A sheltered, comfortably furnished veranda and numerous glass doors lead out onto the lush garden. The garden brief was to respect the mature trees in the wild fo rest on the lower part of the property, and to create a traditional Mallorcan patio with plenty of greenery close to the house. The planting was carefully designed by Katerina Christensson of The Garden Company.
KITCHEN The curvaceous extractor hood and lime-plastered walls add a traditional feel. Worktop and sink, made by artisan Juan Camposol. Taps, Barber Wilsons & Co. Pendant lights designed by Senaia Studio; made by local ceramicist Dora Good. Cooker and hob, Lacanche
As Katerina says: ‘Here, given the perfect situation surrounded by wind-protecting dry-stone walls, we could plant a tropical, evergreen courtyard with typically cold-sensitive plants that might ordinarily be difficult to grow in Mallorca. These include banana trees and fragrant red frangipani as well as a lime tree and a passion fruit vine. Rounding off the planting are some gorgeous ferns, with the Philodendron selloum’s deeply lobed foliage combining with sago palms and slender lady palms to give the garden ‘the ultimate tropical look’.
Both inside and out, a tranquil atmosphere has been created. As Oro says, the most satisfying effect of how the project has turned out is the way it appears rustic and simple yet preserves all the comforts life has to offer. Whether its occupants are spending a relaxing afternoon reading on the veranda, gathered at the kitchen island preparing a meal together or sat around the interior fireplace to chat while enjoying a glass of wine on a cool autumn evening, the house enlarges and enriches these pastimes.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication is a phrase often attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, but for those leading husy 21st-century lives in a city, simplifying one s existence can seem like a utopian dream rather than a genuine possibility. Which is probably why the owners of this recently renovated holiday home in Deia, on the west coast of the Balearic island of Mallorca, decided to buy this particular property – and why they asked Deia-based design firm Moredesign to work on its renovation with them.
