Elmalı could well be described as a secluded cottage in the woods, like in a fairy tale, but if so it is one built on a very impressive scale. Throughout the house, seasoned cedar, chestnut and oak, wrought iron and stone, have been imaginatively used to reflect the natural surroundings and highlight the exquisite skills of the traditional craftsmanship.

Looking up at the house, it is clear just how comfortably the cedar wood eaves sit atop the honey-coloured stone façade. Indeed, it was the stones, carefully gathered from the mountain village of Elmalı, which gave this villa its name. We like to imagine that these stones brought their own unique history to Gökçe Gemile, adding to its already remarkable story.

The natural harmony of the building creates a timeless feel to the house; an impression that continues when passing through the solid, beautifully carved, wooden door, complete with its rustic traditionally forged hinges. Once inside the house opens up into a spacious open-planned living, dining area with a generous galley kitchen that together with the high, beamed ceilings, aesthetically combines Anatolian Ottoman style with cottage-chic touches and airy modern elegance.

In Elmalı, everything has a story to tell; even the the charmingly understated white walls. As a matter of fact, they have all been rendered with a traditional Turkish “wattle-and-daub” mixture; that is, lime mixed with straw. This completely natural wall covering contains no modern additives whatsoever and, as well as providing an extra layer of insulation, keeping it cool in the summer and warm in the winter, they also let the house breathe.

Among the other numerous original natural features in Elmalı, perhaps the most impressive are the massive dining table created from a huge slab of chestnut and the coffee table carved from a single pieces of oak. The warm tones of the wood and the subtle, natural of the soft furnishings contrast with the darker hues of the stone floor, which has been created from slabs of gneiss (kayrak gnays in Turkish) fitted together like a complex jigsaw puzzle. The name for this rock comes from the German word gneist, which in English means “spark,” because this rock actually sparkles!

Then there are the shower rooms. Each is unique and the masterful use of stone (some sourced from the Dalaman River), such as the basins made from single pieces of skilfully hewn from metamorphic rock and the walls, pebbles collected from Dalaman River, or lined with slabs of fossiliferous limestone, from Elmali and Gaziantep, means that these rooms perfect are for luxuriating.

Downstairs, adjacent to the living area, there is a twin-bedded room, delightfully decorated with Ottoman touches. This adjoining shower room, which serves as a guest cloakroom, has some highly original features. Upstairs there are two exquisitely furnished master bedrooms with en-suite shower rooms. The beauty of these rooms celebrates the skills of the stonemasons and carpenters who have worked on the Gökçe Gemile project.

Outside, the main feature of the totally private landscaped gardens with its mature trees and wealth of vibrant shrubbery, is the massive swimming pool and water features, all of which have been ingeniously constructed to great effect, using natural stone and rocks. With the calming sound of the wall falls, this is a dreamy and peaceful environment in which to relax, whatever the time of day.