studio in their favourite beachside location in Sussex gave this family the peaceful lifestyle they were looking for ISLAND RETREAT A Majorcan village house was

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When property in the chic Majorca mountain village of Deia comes up for sale there is always a scramble to acquire it. And with so few houses available, an imaginative vision is often required to embed the necessities for comfortable modern living in these old, traditional homes. Oro del Negro and Manuel Villanueva of More Design became involved in one such house. Having been raised on the island, Oro, whose wife Tille contributes to the interiors wing of the firm, has an intimate working knowledge of the local vernacular style, materials and craftsmanship.

‘Property mostly passes from family to family and when it does come on the market it comes with a price tag,’ says Oro. ‘If you buy a house in Deia now, it becomes a passion project.’ His client had fallen in love with the village, which climbs up the flanks of the Teix mountain and seems to be permanently basking in a romantic rose-tinted sunlight. Famously adopted by the English poet and novelist Robert Graves, the village has become a commune for artists, musicians and writers.

This stunning property is on a narrow street winding down from the church and, dramatically, virtually everything behind the façade was to be changed. ‘The house’s footprint on steep terrain was a challenge and we wanted to bring a lot of light down into the darker spaces, which we did by creating a light well at the top of the stairs,’ says Oro. Downstairs, a kitchen, dining and sitting room open out onto a courtyard with annex guest room, pool and covered dining area. At the top of the house are the bedrooms including a large master suite and studio space.

The interior has an uplifting simplicity. ‘We wanted to give the house the traditional DNA of the local

HALLWAY The traditional ‘entrada’ was retained and adapted for use as a cinema room. Upholstery fabric, price on request, Tapásería Tomás Riera. The jute rug, £139.95, Benuta, is similar. The Gift artwork is by Deia artist Arturo Rhodes

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vernacular but with a contemporary reading of its space,’ says Oro. While Majorcan homes typically are built with rough stonework interior walls, Oro favoured a lime and plaster mix to create a continuous render, then waxed and polished with olive tree soap to give a muted, tactile quality. The floors are treated with a mineral coating, which Oro says gives a ‘concrete urban-industrial’ effect. A stonemason was tasked with insetting the slabs of natural stone, which blend at random intervals into the slick bone-coloured floor.

The result is a skilful combination of contemporary and artisanal, handmade features. ‘We like to work with local craftspeople reviving old techniques and create our own bespoke elements,’ says Oro. Majorcan Robes de llengües or ‘cloth of tongues’ fabrics have been used for windows and cushions bringing a relaxed informality. Carefully curated furnishings, among them the red velvet sofa, Philippe Starck ghost chairs and four-poster bed, add their own sense of charisma.

The house is so full of unexpected details that stepping through the door and seeing the way the space unfolds is surprising. ‘It might be shocking to walk into a house like this and discover this mix of contemporary and old, but you would soon recognise the traditional values,’ says Oro. A rare gem, it’s impossible to imagine anyone resisting this house’s unique charm.

BEDROOM A minimalistic scheme and simple bed frame allow the luxurious silk quilt to become the focus. Maisons du Monde’s four-poster bed, £443.50, would work. Try Habitat’s Regency quilted bedspread, £250