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!
Link to: Mallorcan Tradition Meets Exotic East
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