Feng Shui Consultant Certification Seminar

A new career could await you!  This Feng Shui Consultant Certification Seminar would normally cost 2,500€ but reserve your place before November 15 and you´ll get a discount of 1,900€ – an incredible offer!  All material is included and the seminar will be taught both in Spanish and English with simultaneous translation.

Date: Thursday 19 and Friday 20 from 10.00-19.00 hrs, followed by six month course of online continued education.

Place: Onda Vital Wellness, c/Martin Boneo 31, Palma

Cost:   600€

For more information telephone Gustavo Cabagna on +34 971 897 048 or 608 067 542

Knox Design announces the arrival of The Colony ‘Home Doctor’ collection, specially created to add deodorising fragrance to specific odour-prone areas of the home – and particularly useful for those planning to sell their property.

The versatile ‘Home Doctor’ collection comprises highly effective natural fragrances, available in a variety of formats, from scented tealights and wax fills, through to room mists and reed difusers. Deodorise specific areas with Cooks Friend (kitchen), Laundry Fresh (laundry), Smoke Eater (tobacco), Pets Remedy (animals) and Bathroom Fresh.

Knox Design also carries a stock of other Colony products and will soon offer the new Christmas collection.

Indonesian influences and an eye for detail have turned a meticulously restored Mallorcan stone property into a unique, spacious home. Jan Edwards visits a house with a 350-year-old history.

A ‘tiger’ bed isn’t really necessary in the rural surroundings of Santa Maria – Mallorca’s feral cats being small, timid and unlikely to savage you as you slumber – but this high wooden bed (accessed by a separate step) certainly makes a striking centrepiece in one of this fabulous property’s six bedrooms.

The exotic Asian bed is in one of two bedrooms accessed by a unique (I might need to use that word again) open-tread iron staircase designed by the owner, Graham Baxter, and crafted in Palma. To obtain its no-maintenance attractive finish, the iron was painted with three separate coats of acid and, after each had done its work, finished with ten coats of varnish! It’s an indication of the attention to detail involved in a remarkable restoration project.

Graham, former owner of Baxter Marine in Puerto Portals, bought the place (a plot of 2,150 m²) in 2005. A reformation in 1968 had left it with Artex ceilings, gloss-painted old wooden doors, and avocado green bathroom suite. Not that you’d be able to tell: Graham spent most of 2006, half of 2007, and as much as he’d paid for the place, on sympathetically reforming the Mallorcan stone property.

He points out an original old stone archway, between dining and sitting rooms, which he restored. He removed stone from some places and re-used it in others, moved doorways, added ceiling beams, and a grand stone fireplace. "It was the most exhausting thing I’ve ever done," Graham admits. Luckily, he’d reformed properties before, in the UK.

The fabric restored, he was left with a "box" to fill to his own design. It was done with an artistic eye and, in places, an eye for the feminine. Take what Graham calls "the princess suite" – a romantic bedroom and en suite bathroom (with pride-of-place white claw-foot bathtub), separated by a wall of glass. Fit for anybody’s princess . . .

This feminine room is next to the ‘tiger’ bedroom, which doubles as an office. There’s Broadband access and it’s easy to imagine working here, looking down into the sitting room. "I always wanted a minstrel’s gallery," Graham says, leaning on the rail.

The place is a harmonious blend of old and contemporary features and furniture. Floors throughout are white waxed oak, laid continuously from one end of the property to the other, and concealing pipes and wires underneath. The oak boards have been neatly cut to fit where floor meets stone.

Ceilings are white, showing off pine and oak beams to advantage. Throughout, there are discreet recessed halogen lights (dimmable). In contrast, a traditional Mallorcan glass chandelier hangs in the sitting room.

There’s mains electricity at this rural property, which is a short distance along a peaceful country lane, yet only minutes’ drive from the centre of Santa Maria. Air-conditioning/heating units are discreetly set into the stone walls and disguised with grills made from the treated iron that Graham’s used to great effect around the house. Outdoors, the system’s heat exchanger units are also hidden from view. If it isn’t beautiful, it’s hidden!

