A New Chapter in Santanyí

The Soul of the Southeast

Tucked into Mallorca’s unspoiled southeast, Santanyí is a village where the island’s most soulful rhythms still hold sway. Within its golden-stone streets and slow, sunlit pace sits the newest August home, a restored townhouse that honours the texture, tone, and quiet charm of its surroundings. This isn’t the Mallorca of beach clubs and cruise ships, but one of early market mornings, shaded afternoon walks, and dips in nearby calas. Life here unfolds gently, and the home was designed to do the same; rooted in place, shaped by tradition, and crafted to celebrate the everyday beauty of island living.

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A Façade That Belongs

The façade is a quiet homage to Mallorca itself , a reflection of the island’s deep-rooted traditions and unmistakable sense of place. Flanked by neighbouring homes built from mares stone, our building naturally blends into the village fabric, its own limestone exterior echoing the soft, sun-warmed palette that defines Santanyí. This stone has shaped Mallorca’s identity for centuries, from its early quarrying in Felanitx, Santanyí, and Porreres to its enduring use in revered landmarks, most famously La Seu Cathedral and the Palau de l’Almudaina. Over time, these materials became part of the island’s

architectural DNA, further celebrated through the green shutters now synonymous with Mallorcan heritage. Their weathered texture and timeless charm speak of lived-in beauty and local authenticity. For us, embracing this exterior wasn’t just a design decision, it was a commitment to continuity. A way to anchor the renovation in its surroundings and let the spirit of the island flow inward.

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Heritage at the Heart

At the heart of the home, a regal curved stone staircase rises with quiet confidence, a sculptural centrepiece we knew had to remain untouched. Its graceful arc sets the tone from the moment you enter, grounding the space in heritage and craftsmanship. It flows naturally into an original stone archway, its delicate detailing a reminder of the time and care once poured into even the most structural elements. Upstairs, we continued this respect for material honesty, leaving the mares stone exposed in the bathroom, its texture a gentle reminder of the island’s landscape. These preserved elements didn’t just inform the restoration, they shaped the entire design language of the home: organic, grounded, and deeply connected to its past, with every modern intervention working in quiet deference to what was already there.

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Custom Touches: Tailored to the Tone

Designing with the space, rather than imposing something entirely new upon it, was central to our approach. This sensitivity came through in the custom, handcrafted details that required a light and considered touch. In the living room, built-in banquette seating offers a relaxed, Mediterranean spirit, reminiscent of a beachside retreat, yet elevated through elegant lines and materiality. That same ethos carries through to the bedrooms, where bespoke headboards were designed to quietly reference Mallorca’s layered influences. Inspired by the Andalusian styles found across the island, their flowing forms and geometric motifs bring a gentle sense of rhythm to the rooms. These intricate elements sit harmoniously within a neutral palette, alongside raw, woven textures that speak to the grounded warmth of Mediterranean living.

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Historic Touches: The Past, Preserved

Incorporating a touch of history into the newly installed kitchen was key to maintaining a sense of continuity. As a quiet nod to local tradition, the design team hung a collection of rejillas cerámicas, traditional Mallorcan ceramic air vents, as sculptural wall pieces. Originally crafted to encourage airflow through thick stone walls, they offered a natural way to cool homes during the island’s long summers long before the modern luxury of air conditioning. Over time, their function gave way to form, with intricate cutouts and Moorish-inspired patterns transforming them into objects of beauty. Made from terracotta or local clay and often fired in small village kilns, they remain one of Mallorca’s understated architectural signatures. Reimagined here as art, they bridge past and present, a reminder that heritage can live comfortably within even the most modern spaces.

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Local Touches: Familiar Forms, New Context

Locality was also at the heart of the renovation, ensuring the surrounding neighbourhood didn’t just influence the home, it enriched it. One of the most meaningful ways we honoured this was through locally sourced antiques. From the moment you walk in, you’ll notice pieces like a timeworn chest of drawers and antique wardrobes, each one carefully chosen to fold seamlessly into the fabric of the house and, by extension, the community it belongs to.

Sunlight, Shade, and the Spaces Between

It’s one thing for a home to look Spanish, warm-toned, sun-drenched, textural, but quite another for it to live like one. From the beginning, we wanted the design to facilitate the kind of slow, sun-soaked lifestyle that defines life on the island: where mornings ease into coffee on a terrace, afternoons stretch out beneath the sun, and dinners linger long into the balmy night air. To honour this rhythm, the house was designed around its outdoor spaces, each one tuned to a different pace of the day. Two upper-floor terraces offer quiet moments of escape, one with loungers for sunbathing or stargazing, the other a shaded nook for morning coffee or an aperitivo before dinner. Below, the ground-floor courtyard invites more communal living, with an outdoor dining area and plunge pool framed by a pair of perfectly red deckchairs. Every space encourages a life lived outdoors, unhurried, connected, and deeply rooted in the rituals that make Spanish life so effortlessly joyful.

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