Infinita - Six Chambres Villa, Couchages 12

Exemplary contemporary design, functional ingenuity and stylistic cohesion combine at this splendid home with infinity pool and restful sea views.

According to the great Le Corbusier, "space and light and order" are fundamental not only to successful architecture, but to life itself. Infinita, designed by Gordon Guillaumier, excels on all three counts: its generously proportioned interiors flow out onto ample, multi-dimensional terraces; Sicily’s prodigious sun is artfully regulated and rationed; and the aesthetic logic of the overall design ensures that beauty is balanced by perfect practicality.

Inside: Infinita is an outstanding example of subtle, understated contemporary design. Spaces are well defined, yet open, cool but convivial. Polished concrete floors flow organically onto the terraces, and raw concrete ceilings extend out to become shade-giving geometric structures.

Exquisitely crafted wooden cabinetry (whose gently burnished, golden-brown sheen echoes the polish of the floors), walls of rectangular ceramic tiles laid vertically (a design motif that appears throughout the house), and an abundance of curtains (in the bedrooms) temper the concrete with soft colours and nuanced textures. As if rooting the house in its context, each bedroom features black and white images of the Sicilian countryside by Salvo Alibrio, a young photographer from nearby Palazzolo Acreide who was recently chosen by Dolce & Gabbana to work on one of their advertising campaigns.

The low-key, subtle aesthetic of Infinita’s architecture has been conceived as a foil to the splendour of the Sicilian sun and the virtuosity of the views, which, courtesy of sliding glass walls, encompass the variegated greens of the Val di Noto’s rolling Arcadian countryside, the neighbouring vineyards, and the vibrant, soul-lifting blues of the sea and the sky.

Accommodation at Infinita is spread over a main house and three guests suites that are accessed externally. At the hub of the main house is a generously proportioned communal area that is divided by a tiled partition wall - vertical pink tiles on the living area side, horizontal aquamarine tiles on the kitchen and dining side. The living area is comfortably furnished with designer sofas and accent chairs. The beautifully designed, bespoke kitchen is a joy for keen cooks and professional chefs alike and is wonderfully equipped. A dining table seating 12 makes this space very sociable. Sliding glass walls in both the living area and the kitchen-diner bring in the glorious views and allow for a seamless indoor-outdoor lifestyle.

Behind the kitchen is a suite of practical service rooms, including a utility space, a laundry and a guest WC.

A corridor running off the living area leads to three of Infinita's six bedrooms:

• the principal bedroom, a double with walk-through wardrobes, an en-suite bathroom with separate shower and tub, direct access to the surrounding terraces and super sea views
• two more double bedrooms divided by a shared shower room. One has garden views and direct access to the surrounding terraces

The fourth bedroom at Infinita is accessed externally from one end of the pool area (about 20m from the main house). Accessed from its own private terrace, this room features a centrally positioned double bed and an en-suite shower room.

Last but not least are the two final bedrooms, which are accessed via a smooth, sculptural flight of concrete steps that lead down to below the pool. Both are doubles with en-suite shower rooms.

Outside: as mentioned in the section above, Infinita's al fresco areas are a seamless continuation of the interiors, both in terms of design and materials.

Just outside the kitchen, dividing the house from the main al fresco area, is a wide wooden boardwalk that extends out beyond the pool to a cantilevered belvedere suspended above the grounds below.

To the left is a long, panoramic sea-view terrace accessed from the living and dining areas and from the principal bedroom. To the right is the phenomenal pool area, which has, like the rest of the house, been conceived with both pleasure and practicality in mind. Sitting below an open-to-the-skies sculptural rectangle of concrete, and backed by a wall of warm sandy stone, is a luxuriously furnished sitting area, adorned with flashes of emerald foliage, and a convivial dining area.

The pool itself is a thing of beauty, 16 metres long and with a smooth concrete infinity edge that offers swimmers superb views out over the surrounding countryside and out to sea. At one end is a solarium area, equipped with sunloungers, and it is from near here that one accesses the first of the external bedrooms (which has its own private terrace).

The practical element of the pool area comes with a trio of connected cubes whose exterior walls have been artfully decorated ceramic tiles running in blue and white diagonals. In the first, is a WC, in the second a changing room, and in the third an open-topped shower room with double showers. A wide niche on one of the sides is home to a plancha grill and sink.

Infinita's grounds extend to nearly 20 acres, and guests are welcome to explore them at their leisure.

Infinita features a fantastic infinity pool, offering swimmers stunning views while in the pool. There is a drop off the infinity side so we recommend children are supervised at all times. Please refer to our general safety page if you would like more information about infinity pools.

Please note that there is no real shallow end in the pool, whose minimum depth is over 1.3m.

Due to the nature of the property including terraces low walls and several drops around the grounds, children must be supervised at all times.

The final section of the access road to Infinita is a little rough, so we recommend guests hire a 4x4 or one with excellent ground clearance.
Infinita occupies a fabulously panoramic position in rolling hills just outside the fascinating baroque town of Noto and close to the beautiful nature reserve of Vendicari.

Noto is the most easterly of a chain of baroque towns now protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is perhaps the most perfect of all and was rebuilt in flamboyant style following a major earthquake in 1693.

Vendicari Nature Reserve boasts some of the finest sandy beaches in Sicily, some of which are pleasingly under populated even in the height of summer. Vendicari is also home to thousands of migrating birds, including flamingos, and sea turtles nest on its beaches.

If hiking in the hills is your thing, then there is some spectacular scenery in the rushing streams and waterfalls of Cassibile and at the Paleolithic burial sites in the dramatic valley of Pantalica.

Syracuse is just half an hour's drive away, and a day there is highly recommended to anybody spending time at Infinita. A little further afield, the other baroque towns of Modica, Ragusa, Scicli, and Palazzolo Acreide (this latter with an impressive Greek archaeological site) are all easily reachable.

Arrival details will be confirmed by The Thinking Traveller after your villa is confirmed.

The Thinking Traveller can organise transfers and car hire and an agent will be in touch with you once your villa is confirmed.