The 400m² house was originally two buildings linked by a covered passage. Graham joined the buildings together, incorporating the former passage into a well-appointed designer kitchen; two huge sliding glass doors facing each other allow one to walk from the front garden to the back, through the room. Perfect for parties. With five bathrooms and four other bedrooms (one which could make a nursery or maid’s room), the house accommodates guests in considerable comfort.

In the wet rooms, handsome dark slate tiles from Duran in Palma contrast well with pristine white contemporary fittings.

The house is on the market with its furnishings, including exotic pieces from the Far East (Graham has lived and owned property in Bali and Thailand), two sumptuous velvet sofas from Janer in Palma, and a glass-topped iron dining table (designed by Graham), with substantial wooden dining chairs from Java.

The large sunny private back garden is landscaped, with views of the Tramuntana mountains. Oleanders, mature palm trees and particularly thick lush grass all benefit from the installed irrigation system. The property has a very deep well, from which potable water is pumped into two storage tanks. "It’s beautiful water," says Graham. It’s used to fill the curvy swimming pool, which has a "marès" stone surround and integral spa. The pool and garden have a lighting system.

Creating this home has been a labour of love for Graham, but he also has a home in Puerto Portals – where his beloved Princess boat is kept – and the lure of the sea is too strong for him to stay away from it for long. Whoever buys this unique (there it is again!) property will find it a comfortable, easy to maintain home . . . and not a tiger in sight!
 

The paint shop Eurotex in Mallorca offers all abcClub members an additional 10% per cent off their paints!

Eurotex does not only offer all kinds of paint, but also decorates and paints your home for you. Click here to find out more about Eurotex.

Arriving at Pla des Bisbe generates a tingle of excitement at the prospect of meeting Francesca Martí in her magnificient home. Jan Edwards uncovers an artist’s haven.

Welcome to the hillside home of an artist whose work has been exhibited around the world, is included in private and corporate art collections, and even owned by royalty. Francesca Martí – the renowned Sóller-born photographer, painter, sculptor and installation artist – lives and works here at Pla des Bisbe, with its breathtaking views down towards Sóller and of the neighbouring picturesque villages of Biniaraix and Fornalutx.

The home of Francesca and her engineer husband Gunnar Dahl (Swedish-born to Norwegian parents) has an interesting history – parts of the property date back centuries. As its name reveals, it was once owned by a bishop. It’s also been owned by orange traders in Valencia and was used to house their agricultural workers; the building that is now Francesca’s spacious studio still contains the old tafona, or olive press.

"Gunnar and I felt the history of the place," Francesca explains. "It’s magical for its situation and the sunsets. It’s private, but we’re close to village life and still integrated with nature."

After buying the property, her workload – shared with Roland van Dinten, who administers the business side of the artist’s life – was intense: her exibition Soul – awarded first prize in the 10th International Biennale of Cairo – was on tour, visiting Egypt, Israel and Amman. Work on Pla des Bisbe began with the studio, then continued into the house – the artist linking the two buildings in both physical space and "in my soul." It became a two-year project, which incorporated many elements from nature, and they’ve now lived there a year.

View of the front terrace. Tables designed by Francesca Marti, made of old Soller railway sleepers and glass.

We sip coffee at one of two adjacent glass-topped rectangular dining tables. The base of each is made from neatly stacked old railway sleepers incorporated into an iron frame. They are striking Francesca Martí pieces: furniture as art. And there are more delights to come . . .

Her creative stamp is also on the efficient modern kitchen, where she enjoys cooking for friends as a form of relaxation (others are reading, walking and being by the sea). Centre-stage in this hub of daily living is her unique kitchen storage unit: a row of old wooden orange boxes (found in an outbuilding) topped with a restored piece of aged wood. The initials FM stencilled on one box aren’t hers but, coincidentally, those of the orange trader.

Island made of old orange crates and a piece of olive wood tree.

Previous owners had added a 1950s extension – now transformed into a glorious light-filled space with the feel of a modern loft: family life (a son and daughter are also here) happens on this ground floor (bedrooms and an office are also downstairs).

