Cover The kitchen features countertops made with local stone, lime-plastered walls and custom-made elm wood cabinetry
The kitchen features countertops made with local stone, lime-plastered walls and custom-made elm wood cabinetry
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This holiday home in an idyllic Mallorcan village combines meticulously crafted architecture that melds with its surroundings, sculptural details, and natural materials to embody barefoot luxury
Located on the northern ridge of the Spanish island of Mallorca, Deià is a small coastal village whose idyllic landscape, populated with orange and olive groves on steep hills overlooking the Mediterranean, has long attracted some of the Western world’s most prominent literary and musical figures to settle there and draw inspiration for their work.
Building a new house in the illustrious village is a rare opportunity. So, when one arrives, it’s to be hoped that the owners and architects are an excellent match. Fortunately, that was the case with this ethereally elegant holiday home.
Above The sculptural staircase in the entrance hall serves as a fulcrum between the house’s two main wings
Above The sunken dining room features a bespoke More Decor table, Dusty Deco dining chairs and a customised More Decor La Luna light
The sculptural staircase in the entrance hall serves as a fulcrum between the house’s two main wings
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Involved from the very start of the project, Deià-based architectural firm More Design assisted its clients with everything from selecting the piece of land on which their house was to be built to curating its furnishings and artworks. The result is remarkable.
Situated right in the heart of Deià, the property was an extraordinary find, comprising the last of the land available in the urban area above the world-renowned La Residencia hotel. It also has an enviably elevated position and a western orientation, with views of the village church and the sea. Sporting a seamless flow between its various interior spaces and the surrounding garden and outdoor living areas, the house was also always intended to blend into the steep slope on which it stands.
Read more: A modern minimalist farmhouse in Mallorca with textured walls
Above The kitchen features countertops made with local stone, lime-plastered walls and custom-made elm wood cabinetry
Above Above the kitchen island is a bespoke lighting fixture made of brass and leather by More Decor, which mimics the form of the ceiling joists
The kitchen features countertops made with local stone, lime-plastered walls and custom-made elm wood cabinetry
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“We built the lower floor as if it were a stone terrace. We wanted it to effectively merge with the mountain,” explain Oro del Negro and Manuel Villaneuva, More Design’s founding partners. Ordinarily, the volumes in the zone created above this, the house’s main “public” space and the master suite on the top floor, “should be simple and parallel to the topography, and a single volume,” they add. “However, we proposed that each of the two floors be like this, but between them, they generate a rotation that follows the topography, like a fan. This rotation allows the house to appear to sink into the ground and have a more discreet presence.”
Above The cinema room on the lower level features More Design’s custom Spaghetti sofa in blush
Above A textured tapestry by Mallorcan artist Adriana Meunié lends a tactile touch
The cinema room on the lower level features More Design’s custom Spaghetti sofa in blush
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The common spaces, which comprise the living room, kitchen and dining area, are situated mainly on the middle floor and fan out from the fulcrum of the entrance hall and stairwell. The latter also functions as a light well and, with its soaring proportions and all-white finishes punctuated by slender black steel balustrades, has the pure, otherworldly feel of a contemporary monastery.
See also: An award-winning six-storey Kuala Lumpur home integrated with nature
Above The children’s bedrooms are connected via sliding doors
Above Elements such as a bespoke study desk are attached to the bedframe
The children’s bedrooms are connected via sliding doors
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Entering it from the busy village street means transitioning from the everyday bustle and noise into an “oasis of serenity and calm,” as Tille del Negro, director of More Decor, the interiors division of More Design, puts it. Austere, however, the house is not: its beautifully designed and curated furnishings and décor add a considered layer of luxury, and the upper floor is dedicated entirely to a spacious and airy master suite complete with its own private terrace.
Above The master bedroom occupies the entire top floor and incorporates a freestanding bathtub
Above A view from the master bedroom’s private terrace
The master bedroom occupies the entire top floor and incorporates a freestanding bathtub
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Above This bedroom in the guest house features a sumptuous canopy bed and a bedside table made from reclaimed oak wood
Above The master suite’s shower corner is a pampering zone ensconced in stone
This bedroom in the guest house features a sumptuous canopy bed and a bedside table made from reclaimed oak wood
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With a cinema room and direct access to the pool area, the ground floor is given over to the children’s bedrooms, while the adjacent guest house has two rooms plus a gym and a small kitchen. A series of outdoor porches—perfect for enjoying the views while dining or lounging al fresco—and the sumptuous swimming pool complete the picture.
Structurally complex to build due to its steeply sloped site, the house took much patience and care to complete. The More Design team credits the skills of local master builder Miquel Morell for its successful completion. The exterior is finished in 25-30cm thick load-bearing stone, which has been worked to aesthetically coexist with the nearby walls of Son Fussimany, the area’s original ancient farmhouse.
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Above The outdoor dining area features Fritz Hansen chairs, a bespoke More Decor table made of reclaimed local oak wood and a custom counter made with elm wood and reclaimed terracotta tiles
Above The guest house’s kitchen juxtaposes rugged natural materials with softer forms
The outdoor dining area features Fritz Hansen chairs, a bespoke More Decor table made of reclaimed local oak wood and a custom counter made with elm wood and reclaimed terracotta tiles
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Above A spiral staircase leads down from the outdoor space to a custom-built wine cellar
Above This porch at the guest house’s entrance makes for a cosy gathering place
A spiral staircase leads down from the outdoor space to a custom-built wine cellar
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The interior finishes, meanwhile, include chestnut wood ceiling beams, lime-washed walls, and floors made from smooth pigmented cement or recovered stone in the common areas and natural terracotta tiles in the children’s bedrooms. The kitchen features elements such as beautifully worked sinks made from carved local stone and old elm wood cabinetry, typical of the updated heritage ethos of More Design’s trademark meticulously detailed interiors.
When it came to furnishing the interiors, Tille says: “Our clients wanted understated elegance, but still a space that feels unique and playful.” This brief has been met with panache, with the various rooms and spaces each given a unique feel that contributes to a coherent overall aesthetic. For example, subtle touches of texture are introduced to soften and add warmth to the bedrooms while remaining entirely in keeping with the all-natural palette of materials employed in the abode’s architectural finishes.
Above The pool area boasts beautiful views over Deià towards the sea
Above The pool area boasts beautiful views over Deià towards the sea
The pool area boasts beautiful views over Deià towards the sea
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Curvaceous and rounded shapes abound, lending a supple, almost elastic sensibility to the overall scheme, while natural materials such as glazed ceramics, pure linen, and woven grass and raffia add a further dimension of tactility. The result is a holiday retreat that revives and gently stimulates its fortunate occupants within a discreetly opulent series of indoor and outdoor spaces.
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Credits
Photography: Greg Cox, Bureaux
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