IT’S H AR D TO I M AGI N E
that the Ibizan home of British fashion editor Deborah Brett and her writer-director husband Tom Edmunds was once the wild card in a quartet of properties they viewed over six years ago. ‘We looked straight past the dead trees, the proliferation of bright orange crenellated walls and gauche tower, with its thick bars on all the windows, to the villa’s incredible location.’ With uninterrupted views out towards the island of Es Vedra, the house gives the feeling of being right on the sea. ‘When we discovered that it had access, via a dirt path, to our favourite beach, a rarity in Ibiza, the deal was sealed,’ adds Tom.
For Deborah, who has been going to the Balearic Islands since she was a child, the desire to recreate the holidays of her youth for her own children – Phineas, 10, Hermione, eight, and Ottilie, five – was a strong motivator in finding a home here. ‘There is a sensibility to the Balearics that we love. A wildness,’ she says. ‘The smell of the pine trees and the red dirt roads offer such a contrast to our busy London life.’
Initially, the couple did nothing more than a quick styling job on the villa. ‘It took three years to get our building plans passed, but by then we’d had enough time to experience the house and understand how we hoped to live in it,’ says Deborah. When it came to the interiors, the couple knew exactly what they wanted. ‘We both felt quite strongly that we’d like a blue and white house. Not a crisp, Nantucket-type nautical scheme, but more of a faded, worn and beachy look with lots of natural textures and earthy elements,’ Deborah explains. The duo were quick to enlist the help of interior designer Hubert Zandberg, who had previously worked with them on their London home. He kept closely to the monochromatic blue theme, but used everything from raw brick to stone, rope, leather, wicker and straw to ground the various tones and patterns that had been employed throughout the property.
Hubert and his team concentrated on finding the very best artisans on the island, and personally visited every workshop and studio to establish the level of craftsmanship on offer. ‘Thanks to this dedication the villa is a real melting pot, with vintage finds mixed with furniture made by local artisans specifically for our home,’ says Deborah. ‘It’s a place where Tom and I get to creatively refuel and lead a simpler life. You can’t put a price on that.’ hzinteriors.com