Inside actress Macarena Gómez’s ‘Narnia’-style Spanish millhouse with husband Aldo Comas

Five years ago, Macarena Gómez and Aldo Comas left Barcelona in search of a calmer way of life for themselves and their young son Dante. Since then, the artistic couple haven’t looked back, settling in the picturesque Alt Empordà region just south of the Pyrenees in northern Spain.

Here, they’ve converted a 17th-century millhouse – once their holiday home – into a full-time abode, a colourful, comfortable hub for their creative talents. With plenty of space and a riverside location, it’s also where they love to hike and ride, grow their own food and, above all, share their lives with an ever-expanding menagerie of animal friends, including a llama, alpacas, horses, dogs, peacocks and a parrot.

As they invite us inside, actress and producer Macarena and her husband, a painter and singer, tell us that this is where their happiness is most complete.

As she puts it: ”This is our retreat, our secret place, our Narnia… a lost paradise and a space for inspiration where time doesn’t exist, guided instead by the seasons and nature.”

Aldo, tell us how you and Macarena met…

A: ”I was travelling alone through South America while Macarena was there shooting 2010 comedy thriller Neon Flesh. We met in a bar in Buenos Aires; I told her that she looked like Wednesday Addams and we got talking. We didn’t see each other again until I played a concert in Madrid with my band San Leon and she appeared in the audience. We fell in love that same day.”

Would you say that you’re united by creativity?

A: ”Totally. We’re two creative people who complement and nurture each other in whatever we do, from choosing co-ordinating looks for a red-carpet appearance to our artistic projects.”

Moving here was a shared adventure. What motivated you?

A: ”It all came about because of the Covid-19 pandemic. That’s when we realised that a child can have a much better quality of life in the countryside; that being able to walk barefoot, play with animals and attend a small local school beats anything the big city can offer.

“What’s more, if a disaster like that happens, out here, you aren’t stuck. As my grandmother used to say: ‘In wartime, the most important thing is to have your own vegetable garden. Here, we have everything we need to survive.”’

What drew you to this house?

A: ”It was once the village mill, where wheat had been ground to make flour since the 17th century. But, unused, it was falling apart.

“We saw it as an original, unspoilt project that we could shape together over the years. The beauty of any creative venture is the process. Once you reach the end, you move on to something else. But here, there’s always something more to do. It’s like a canvas you can spend your whole life painting.”

Have you made many changes?

M: ”We didn’t alter the structure of the main house much, but we transformed the barn into a loft-style studio. I’m from Cordoba in Andalusia, a place that enjoys constant blue skies and lots of light, so it was vital for me that the interior should be open and bright.”

Tell us about the decor. Did you both contribute your own ideas?

M: ”Yes. It reflects our personalities. For me, everything has to be balanced, because I suffer from vertigo due to an ear disorder. Aldo is more restless and in his element in more chaotic spaces. So his style is eclectic, while mine is more geometric. Here, the two blend harmoniously. As for the furniture, we’ve mixed things we found in local antique shops with art deco pieces.”

How would you describe the house now?

M: ”It’s like our temple. This is our retreat, our secret place, our Narnia… a lost paradise and a space for inspiration where time doesn’t exist, guided instead by the seasons and nature.”

It’s also something of an animal sanctuary…

M: ”Ever since he was little, Aldo has dreamed of living surrounded by rescue animals. We have three alpacas, a llama, a pig, four horses, two dogs, chickens, ducks, rabbits, peacocks a parrot. We adopted them to give them a better life, but they give back to us too. We ride the horses, we use the eggs that the hens lay and we make cushions out of alpaca wool.”

Aldo, you exhibit abroad – in Miami and Panama, for example – as well as in Spain, and Macarena’s career involves travel. How do you organise your time?

A: ”Macarena lives in her apartment in Madrid during the week, while I work from home. For me, it’s great to be able to devote myself to my painting while also spending a lot of time with my son.”

M: ”I have a perfect balance between country and city life – and the most wonderful thing is knowing the freedom and security that my son has here.”

Does this place lend itself to socialising?

A: ”Yes, it’s exciting! We like to make the most of each season, with lots of barbecues and parties in the garden.”

M: ”Then there are the village events. I love to take part in those, or just mingle while I’m having a drink on the terrace in the square.”