Furniture is light and modern and, not surprisingly, with Scandinavian influences – such as the Danish dining table and chairs, and contemporary tiered light fitting. The adjacent lounge area is dominated by two large creamy-white sofas, between which sits a talking-point coffee table: Francesca took neat stacks of opened old encyclopaedias and topped them with a sheet of glass. ¡Venga!
Along one wall, ground-level modern grey storage cubes house numerous coffee-table books – including volumes featuring some of her favourite artists, including Shirin Neshat, Wilfredo Lam, Anthony Caro (one of his sculptures is in the garden) and Erwin Olaf. Jonathan Turner, the Australian curator, is this month organising an exhibition with Francesca and Erwin Olaf in Rome, based on the theme of diving as a conceptual sport, and on the iconic figure of Matt Mitcham, the Olympic gold-medallist, in particular. Interestingly, Matt inaugurated the pool at Pla des Bisbe last year!

Coffee table made of old encyclopedias and glass

Floor-to-ceiling glass has replaced the back wall, looking out at a narrow passage running between the house and a high stone wall that’s part of the sloping land’s terracing. From one of the sofas, one sees only stone – no greenery – and the effect of the water feature that’s incorporated into the wall. "It’s very relaxing," Francesca says. "When it rains, it’s magical – like a meditation."
Original elements have been retained in each room. Here, two ornate gilt corner tables. In the small adjacent library, an old round table – clad with heavy full-length cloth – sits by the window (hung with typically Spanish old brocade curtains).

Library in Mallorcan style with modern elements

A further room – with a staircase – was formerly used as a small chapel; they have permission still to hold weddings and mass there. In striking contrast to the old dark wooden altarpiece is a modern canvas torn through its centre. On its own, it’s dramatic enough, but when one of the several video projectors in the house whirrs into life, it becomes an extraordinary installation. Projected onto the canvas, a handsome black man (from Sierra Leone) is sinuously emerging from the tear in the canvas. This is part of Francesca’s Tears project, "expressing the tears in ourselves, inside and out," and inspired by her visit to the Jordanian city of Petra. It’s hard to tear oneself away.

Details of video projection on canvas "Deep into the Ground", Francesca Marti 2008

For most of us, a fly buzzing around is merely a nuisance but, for Francesca, a humble household fly inspired her fascinating multi-media installation, Music and Fly; some of the component photographic canvases hang in different parts of the home.

Living Room

A second, rather more formal, dining room is used in the winter for "the celebration of art". It’s certainly a celebration of Francesca’s life as an artist: the walls are hung with works illustrating her creative journey of more than 20 years. In a quiet corner, a row of her bronze sculptures of flies is mounted on the stone wall. Nearby, the family’s Siamese cat takes advantage of her convalescence (she’s just been spayed) for an illicit nap on another of the home’s comfortable sofas.

Directors of museums from around the world, writers and musicians are among their regular visitors (staying in the upper floor bedrooms). "Everyone feels so well here, it’s peaceful and energising," says Francesca, who mentions several times the importance of "feeling well" to the process of creating her powerful works of art.

The entrance

This isn’t just an exceptional property and home – on the island Francesca calls "a little paradise in Europe". It’s also a place to nourish body, soul and the artistic process, and that’s evident in both Francesca Martí’s youthful physical appearance and her creative output. What more could an artist want?

Photos: Thomas Baar

Summertime brings a welcome return to our alfresco lifestyle. Whether you have a garden, terrace or balcony, Jan Edwards finds some of Mallorca’s most stylish outdoor furniture to grace your home this summer.

At this time of year, the exterior area of our homes becomes the backdrop for eating, relaxing and entertaining – and our outdoor furniture plays an important role.  Here on Mallorca, we have a superb choice of the latest products from the world’s best-known outdoor furniture manufacturers. This summer’s trends are stainless steel, synthetic weave rattan, textilene mesh and – the classic – teak.  New designs are innovative, stylish, streamlined, and practical. Visit any of the island’s high-quality outdoor furniture specialists and you’ll be spoilt for choice.  

