Old meets new. Classical meets contemporary. To call their house a mere abode would be a gross understatement in fact. From the location and positioning of their home, to the pastel colours chosen for the facade, accentuated by bright red geraniums you can easily tell that this is definitely not the run of the mill when it comes to Maltese houses.

The house, just to put you in the picture, is called Il-Palazz tal-Kontessa (The palace of the countess), and a palace it is. But not in the sense of the oft garish and overly ornate baroque and rococo ambiences generally associated with palaces.

This is a place which oozes with contemporary grandeur. Actually the word which comes to mind is taste, with more than a touch of class too. These people obviously know what they’re doing, they are A-class strategists at planning any space to the most minute of details.

Inside is another matter. If you had any shred of a doubt concerning what these home-owners did for a living, stepping into their front door would confirm any initial speculation or suspicion.

The first two rooms to greet visitors are the working studios. Here functionality and fun meet and literally embrace. The ceiling lights double up as potent fans; the skirting along the walls serves not as a decorative feature, but has rather been devised in such a way to hide all the wiring of the rooms. Books, sketches, swatches of paper and assorted paraphernalia just help give the added feel that this is where the ‘magic’ happens. Moving into the heart of their home, the eye quickly travels along a spacious corridor and settles on an open space with thick transparent glass flooring. This beautifully roofed courtyard is a quasi cloister which doubles up as a mini art-gallery. Interestingly, this space transforms into a modest dancing-floor, which can sustain the weight of some 60 people. And should anyone suffer from vertigo, a faux turf carpet is stashed away and “on call” should the need arise to hide the glass flooring.

Natural light abounds, yet it is suffused by the UV-filtering skylight, and one can only imagine the gorgeous atmosphere this place possesses at night. Needless to say, the place is pointedly punctuated with several design prototypes from their various enterprises; these eye-catching pieces often free-standing, dominate the individual spaces, and could easily be mistaken for contemporary sculptures or installations.

The eye travels further and is met by a lush green garden, complete with a green mosaic swimming-pool, just the right garden furniture and standing lamps – all of which merge perfectly into the natural surroundings whilst simultaneously complementing the overall ambience.

The house is moreover divided into segments, the formal entertaining part on the ground floor comprises a gorgeous wet bar/small sitting room alongside a formal dining room, off of which a children’s room was planned for their ‘younger’ guests. Upstairs however, a much larger sitting room and adjacent library clad with antiques and contemporary pieces alike, establish a true note of excellence the likes of which are only seen in historic house museums.

The kitchen on the other hand, is a spectacle – a haven for any gadget or electric appliance connoisseur. Although it is the room where function prevails, form has definitely not been compromised or sacrificed – even a top chef would have a fieldtrip given the run of such a space.

Their home also boasts an elevator, an ample basement, a sauna, a wine-cellar, a meditation room, walk-in closets and a wonderfully tranquil conservatory-cum-dining area.

All the while the A to Z of the household ensures complete security, child friendliness, and energy efficiency, without compromising on the entertainment, fun, style and cutting-edge design.

The Palace of the Countess - Luxurious Villa on Malta - View this property for all details >>

Posted By: Peter Rabitz

According to a recently published study by Forbes, European country of Austria is the best retirement haven. Forbes also states that there is no overall paradise and each country is unique. The ranking is based on a variety of criteria ranging from safety to retiree-friendly visa requirements to decent medical care. Earlier this year, Vienna already gained first place in a ranking for cities offering the best quality of lifestyle so the country’s ranking doesn’t come by surprise. Austria scores with high standards in lifestyle and medical service. The countries private clinics are world-class. The charming architecture in Vienna impresses thousands of tourists each year and some choose the city to stay there for a longer time. Thailand holds the second position for being the best place for retirees considering its comfortable warm climate and best buys for quality health care at reasonable cost within Asia. Thailand is perfect for living on modest budgets. Thailand also features great upscale living with exciting architecture. Dolce Vita in Bella Italia makes Italy come in third. Without a doubt, Italy is well known for its famous food with its olive oil, grilled vegetables and homemade pasta as well as all the beautiful cities with its old and charming architecture, but what is quite new to me, it also scored with the less known fact that it is supposed to have one of the world’s best health care systems. One of the most sought-after regions to life is Tuscany with its famous Tuscan style villas and farm houses. The unappreciated 4th place is taken by Panama. Well known for its low taxes, the country also offers year-round sun, massive discounts for seniors, quality private hospitals, a dollar economy and great accessibility from the US and Europe. Panama City is also considered safest of all Central American cities and last but not least it’s a great business centre in Central America not only because of the famous Panama Canal. Real estate is considered good deal with high standards. The list of the 10 Best Retirement Havens is continued by Ireland, Australia, France, Malaysia, Spain and Canada. I am just wondering what place Switzerland comes in, but maybe the overall quite higher cost of living are the fault to have Switzerland not making it in the top ten.

