Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication’ is a remark often attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, and this very contemporary sentiment does seem as if it could have originated with the legendary artist, designer and architect of the Renaissance. For those leading successful, hyper-busy, 21st-century lives in a very large city, simplifying your existence can seem like a utopian dream rather than a genuine possibility. This is probably why the owners of this recently renovated holiday home in Deià on the west coast of the Spanish island of Mallorca decided to acquire this particular property – and why they asked Deià-based design firmMore Design to work on its rejuvenation with them.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1373620744/1680552866/articles/v57DmflzD1680593224570/0988965553.jpg]
The homeowner – who is the creator of more than one cooler-than-cool fashion label – and her partner, a famous musician, were instantly attracted by the extensive spread of land that surrounds the house and its magnificent exposure to the wild coastline, explains Oro del Negro of More Design.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1373620744/1680552866/articles/v57DmflzD1680593224570/1096585999.jpg]
"The site is well known as the old orchards of Son Bleda farm, says Oro, and the property included a typical summer cottage built in the 1970s: open plan, very basic and rudimentary, but honest. That was the upside. In the 'Not So Great' column were the facts that the home's layout was highly compartmentalised into small areas, and that the building had not been constructed very well. So, says Oro, although the project was technically 'a renovation, it [rapidly] became a full-blown new build, [albeit one] that respected the original footprint and volume' of the pre-existing house.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1373620744/1680552866/articles/v57DmflzD1680593224570/1190839988.jpg]
From the very beginning, More Design felt that the most important aspect of the renovation would be ‘to keep it simple’, says Oro. ‘“Discretion” and “humility” are words that come to mind,’ he adds, as ‘both the client and ourselves believe that bold gestures are often best exposed with an understated nature.’ The completed home includes three bedrooms and three bathrooms, as well as open-plan living, dining and kitchen spaces. Neither the private nor the public areas are especially large – indeed, the house very definitely has the feel of a country cottage rather than a rambling holiday villa – but the use of multiple built-in furniture pieces and a restrained interior-design scheme that prioritises natural textures and colours combine to make it seem cosy and contained while still being light-filled and laid-back. Wood, natural stone, wrought iron and glass – complemented by locally sourced textiles and decor items such as vintage glassware and traditional woven-palm accessories – are used throughout the interior spaces. Every element has been carefully and sensitively selected, with the emphasis placed on subtle layering without any sense of clutter or confusion.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/137362...
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1373620744/1680552866/articles/v57DmflzD1680593224570/0988965553.jpg]
The homeowner – who is the creator of more than one cooler-than-cool fashion label – and her partner, a famous musician, were instantly attracted by the extensive spread of land that surrounds the house and its magnificent exposure to the wild coastline, explains Oro del Negro of More Design.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1373620744/1680552866/articles/v57DmflzD1680593224570/1096585999.jpg]
"The site is well known as the old orchards of Son Bleda farm, says Oro, and the property included a typical summer cottage built in the 1970s: open plan, very basic and rudimentary, but honest. That was the upside. In the 'Not So Great' column were the facts that the home's layout was highly compartmentalised into small areas, and that the building had not been constructed very well. So, says Oro, although the project was technically 'a renovation, it [rapidly] became a full-blown new build, [albeit one] that respected the original footprint and volume' of the pre-existing house.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1373620744/1680552866/articles/v57DmflzD1680593224570/1190839988.jpg]
From the very beginning, More Design felt that the most important aspect of the renovation would be ‘to keep it simple’, says Oro. ‘“Discretion” and “humility” are words that come to mind,’ he adds, as ‘both the client and ourselves believe that bold gestures are often best exposed with an understated nature.’ The completed home includes three bedrooms and three bathrooms, as well as open-plan living, dining and kitchen spaces. Neither the private nor the public areas are especially large – indeed, the house very definitely has the feel of a country cottage rather than a rambling holiday villa – but the use of multiple built-in furniture pieces and a restrained interior-design scheme that prioritises natural textures and colours combine to make it seem cosy and contained while still being light-filled and laid-back. Wood, natural stone, wrought iron and glass – complemented by locally sourced textiles and decor items such as vintage glassware and traditional woven-palm accessories – are used throughout the interior spaces. Every element has been carefully and sensitively selected, with the emphasis placed on subtle layering without any sense of clutter or confusion.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/137362...
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South African Garden And Home (Digital) - 1 Issue, April 2023