaster, kettle and fridge-freezer for the all important ice-cubes for Aperol Spritz or Gin-tonic. The kitchen is bright, modern and functional. It has a lovely view of green hills and the romantic illuminated night skyline of Trieste in the valley below.

One of the best features is the external stone wall of the main bedroom which gives the house rural character. We removed the plaster and cleaned the stone work. By adding wooden shutters and a wide window seat, ideal for relaxing and reading a book, we enhanced the romantic feel of the main bedroom.

The transformation of Casa Miranda from an old house to a comfortable elegant dwelling was completed with the planting of an olive tree in the garden, characteristic of the region. The tree complements the more modern features of lawns, flowers and planted mediterranean herbs.

Casa Miranda gives guests a modern comfortable clean living space, full of the character of the region. We hope every guest finds something they particularly like at Casa Miranda and will return over and over again.

100 years ago my great grandmother started to let out a mill as a holiday accommodation to rich Italian families from Trieste and other towns in Italy. Men came to the locality to hunt and their wives and children enjoyed the wonderful weather, green countryside and delicious food.

OUR APPROACH