A modern home on Mallorca where Moorish heritage shines through
Beyond the practical hurdles of any home renovation, there is that thrill of coming into something new. Perhaps it is the fantasy that an innocent hand grazing a wall will reveal a hidden passageway. Or, the excitement of ripping off tattered old wallpaper, dizzy with the dream of finding some ancient mural hidden behind it a la Frances Mayes in under The Tuscan Sun.
Where reality fails to deliver, the imagination provides.
Tile mosaics cover the wainscot along several passages that lead to the bedrooms in this Mallorcan villa
“We invented a narrative that the original (imaginary) structure had been a Moorish fortress overlooking the sea,” says Michael S. Smith, owner of this beautiful villa overlooking Alcúdia Bay. “From there we spun a fantasy involving all the influences that had washed over the island—Roman, Byzantine, Venetian, Moorish, Aragonese, and Spanish—each leaving their imprint on the home we see today.”
In a bid to insulate the home from the Mediterranean sun, azulejo tile mosaics drench the wainscoting and floors in most of the hallways and rooms.
Common in homes throughout the region, Spanish azulejo — or zellige as it is known in the Maghreb — is both utilitarian and decorative. Such tile mosaics provide an easy-to-clean cooling system.
Typically used along the stair riser, wainscot, baseboard, or a kitchen backsplash, azulejo tile has become a quintessential element in Moorish-style architecture on the peninsula and in Spanish Colonial homes abroad.
Our solid green hand-painted ceramic tile is suited for interior and exterior decorations. Handmade in Spain, these tiles feature intricate patterns reminiscent of traditional Hispano-Arab designs.
Perfect for kitchen backsplash, kitchen floors, bathroom walls, patio floors, stairs and fireplaces.
Minimum order: Square meter or Lineal meter
20 × 20 cm: 25 pieces
15 × 15 cm: 45 pieces
10 × 10 cm: 100 pieces
7 × 7 cm: 14 pieces (1 lineal meter)
5 × 5 cm: 20 pieces (1 lineal meter)
Colors available: We offer about 18 different colors including our traditional blue, green, purple, and yellow. To order a different color other than the one listed, please get in touch.
Production Lead Time: Kindly note, while we do hold some stock, many of our items are made to order. If out of stock, the production lead time is 4-6 weeks. For updates on current availability, please contact hello@casapletorica.com.
The owners have taken a pan-Mediterranean approach to furnishings.
Above, Turkish Iznik plates a hallway. French cabinets, Venetian chandeliers and Greek klismos chairs add a cosmpolitan feel to this island retreat. The stenciled raffia covering in one of the guest rooms alludes to the famous Henri Matisse cutouts from his later painting, “Polynésie, la mer.”
Despite myriad elements from across the region, the Hispano-Arab influence dominates the décor.
The Moorish legacy the owner hoped to honor is in full display in the dining room where a sumptuous artesonado coffered ceiling draws the eye skyward. The sunken panels of these Moorish ceilings house elaborate hand-carved celestial and vegetal motifs. Perhaps one of the most stunning and best preserved Moorish ceiling in Spain is at the University of Alcalá de Henares, just outside of Madrid.
Elsewhere, the wainscot is done in a Moorish-style mosaic. A pattern of small square tesserae in black and green topped with an Almenilla border tile at recalls the Patio de los Arrayanes in the Alhambra.
A common feature in Hispano-Arab tile mosaics, this Almenilla motif comes in various forms. Carved to resemble the merlons that crown defensive towers and minarets.
Our Almenilla hand-painted ceramic tile is suited for interior and exterior decorations. Handmade in Spain, these tiles feature intricate patterns reminiscent of traditional Hispano-Arab designs.
Perfect for kitchen backsplash, kitchen floors, bathroom walls, patio floors, stairs and fireplaces.
Minimum order: 1 lineal meter:
7× 23 cm: 5 pieces
Colors available: We offer about 18 different colors including our traditional blue, green, purple, and yellow. To order a different color other than the one listed, please get in touch.
Production Lead Time: Kindly note, while we do hold some stock, many of our items are made to order. If out of stock, the production lead time is 4-6 weeks. For updates on current availability, please contact hello@casapletorica.com.
Despite the plethora of colorways available today, the owners chose to honor the earliest examples of azulejo patterns.
Until the mid-13th century, most Spanish terracotta tiles were done in these cool tones: blue, turquoise, green, white or black — colors that were already popular in the East and in the Maghreb.
Though perhaps a conservative choice, the cooler tones suit the subdued interiors here.
Though this three-story terraced home is a modern build, local sandstone gives the structure the rustic look a traditional Mallorcan villa. The sage-green French doors of the terrace open to reveal the interiors where a subdued color palette bathes the rooms in soothing aura.
Native plants like Spanish lavender, geraniums and other blooms decorate the terrace overlooking the bay.
See our traditional Spanish tiles for more. For customizations, please get in touch.