Posted By: Peter Rabitz

Owner / CEO of Wetag Consulting Immobiliare
Ueli Schnorf owns Wetag Consulting Immobiliare together with his business partner Peter Albrecht and serves as CEO for Wetag. He holds a University of Zurich degree (Master of Arts) in Economic History.
Ueli bought Wetag Consulting in 1997 together with his business partner and developed the 30 year old Wetag Company into the leading luxury real estate broker of Southern Switzerland. Wetag has offices in Locarno, Lugano and Ascona. With his tremendous work ethics, real estate knowledge and great feel for luxury living, Ueli Schnorf and his partner transformed the company not only to leader in luxury real estate but also to a great source and well informed experts of fine living with a Mediterranean touch on the south side of the Alps.

See a video introduction below:

With 7 of 10 positions, European cities dominate the ranking for cities offering the best quality of lifestyle world wide. Swiss cities Zurich and Geneva almost retaining last year’s ranking and scores and hold position two and three while Vienna moved up one position from 2nd to 1st this year. The survey released by the Mercer consultancy last month cited not just Vienna’s affordability but also its improved political and social environment, its safety record, leisure offerings, cleanliness and excellent infrastructure as reasons for its top quality-of-life ranking, which put it ahead of Zurich, Switzerland, for the first time. The real estate market of Vienna is quite stable and in some city quarters prices are even climbed up. The quality of real estate belongs to one of the best within Europe. There are beautiful restored apartment buildings offering great living in top of the line renovated flats. Crown moldings, parquet floors, central heating and all modern amenities are only a few of the high standards to mention here. Neighborhoods like Grinzing and Hietzing are amongst the most sought-after living quarter in Vienna and feature beautiful mansions and villas offering the highest comfort and quality of life.

Source: Mercer Consultancy, Financial Times, Citymajors.com

Posted By: Peter Rabitz

While winter is hitting central Europe and even parts of Europe like the UK, where this kind of winter weather is very unusual, people might dream of sunny beaches, blue skies and start to think about where their holidays will be spent, or even buying a second home where they can escape such weather when they want.

There are many places in the world where it seems nice to spend your time and money, but only a few are worth it to think about. Great accessibility, stunning vacation lifestyle and service throughout are the key facts for the most of us. The Caribbean will be almost every ones first thought. One of my favourites in the Caribbean is Dellis Cay; a well designed and often reported about development on a beautiful island of the Turks and Caicos. A few of the most recognized architects of theses days, like Piero Lissoni, Shigeru Ban, Zaha Hadid and David Chipperfield, just to name a few, have been invited to design beach front villas, over water villas and resort residences. All feature each architect’s own style, far beyond the traditional Caribbean style and this development is to be one of the, if not, the, most outstanding Caribbean luxury development by far.

In contrast, I would like to mention Roko Ki on the Dominican Republic Island. The brand new development, launched in 2007 and soon to be open, is one of the most beautiful new resort developments in the Dominican Republic. Toped by the Westin® Roco Ki Beach & Golf Resort, featuring a Nick Faldo design golf course which was awarded as one of the “Best New International Course of 2008”, this eco-friendly development is nicely sited at one of the most beautiful spots on the east cost of the island. After completion, Roko Ki will be home to a few lucky people who’ve decided to own an oasis from it all on this beautiful island.

Posted By: Peter Rabitz

Marrakech - with its exotic riads in the Medina or its numerous supersized luxurious villas in the Palmarei around the city - didn’t loose its charm to foreigners. The Medina, as the old town is known, is bustling with colourful life, vibrating with exotic sounds and is exploding with alluring perfumes from those oceans of activity – the souks.

Many of the sumptuous villas by the old-established foreign community, including Bled Targui, owned by Princess Henrietta von Auersperg, and Le Verger de l’Etoile Filante (Orchard of the Shooting Star), which belongs to Frederick Vreeland, the former United States Ambassador and son of Diana Vreeland, the famed fashion-setter and Editor of Vogue are changing hands to a new but not less elitist scene of Morocco lovers such as Jasper Conrad and Ralph Lauren.

Properties combine the best of European refinement, American comfort and Moorish culture. A very exclusive and rare example is riad “The Secret” or a very fashionable riad just around the corner. Both are fine examples of a great mixture of traditional architecture and design, enhanced by modern components and luxurious details. Even you don’t want to buy a property in Marrakech – you need to visit this dream of The Thousand and One Nights.

Source: Times Online by Celia Brayfield

Posted By: Peter Rabitz