Designer Justine Knox recommends buying the best quality we can afford: "Outdoor furniture is exposed to extreme weather conditions and not many people have the luxury of having somewhere to store it indoors in the winter.  Besides, if we’re lucky with the weather, it’s used regularly for around 40 per cent of the year, so it shouldn’t be any less important than the rest of our household furniture."  Some stores – such as Knox Design – helpfully display their exterior furniture outside, enabling prospective purchasers to see how it weathers. 
A rattan sofa at a bargain price in a hypermarket simply won’t have the quality of one from a reputable furniture store – even though it might appear similar. Cheaper outdoor furniture could be made with screws that rust or wood that warps, in our often damp island climate.  Remember the expression ‘you get what you pay for’ and your outdoor furniture will serve you well for years.

Gloster Eclipse

Justine recommends trying to maintain a similar design style for interior and exterior, continuing with the same colour scheme if possible: "This creates harmony and gives the feeling of a true extension of your living areas."  Knox Design and Lares in Bendinat are two companies that will undertake design projects for your outdoor space. 

Practicality is important too, so consider how you most use your outdoor living space and furnish accordingly. If space is limited, you might, for example, need to ensure that your dining chairs are comfortable enough also to use as easy chairs.

With your shopping list to hand, you can have fun looking around to see what’s available -  remembering that the quality retailers are a great source of advice on the right products for your budget and lifestyle. 

Gloster is a well-respected manufacturer, established in 1981, and offering more than 175 different products.  Several retailers sell Gloster, including Meridiano Mallorca and Mediterranean Living. Gloster’s ‘Fusion’ and ‘Azure’ ranges, new for 2009, uphold the renowned brand quality at lower prices than the rest of the collection, and are available through Knox Design. 

Gloster’s Eclipse relaxer and footstool combo – available in the colours java or driftwood – has to be one of the most spectacular outdoor pieces of the year. Mediterranean Living can arrange delivery within around 10 days of order.  They also sell Point, Expormim, Gabar and Intur.

Gloster collection

Meridiano Mallorca represents 18 of the market’s top outdoor furniture brands, including Kettal, Tribu, Rausch, Alexander Rose, Hugonet, Les Jardins au bout du Monde, and the French brand Fermob – whose range is colourful, funky and functional.  "We work only with companies whose quality, design and service we can trust," says Meridiano’s Christina Vestey. These trusted companies also include Danish outdoor rattan specialists Cane Line, and Triconfort – whose furniture looks like lacquered wood but is actually manufactured from easy-care resin.

Textilene and synthetic wicker are used by the Dutch design company Val-Eur, available exclusively from Messerschmidt – which also offers TUUCI high-performance sunshades and Rausch furniture. 

Hot from Milan comes the Coro range of Italian contemporary exterior furniture, with its reputation for quality, design and practicality.  Knox Design will be the main retailer for Coro, which specialises in folding sunbeds and loungers for use in limited spaces. 

Ingeniously, their extending sunbeds can also be used as easy chairs and multi-position sun loungers.  Sofas and chairs (and their accompanying cushions) can be left outdoors in all weathers:  water drains straight through. Quick-drying, the fabrics have the luxurious feel of interior materials rather than canvas.

Dedon Collection

The epitome of cool must be the chic white minimalist furniture from Gandia Blasco.  No poolside should be without it!
In Inca, Das Depot stocks a wide range of outdoor lifestyle products, including furniture in synthetic fibre, teak, and no-maintenance aluminium, and a choice of hammocks on aluminium stands.  The tempting complementary accessories are worth a browse too . .  .
If your furniture simply needs a facelift, check out Rialto Living’s colourful French fabrics, suitable for recovering folding chairs, and priced from 22 euros/metre. They also offer specially-treated outdoor Ralph Lauren fabrics to order.  For a truly professional finish, Rialto Living will make cushions and curtains for you, producing a fresh new look for existing pieces.

