Veronica Schmidt describes her family's home on the Costa del Sol as "an Andalusian paradise". The children's author adds: "When I first walked through the door of this estate, I gasped at the sight of the walls covered with blooms, as if it were straight out of my story The Kingdom of Flowers."
Of course, this being Marbella, there's plenty of glamour mixed in with the magic. When it was built in 1968, the villa stood alone at the foot of the Sierra Blanca mountains, but today it looks out over millionaire's playground the Golden Mile.
In its first decades, it witnessed what was once a pretty village take off as a jetset destination, and was itself the venue for many of that era's legendary parties. If history is all part of the house's charm, so of course is the climate.
For Veronica and her husband Michael, whose MHS Group of luxury car companies spans Austria, Germany and Romania, the sunshine is a huge draw. "We come here in summer and in winter, as well as during our 12-year-old daughter Anne-Kathrin's school holidays in autumn and spring. Funnily enough, my favourite season here is winter," Veronica says.
You're from Moldova and Michael is from Romania. What first brought you to Marbella, Veronica?
"We decided to spend our summer holidays at the iconic Marbella Club, which we loved because of the warmth of its Andalusian style. I said to my husband: 'Sometimes luxury is hidden in simplicity.'"
Then in 2016, you bought this house. How did you find it?
"As we explored the town with a local driver, we started talking to him about architecture, and I said I preferred the original low whitewashed houses because I appreciated their authenticity, untouched by the modern world. He told me there wasn't much of that style left, but he knew that one of the older villas was for sale."
Was it love at first sight?
"Yes. Something awoke memories of my childhood home, and although it’s a real contrast with our baroque-style house in Vienna, and even more so with our modern place in Bucharest, the appeal was undeniable.
"Suddenly, I felt the urge to escape and immerse myself in this Andalusian fairy tale. I asked Michael to come to see it, and he understood completely. I never want to leave this place."
Your debut book, a collection of stories you wrote for Anne-Kathrin, is called A Mother and Daughter’s World of Enchantment. Do you find inspiration here?
"Yes. In fact, when I first walked through the door of this estate, I gasped at the sight of the walls covered with blooms, as if it were straight out of my story The Kingdom of Flowers."
Share with us the history of the villa...
"Originally, it had a lot more land, and was what in Andalusia is calleda finca. I found some gorgeous photos of the owners having breakfast with their horses – there's one unforgettable image of a horse with an orange in its mouth leaning through the kitchen window!
"The family also held some of the biggest parties on the Costa del Sol, full of celebrities and artists. Maybe the reason the villa's energy is so positive is because of those wonderful people who lived here. When I finished the renovation, I made a point of inviting them to dinner."
How much time do you spend here?
"Two months a year: one month in summer and two weeks in winter, as well as Anne-Kathrin's school holidays in autumn and spring. Funnily enough, my favourite season in Marbella is winter, because the temperature never drops below 17 degrees and the city enjoys 320 sunny days a year."
"Compared with the cold of Vienna, I always long for warm, green and blooming Marbella, where the leaves never leave the trees and I can pick bouquets of roses every morning. Flowers are one of my great loves."
In fact, you've opened a design store in Vienna named Fleurs & Maison. How did your twin passions for homes and gardens play out here?
"When designing the interior, I used natural materials, to preserve the original style and atmosphere. Artisans from Seville gave an antique effect to the stone floors. There are colourful handmade Andalusian wall tiles and a lot of the furniture is wooden.
"As for the garden, we have flowering trees as well as palms, citruses, figs, mangoes and olives. Then there are lavender and Moroccan roses; and behind a greenwall of oleanders, we’ve planted a sail-shaped vegetable patch, inspired by one of our walks around the harbour."
Can you tell us something about what you like most about Marbella?
"While walking along the promenade recently, I saw a pod of dolphins swimming very close to the shore. I think that says a lot about these beautiful beaches. The lively nights eating paella feel like an endless celebration. You can hike in the mountains, explore the old town or browse the luxury boutiques in Puerto Banús.
"And of course Marbella has an amazing food market; it's impossible to resist cooking up dishes for family and friends with the fresh seafood you can buy there."
You and Michael have so many projects. But somehow you're also finding time for your charitable foundation, which is focused on his Transylvanian homeland...
"As a family, we dovetail our professional and personal goals. We created the M&V Schmidt Foundation to preserve the German Saxon heritage of Transylvania. For my part, I've been involved in restoring original Saxon houses, transforming them into charming guesthouses.
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"Every summer, our foundation organises Haferland Week to honour the rich history and beauty of the Haferland region, collaborating this year for the first time with the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Romania.
"It’s also worth noting that King Charles III has given a lot of support to Transylvania, making regular visits and conserving traditional buildings."