Else Beekman
Miami and Marbella lie on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Yet when property developer Christian Schindler moved from one to the other, the change was smaller than he had expected. He had spent years developing luxury property in Miami before turning his attention to Marbella. Here, together with Dutch developer Wim Vos, he is now developing Villa Sinfonía in the hills of Sierra Blanca.
“Having lived and developed in Miami for many years, I see a natural connection with Marbella,” Schindler says. “Both attract people from around the world who come for the lifestyle, the energy and exceptional real estate.”
Both places have developed around an international and affluent population with a taste for sunshine, the sea and exclusive property. International schools, multilingual private healthcare, private banking and specialist advisers are widely available in Marbella.
There are similarities in the architecture as well, Schindler says. Lots of glass, large open spaces and terraces that form an important part of the home. Features that make sense in a climate where much of life takes place outdoors.
Up in the hills of Marbella
Dream Home Marbella
Sierra Blanca lies just above Marbella, between the Mediterranean and La Concha. The gated residential area was developed in the second half of the 1980s from what was originally a private estate. Today its green streets are lined with large villas on private plots.
Drive down the hill and within a few minutes you are on Marbella’s Golden Mile. Puente Romano, with its restaurants, bars and beach club, is around five minutes from Villa Sinfonía. Marbella’s international population is reflected in the enormous choice of places to eat and go out. Chic, traditional, simple, Michelin-starred, Asian or avant-garde, there is something for almost every taste.
Back in Sierra Blanca, behind the gates, things are quieter. From the hills the views stretch across Marbella towards the Mediterranean and on clear days even the Atlas mountains in Africa.
It is this location that Vos and Schindler chose for Villa Sinfonía.
Ten suites and a 25-metre pool
Dream Home Marbella
The villa stands on a 4,000-square-metre plot and is spread over three floors. It has ten bedroom suites, each with its own marble bathroom, and a 25-metre swimming pool in the garden. Beneath the house is parking for up to 15 cars.
The rooms are large, the ceilings high and there is plenty of glass. Inside and outside flow into each other, with terraces forming part of the living space. The house also has separate staff accommodation, wellness and entertainment areas and extensive home automation.
The developers stress that appearance was not the only consideration when designing the house. However, much grandeur it may have, they say it should first of all be a pleasant place to live.
More than 30 years of combined experience
Dream Home Marbella is the company of Wim Vos and Christian Schindler. Between them, they have more than 30 years of experience in luxury property in the Netherlands, Spain, Germany and the United States.
Vos is from the Netherlands and has developed luxury homes there as well as in Marbella. He works according to a principle he has followed for years. “Before we acquire a property, we already need to understand what it can become,” he says. “Buying is only the beginning. The real value is created through the vision and execution that follow.”
Dream Home Marbella buys the land or property itself and invests its own capital. The company then oversees the design and construction. Only when the project is finished does the sale come into the picture.
More information about Villa Sinfonía can be found on the Dream Home Marbella website
This article was produced in paid collaboration with Dream Home Marbella.
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