Incompar Balear

Santanyí-based exterior specialists Incompar Balear are known for their high-quality sunsails and have become the Balearics’ licence-holder for the ‘boom’ contemporary sunshade system – an exciting alternative to conventional parasols and awnings. These canopy sails can be free-standing or wall-mounted and are available with motorised opening, automatic wind sensor and remote control dimmable lighting.  A stylish shading option to complement your new furniture . . . 

With your outdoor furniture in place, you’re ready for a relaxing and stylish summer. Enjoy!

First photo – Gandia Blasco Collection
 

Art Exhibition: Mallorca and the new landscape painting

Art exhibition at the Es Baluard Museum in Palma focused on paintings of Mallorcan landscapes and the role that artists in Mallorca played in the renewal of landscape painting at the beginning of the 20th century. Shown are paintings by artists Santiago Rusiñol, Joaquim Mir, William Degouve de Nuncques and others.

Date: until September 6th
Venue: Es Baluard Museum, Palma

An extraordinary creature that once roamed Mallorca is being championed in a new book. Jan Edwards chats to Sóller-based writer Anna Nicholas about Myotragus, marathons, moggies and more.

It was only ever intended to be a series of three books, chronicling the life of a PR consultant, with a business in London’s Mayfair, who lives on Mallorca. The final instalment is being published in July, and Anna has come up with another cheeky literary pun for its title. This time, it’ll be Bill Bryson chuckling over his muesli as he reads the press reviews for ‘Goats from a Small Island’.

The writer and PR supremo had a strict Catholic upbringing, but she has a terrific sense of fun. Her weekly Majorca Daily Bulletin column – known affectionately as Anna’s rant – reveals her strong opinions on topical issues: “I like to be a bit of a maverick now,” she grins.

‘Goats from a Small Island’ is itself rather topical – at least in natural science circles – because the book features Myotragus, the ‘mousegoat’ that once roamed Mallorca. It’s a source of great fascination for Anna, who’s even been behind-the-scenes at London’s Natural History Museum to see the original Myotragus, discovered on the island by Dorothea Bate exactly one hundred years ago. So the timing of Anna’s book couldn’t be better – raising the profile of the ‘mousegoat’ and the island she loves.

‘Goats’ isn’t just about the ‘mousegoat’, but also how Anna’s life is moving away from PR towards being a novelist, and opening the cattery – planned in her last book ‘Cat on a Hot Tiled Roof’. Along the way, there are scorpions, an amorous rock climber and a Bulgarian transvestite couturier!

Self-discipline and regular hours help Anna manage a full life: “I feel guilty if I do lunches or stuff in the week,” she admits. On a typical day Anna is up by 7am to feed her three cats, prepare 12-year-old son Ollie for school, and have breakfast. Four or five days a week, Anna runs for around 45 minutes – either to the port or to Fornalutx – before going home to shower and ensconce herself in her office by 10am: “I’m a scruffpot. If your photographer hadn’t been coming today, I’d have been in ancient clothes and my pom-pom slippers,” she laughs. Anna writes until about 4pm – grabbing a snack during the day – so that she’s then free to chat to Ollie about his school day and supervise his homework.

She’s “very lucky” that husband Alan is so supportive: “It makes life easier. He does the school runs, gardening and the boring paperwork stuff! We divide everything else.” Alan, who does some occasional financial PR consulting, will also be involved in the new cattery.

On Fridays, Anna writes her newspaper column, later giving an English lesson in her home to a handful of children. They’re the offspring of some of the locals who’ve donated clothes for the Catholic girls’ orphanage in Colombo, Sri Lanka, that’s become so important to Anna and her family.

They last visited Sri Lanka at Christmas, taking with them funds raised, as well as toys and a huge amount of girls’ clothes, shoes and trainers. She’s immensely grateful for the support of so many people on the island. Now Anna’s also offered to help a Buddhist orphanage in Kandy: “I’m trying to get a real network going, so that anyone can give – if not money – then clothes and other items, to a central collection point on the island.”

She has a great affection for Sri Lanka: “Life is very simple and people are often poverty-stricken, but surprisingly happy. They have a fantastic spiritual philosophy.”

