Heart & soul A country home that celebrates nature and wellbeing

SEEKING A FRESH START, AN ARCHITECT CREATES A COUNTRY IDYLL THAT CELEBRATES NATURE AND PROMOTES WELLBEING

The small Spanish island of Ibiza is perhaps most famous for its glamorous party scene, where celebrities frolic aboard superyachts moored along its azure coastline and revellers dance the night away to the soundtracks of the world’s most sought-after DJs. But that certainly wasn’t what drew accountant turned architect and interior designer Cate to its idyllic shores. “I had never imagined living in Ibiza before I visited in 2011,” recalls Cate. “I had been in London for 20 years and escaped to Ibiza because I thought it would be a good place to be as a divorced woman and a single mum – and it certainly was.” Starting over was nothing new for Cate. Ten years earlier she had turned her back on a career in finance to pursue her dream of designing beautiful interiors. This time around she was determined to carve out a new life and a new home to immerse herself in her creative calling. In the country hills surrounding the village of Santa Gertrudis, the cosmopolitan centre of Ibiza, she found the ideal parcel of land. “The plot had a licence to build a very modern house but there was only eight months left on the licence,” says Cate, who immediately began adjusting the plans to suit her style and also tackling the bureaucracy that followed as building got under way. “I had to keep to the same footprint as the original paperwork dictated but I completely changed the look of the house and the layout where possible.” The home’s intricate and detailed construction ended up taking longer than expected – an arduous 19 months. “I ran the build from beginning to end,” says Cate. “I was there every day, literally marking out the stone walls to restore the terrace walling on the mountain.”>

LIVING ROOM

A pair of oversized picture windows drench the living area with natural light and offer a serene garden backdrop that changes with the seasons (right). Cate has kept furnishings simple with a roomy linen sofa (try Living By Design to get the look) and an ottoman (for similar, try the ‘Bronte’ linen ottoman from Lounge Lovers) atop jute rugs. “The fabric colours are very subtle – just a touch of blue in the grey and some browns to offset it,” she says. The daybed reading nook is kitted out with a custom-covered cushion and has a recessed wall nook for books. For a similar light, try ‘The Extender’ lamp from The Light House Noosa.

Surprisingly, navigating a build in a foreign country wasn’t Cate’s biggest dilemma. “I don’t like new houses,” she says with a laugh. “So my challenge was to give it soul.” She tasked the local artisans with hand-finishing the walls in traditional, beautifully textured lime plaster. “I also used brushed and hammered stone on the floors, lots of wood and Spanish linens for decorating, but unlike the old fincas I put in picture windows so we could see sunrises and sunsets, and underfloor heating, plus invisible airconditioning, solar panels and a music system,” says Cate. The palette is a soft, earthy mix of nature’s prettiest hues – creamy whites and warm caramels, subtly melded with shades of blue to reflect the vast Mediterranean sky that envelops the estate. “The house is on the top of a hill so it’s like you are in the sky,” says Cate, who has named her dreamy abode Can Caterina. She rents it out during the busy summer season, and relishes long days at home in the winter. “Ibiza in the winter is beautiful and quiet,” she says. What began as an escape from a marriage breakdown has turned out to be a life-changing detour. And now, the clever designer is keen to share the healing it has provided along the way. “One of my plans for the house is to run retreats for men and women post-divorce and in mid-life crisis,” she says. That just might be proof that creating a beautiful sanctuary to share is the very best kind of therapy.

KITCHEN

The kitchen (top & left) was designed with a view towards communal gathering, with a spacious floor plan and long, harvest-style table that doubles as an island. A soft blend of ivory, grey and beech lends a country feel, but there’s a distinct dose of Scandi through the seamless cabinetry and open shelving. Corian benchtops in Warm Grey are perfectly paired with stone floors. “The floor tiles are Crema Arena hammered, brushed stone and took me six months to find,” says Cate.

MAIN BEDROOM

A soothing sanctuary of texture and subtle colour, the main bedroom (top) showcases elements often seen in Spanish farmhouses such as thick walls, drapes as closet doors and an open bathroom. Simple white bedding and a handful of bamboo and timber furnishings, such as Ay Illuminate ‘M2’ pendant lights (available from Spence & Lyda) finish the room perfectly. To create the same feel, try a ‘Nusa’ rattan bar stool from Hello Trader and, for rustic bedside tables, ‘Petite Dingklik’ teak stools from Magnolia Lane are a good choice.

BATHROOM

Recessed nooks in the walls for shelving and seating are another nod to the traditional architecture of the area. In this compact guest bathroom (left), Cate has kept things very fresh and simple, with a space-saving nook for toiletries in place of a vanity countertop. Try the ‘Ankeny’ bamboo ladder from Living Styles for towels and clothes as a beachy alternative to permanent rails.

“WHERE THERE IS plenty OF NATURAL LIGHT THE PALETTE IS VERY gentle ” ~ CATE