Space, beach and mountains. Although just 25 kilometres from Barcelona, the peaceful little town of Cabrils in the Maresme seems a far cry from the buzz of the city. It’s here that British couple Carrie Frais and Tom Maidment have set up home with their children Poppy, 10, and Bertie, 8, and cats Wallace and Maggie.
Carrie and Tom met at a mutual friend’s wedding in London while Carrie was working as a broadcast journalist and Tom in sports marketing. “We discovered a common passion for Spain, having both studied Spanish at university,” explained Carrie. Just a year later Carrie and Tom were living together in a small but charming flat in the Born, and within three years they were married. During this time, they were commuting to London every week for work. Everything changed, however, when Carrie got pregnant in 2007. “It wasn’t feasible to carry on with our jet-setting lifestyle,” she said. Ready for a career change, Carrie launched Mumabroad.com, a resource which offers advice and recommendations for expat parents in English.
Keen to find a bigger place with outside space close to the city, they stumbled on the Maresme, the wine region to the north of Barcelona, boasting 50 kilometres of beautiful coastline. The couple moved to Alella then Masnou where they lived for four years, enjoying the quality of life. “I love that I can be sipping a beer on the beach one weekend and hit the ski slopes of the Pyrenees the next,” said Carrie.
When Carrie and Tom decided to buy their own place, they were set on the Maresme but thought Cabrils seemed too remote and inaccessible. When they stepped foot onto the beautiful grounds of this three-storey property, however, their perception changed. “It was like a whole new world opened up to us and we instantly fell in love with the place.”
Sitting on a wooded hillside with sweeping views of Parc de la Serralada Litoral, a mature garden and a swimming pool, the Sixties five-bedroom property is an oasis of calm. Inside, the bright and airy space has a certain British charm, with vintage floral wallpaper in the downstairs bathroom and traditional wood fixtures in the kitchen. “It reminds me of the house I grew up in,” mused Carrie.
Carrie described her design style as eclectic. “I don’t like minimalism. I prefer a lived-in feel with a mishmash of furniture and splashes of colour. Plus if you have children and cats, you can’t be fussy about things being perfect!”
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In the dining room, the large, rustic wooden table was made by a friend. An oversized vintage globe sits in the corner and an assortment of pots and decanters fill the duck egg blue dresser. In the living room, family photographs sit proudly on every available surface from the fireplace to a timeless treasure chest, and paintings accumulated from various adventures adorn the pale yellow walls. It’s these small touches which give the place its cosy feel.
From the balcony of the spacious master bedroom, you can see from the mountains to the sea and look down at the lush garden and pool area. It’s clear that the outside of the house is the real star of this show. A hammock hanging next to the pool is the perfect shady spot to relax with a book whilst two deck chairs are strategically placed to soak up the sun. The outdoor space extends around the back of the house, where the family host barbecues on the patio throughout the summer. “Having all this in your daily life is just incredible,” said Carrie.
When asked if she’d ever like to move back to England, she shook her head. Sitting on one of the numerous balconies as sunshine streams into the garden, it’s easy to see why.