Marathon running has raised what Anna calls “seed money for better lives”. Her first was shortly after joining the board of the Scientific Exploration Society, which had paid for several marathon entrants: “One place hadn’t been filled and, being chirpy and new, I said it couldn’t be that hard,” she remembers. “One of the guys then said ‘Why don’t you do it, then?’”

It took some serious training on Anna’s part, but it paid off: she raised seven thousands pounds in sponsorship, thanks to her PR contacts and clients, and Hello magazine.

Anna’s sixth marathon was last November: “Nothing could beat the spectacular feeling of running into the original Olympic stadium in Athens. The Greeks were waving olive branches and throwing olive leaves for luck.” She sees marathons as a great way to keep fit, raise money for charity and see different places.

“I just adore travelling,” says Anna. Although no longer on the board of the Scientific Exploration Society, she’s still an active member. Last October she waved goodbye to “her boys” for another expedition, researching elephants in Borneo: “I love ellies, lizards, toads . . . all amphibians.”

She also has “an insatiable appetite for prehistoric tribes, like the Veddha in Sri Lanka.” While last there, Anna managed to arrange a family visit to this extraordinary community of people – taking gifts of beetle nuts and tobacco leaves, which the Veddha chew continuously. It’s mildly narcotic and the tribe members have a permanent stream of red juice running down the sides of their mouths: “It’s quite distracting,” laughs Anna. “Like spending the day with vampires!”

It’s a world away from London – where Anna now feels more like a tourist. Her visits back are now fewer and less stressed, though she’s been saddened to see so many friends recently lose their middle-tier jobs. This month, pre-publication publicity starts for ‘Goats’ and she’s just been a guest speaker at the prestigious Oxford Literary Festival.

Back on Mallorca, her new career as a novelist is already under way, with three chapters of ‘Sunflower Sisters’ written. Set in 1961, it has echoes of a childhood Eastern European road trip with her sister, mother and two maiden aunts Minny and Della.

And the cattery? Barring any more unforeseen delays, the first pampered pussycats should be welcomed this July. Smokey and Minstral Edwards can’t wait.

Photos: Thomas Baar
Text: Jan Edwards

As a beautiful country home in Mallorca is prepared for Christmas, Jan Edwards learns the secrets of stylish seasonal decoration.

Many of us in Mallorca tend to do our entertaining outdoors, during the warmer months.  But at Christmas – the most important time to share with family and friends – it’s the home’s interior that provides the backdrop for memorable festivities with loved ones.  We might receive the gift of a little pleasant winter sunshine – perfect for a glass of cava on the terrace or balcony, or a post-lunch stroll – but there’s nothing quite like returning indoors to the warmth and comfort of a beautifully decorated home at this time of year.

Visitors to this particular home in the glorious countryside close to the Tramuntana are in for a real treat this Christmas. The festive welcome begins at the entrance to the house, where each of the two large traditional metal-studded wooden doors has been dressed with an understated wreath.  A small reindeer, fashioned from twigs, stands each side of the doorway, alongside traditional poinsettia nestling in old terracotta pots. Already, it’s obvious that something magical awaits inside: a home that’s been specially prepared for Christmas by designer Klas Käll of Palma-based Rialto Living, using a selection of decorations he’s brought from the store.

The initial welcome for visitors is important, believes Klas: "It sets the scene for a warm festive occasion."  The home’s large square hall is where arriving guests will shed their coats – and the first thing they’ll see is the beautifully decorated Christmas tree, surrounded by wrapped presents, which has pride of place at the centre of the room.  What better welcome?  Klas chose a high quality artificial tree, because real ones can be rather poor here, and has dressed it in an understated way.  It’s dotted with tiny white lights, and hanging decorations include hearts, small candy-striped walking sticks and spotted toadstools – all made of felt – and white lambswool snowballs. 

The colour scheme he’s chosen for this home is red, white and green -  the traditional colours of Christmas: "Decide on a colour scheme and follow it throughout," advises Klas. The result is a cohesive and stylish look.  He favours natural materials, such as wood, felt and wool, for decorative items: "I don’t like to use anything too flashy or glittery. Good quality decorations in traditional materials will become favourites, brought out year after year." 

