DLN: We are so excited to be bringing our community to Madrid. What do you love most about your city?
Isabel: I think it's a very happy city. First of all, we have beautiful weather most of the year—only in summer is it a little bit hot, but we’re not here in summer, because, you know, the Spanish we all go on vacations for a month.
DLN: Yes, that helps the happiness; we need to learn that in America.
Isabel: You have to! You only have one life. But otherwise, we have a beautiful blue sky most of the year, and we have a lot of trees. It's a very leafy city, and we have some of the best restaurants and museums.
DLN: Which are your favorites?
Isabel: Of course, I love the Prado; I am one of the Friends of the Museum and once a month we visit the museum when it is closed, which is just beautiful. I am also a Friend of the Thyssien Museum and the Reina Sofia which is wonderful for modern art. As for restaurants—it doesn’t matter where you eat, everything is good! The only fault of Madrid is that the sea is far away.
DLN: And how has being in Madrid impacted your design practice?
Isabel: We have a way of living that I can't translate and I can’t teach; it’s different than the rest of the world. We live a lot outside. We love to be in the gardens, in the patios, in the terraces—and also to take advantage of our life. We make happy houses; I make happy houses. It's an easy way of living and a happy way of living, and very familial, too: We live with big families, with a lot of daughters and sons and siblings, so we're always together, and that's very fun.
DLN: If someone has just landed for the first time in Madrid, how should they begin discovering the city?
Isabel: Walk! Go the the Royal Palace; then the Royal collections are right across the street. Walk through Old Madrid and to El Retiro Park, and into El Rastro, which is our version of the Marché aux Puces (You want to go on a Friday or Saturday instead of a Sunday, though, so it’s less crowded). Madrid is a beautiful walking city, and because there are so many trees, it’s shady, so always wonderful to walk.
DLN: Tell us about your home here.
Isabel: Well, I love my neighborhood. It's an old colonia called Cruz del Rayo. It’s like a little village. And in Madrid, we all have gardens at home, so it’s very green. In all my other houses, I had my children living with me, and dogs and friends of the children; I was surrounded. Now, they are living on their own, and I live alone with my husband—soI did what I wanted.I have all my books, a big sitting room, a drawing room with a fireplace overlooking my patio, and my dressing room, which is a dream. For once, I made the house for me.
DLN: What’s one thing you think every home should have?
Isabel: Two: a fireplace and a bathtub. Even better if they are in the same room.
DLN: What is it that you most look forward to when you come home after traveling?
Isabel: Everything! My bed, my couch, my fire, my roses and plants. But mostly, my routine. I have my cafés and shops I visit, and my Pilates class I walk to. I love returning to that after travel. The best thing, to me, is staying at home—after traveling, a weekend home is true luxury.
DLN: And what would your perfect weekend in Madrid look like?
Isabel: I would go to yoga in my neighborhood, then have brunch in one of my favorite cafes—it’s called Katz’s, like in New York. I would meet friends there, then I would have lunch with my parents, and my sisters; I have seven sisters and they are all in Madrid. In the afternoon I would play golf, or maybe play cards with my friends. Then dinner with my husband. And the next day I would go to a museum, and then I would have a siesta. That is one of the very best things in Spain.
The other wonderful thing about Madrid is that we have beautiful cities to visit close by. Segovia is wonderful, and Aranjuez, where the king and queen of Spain used to have their weekend house. There are so many places just an hour away where you can spend the day.
DLN: When you think about the influence of Spain on the rest of the world, what do you hope visitors take away?
Isabel: Well, the Arabs were in Spain for 800 years, and they left us with such beautiful gardens and patios—not to mention legacy in math and astronomy. Of course, we have the Alhambra, but there is so much more: the use of Cypress and Olive trees, the importance of gardens and water, and the scents. We inherited that all from the Arabs. I think that influence is one of the most special things that Spain has and that we have a duty to export it to the rest of the world.
And also the kitchens: We have kitchens that we use! I remember my daughter went to America and she said “Mom, they have these big kitchens and they order delivery!” We cook at home.
DLN: What is your favorite thing to cook?
Isabel: I have a recipe in my family for gnocchi with cream. It comes from Argentina because my parents spent eight years there. So whenever we are together for Christmas or any big celebration, we always have gnocchi with cream sauce.
This story is from Issue 6 of The Quarterly. Click here to see the full issue.