Nature makes a valuable contribution to Klas’s scheme: he’s used branches laden with red berries, pine cones, small white cyclamen plants and, of course, traditional poinsettia, sourced from Klaus Reich of  Cuatro Rosas.  The budget-conscious might choose key decorative items from this renowned Palma florist and, in other parts of the home, use some of the bounty to be found in the garden or countryside. 

Fruits and spices make excellent – and fragrant – decorations. In the sitting room, where a log fire crackles in the hearth, oranges studded with cloves gently infuse the warm air with a spicy citrus fragrance.  Oranges can also be hung from ribbons in front of windows, although here Klas has chosen some hanging gold stars, which will catch any winter sunlight.  Red apples are also a perfect complement to his traditional Christmas colour scheme.  And for an easy festive pot pourri, combine cinnamon sticks, cloves and star anise and place in a warm room.

A folded cosy blanket sits on several chairs and the sofas. Not only do these provide accents of festive colour, they also offer the promise of extra snuggly warmth.  Decorative and functional, they’d make an excellent Christmas gift – particularly for an older person – on an island where draughts and dampness can make the temperature seem a lot chillier than the thermometer indicates. 

The dining table is the second most important decorative centrepiece – after the tree – as it’s where time will be spent enjoying traditional festive dishes. Here, Klas has set red linen place mats directly onto the richly-hued wooden table, complemented by red crockery.  Each place setting is decorated with a small wooden Christmas tree; there are nightlights in red glass holders, and small silver pots containing Swedish white moss.  An elegant marble cheese or cake stand laden with cookies or sweets becomes a decoration in its own right. Above the table, the splendid light fitting is dressed with candles .

Christmas is a time to bring out and use any special treasures, such as beautiful crystal glasses, silverware and any family heirlooms that have graced the tables of previous generations.  This, after all, is a time for nostalgia and fond memories.

Even the dining chairs look festive: Klas has tied onto each one a small branch of pine, using ribbon attached to a small cardboard cut-out of a fir tree.

As the final ribbon is tied, I wander through each room, admiring seasonlal decorations from Nordic and other European countries, and influences from America.  Klas Käll’s gorgeous festive scheme feels as cosmopolitan as this island, and Christmas – with its message of peace and goodwill to all mankind – seems a highly appropriate time to embrace some of the traditions of other countries.  We wish you a Merry Christmas.

Styled by Rialto Living
C/ Sant Feliu 3c, 07012 Palma, www.rialtoliving.com

Some decoration items by Cuatro Rosas
C/ Sant Feliu 4, 07012 Palma, Tel: 971 72 42 32

Photos: Thomas Baar

Imagine a Japanese Emperor looking for a modern day holiday home in Europe. He would surely choose MJC´s dream property “Zen Vida”. Here he could spend splendid nights above the hills of Son Vida, nestled in this tranquil idyll. The villa emanates freedom, inspiration and spiritual protection.

The extensive terraces dominating the front facade of Zen Vida offer the owner alluring dream views far across Palma and the endless sea. A broad porch is perched on white columns and backed up by a zigzag glass front that looks like a distended bellow. Standing behind it inside, the visitor gets an impression of limitless space. This villa in Son Vida is, especially because of its protected private sphere in an exclusive location, ideal for a celebrity, an actor or a show star. Naturally, less public individuals would love the property just as well.

“Zen Vida” is an authentic glamour home, offering all the extras for an outstanding living experience, without being brash. The overall design is coherent and follows one theme. All elements are arranged with style and taste. The approach and the following inspection of the plot generate a growing “wow” factor, as it becomes clear that this is something very special.

Walls of local stone give the courtyard a quiet, close-to-nature ambience of wellness. Orange and lemon trees sprout from the hanging gardens in the patio. One reaches the ground terrace stepping down an intricate stone staircase which winds around the core building. Entering the area around the swimming pool one fully appreciates the exclusiveness of this place. “Zen Vida” sits above all the other properties in the area, having been built at a majestic height.

The members of the owner family had finished the house´s construction in 2006 with the purpose of using the property themselves. But in the end they only used it sporadically. Now the future purchaser has the privilege of enjoying the “dramatic sunrises”, highlighted in the MJC Associates’ advertisement. The straightforward architecture mingles with the meditative atmosphere. It’s not by chance that the building carries the word “Zen” in its name, a homage to Zen Buddhism. Symbols of Far East culture are subtle proof of that almost everywhere in the house. There are Lucky Bamboo spirals in the basement, white cloths with Japanese letters at the wall behind the master bedroom, Buddhist figures on the ground floor (indoors and outdoors), and vessels with wooden sticks in the bathrooms. Thanks to oil lamps with open flames, the indoor and outdoor ambience can became ceremonial.

The entire furnishings to equip “Zen Vida” were produced to order and are included in the total price. Beds and tables are made of massive pieces of wood imported from the US and from South America. The floors are partly made of wood and marble. On the terrace, astonishing Brazilian “Masaranduba” wood is employed – twice as hard as teak. Altogether 100 tons of granite, stone and marble and tropical wood were used.

The furnishings do not seem overly commanding at first sight. The attention is on a pure, classic style and at a second glance, one realises that the highest quality standards for materials prevail. Door and window levers have even been designed by Sir Norman Foster, the architect responsible for London´s Millennium Bridge, amongst other projects. On the first floor, white leather chairs of luxury manufacturer Natuzzi are arranged in the office, whereas in other places in the house one comes across products of superb brands like Züeco and Blum.

The villa in Son Vida has three different floors, amounting to a living space of approximately 800 sq m containing five bedroom suites and a total of six bathrooms. Entering the house from the patio, the corridor leads into a spacious hall. On the first floor, there are the two master suites as well as an impressive executive office with sea views, perfectly fitted to control one’s affairs at arms length. The extensive terrace on the first floor measures more than 150 sq m. Its balustrade is made of thick security glass.

The lower level houses the guests´ rooms and facilities. From this floor, people have direct access to the main terrace and the swimming pool. The estate provides a separate staff apartment (with own entrance and parking place) and two garages for five cars.

Although installed with discretion, the technical equipment of “Zen Vida” is outstanding. The electric systems were imported mainly from Switzerland and installed by Swiss engineers. Everything starts with a sophisticated fingerprint entry at the front door, which leads into the courtyard. The system has memorized biometric data, allowing only authorized people to pass.
Beside the main door, a control panel screen is embedded into the wall, for fingertip operation of lighting and heating. The system is provided by German company “Jung”. Current measured values of oil, water and electricity consumption allow energy-saving operation. Whether it’s air conditioning, underfloor heating or the alarm system, ‘all strings are pulled together’ at one control point. Lighting and temperature can be regulated using small panels installed at many different points in the house. The whole house – even the bathrooms – is equipped with a Bang & Olufsen sound system. An LED lighting system hidden in furniture, ceilings and walls provides colourful optical effects if desired.

American architects Fullerton Diaz were responsible for the basic plans of “Zen Vida”. The renowned Miami-based architectural firm has reshaped the Miami skyline with notable high rise apartments such as The Continuum and Murano Grand on South Beach. More recently they designed the Ritz Carlton hotel in Mexico City. Local architects supervised the construction process in Son Vida. Fullerton Diaz describes the project idea like this: “Clean lines, timeless appeal, generous space and enduring natural materials, while still revering the Mediterranean location.” They´ve achieved all this – and enriched it with a light meditative touch of the Far East.

Architect company info: www.fdarchitects.com
Contact Property:
Price on request.
Overview: www.zenvida.com

MJC Associates S.L, C / San Miguel 30 – 5° l, 07002 Palma
Contact person: Michael Cunnington
Tel. +34 971 57 99 57, Fax +34 971 72 55 47
zv@mjcassociates.net, www.mjcassociates.net

Text: Roland Kroiss

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