A restored Menorca country villa becomes the epitome of island living
Located near Cami de Cavalls, a 185-kilometer trail that offers breathtaking views from the cliffs that jut out into the Mediterranean, this home is a balanced blend of traditional craft and modern sensibility.
Ceramic plates and Spanish azulejo tile decorate the rustic kitchen in this 18th century Menorca house
A lebrillo wall to welcome new guests
Tucked away in a secluded area known for its unspoiled rocky coves and thick woodlands, the grand entrance is decorated with great restraint: a lebrillo wall of mid-sized bowls deck the hall. Typical of the style of Andalusian pottery, these bowls feature lush vegetal motifs and geometric patterns.
Six decorative bowls in blue tiled in a diagonal pattern stand out against the vibrant red of the tablecloth below. Here, the owners have made a selection of floral patterns with just one pomegranate motif in the center.
This vignette adds a point of interesting in a space in an otherwise sparsely decorated space.
Featured in Susana Gallardo’s Secret Houses: Living in Menorca, this home boasts a large pottery collection in this Andalusian style. On the opposite side of the entrance hall, we find a large tinaja pot. And, the keen observer will notice a collection of lebrillo serving bowls hanging on the back wall near the staircase.
Our Girasol Fajalauza Serving Bowl is hand-thrown and hand-painted by skilled artisan hands in southern Spain.
Painted in vivid color over white glaze, its base features a cheerful sunflower set amid a wreath of unopened buds. The walls of the bowl are covered in tender leaves.
Known as “fuente semillana” in southern Spain, this flat-bottomed bowl makes a pretty centerpiece at the table or an eye-catching wall accent.
Made in the same shape as the traditional lebrillo in our Fajalauza tradition, this large bowl has also become a collector’s treat.
Love the Girasol design? Get it plates and pitchers, too.
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.
Elsewhere in the house, the owners display rustic terracotta pots. Dripping yellow paint accents, this style of ceramics favors minimal decoration: either covered in a transparent glaze or bearing a few splashes of paint. Here, the singluar shape of the pots takes precedence.
Squat vessels with small handles decorate an upper shelf in the dining room while a large wine jug sits on the counter below.
On the raw wood table sits a large rustic lebrillo, probably a French tian.
Modern architectural elements blend with traditional craft
Though ancient, the interiors of this 18th-century villa blend modernist architectural elements and traditional craft. In the lounge area below, hand-painted tiles frame the door while curved built-in shelves a contemporary atmosphere to the room.
While interesting to the eye, curvature in architecture also activates the brain’s reward centers, prompting a feeling of pleasure and safety. “Artists and designers are way ahead of scientists. They already use organic, curvy lines to evoke a sense of comfort, aesthetic pleasure and hominess,” says Dirk Bernhardt-Walther, a researcher at Toronto University.
And it does feel homy, as he says. While the villa sits on a large estate — the main house and guest quarters sleep up to 10 people — no room feels like a presentation. Decorated with enough restraint to let each piece shine, the interiors feel relaxed, the epitome of island living.
Hand-painted tiled wainscotting cools Mediterranean interiors
Perhaps the most eye-catching decorative element in this home is the wall tile.
Used throughout the villa, the terracotta tile is both aesthetic and completely practical. Cool tile mitigates the intense summer heat of the Mediterranean. Especially popular in the south, homeowners use terracotta tile in wainscotting, door frames, and stair risers.
Easy to wipe clean, glazed terracotta tile also makes a stunning tableau of a kitchen backsplash.
Our Arabesco 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: 1/2 square meter
20 × 20 cm: 13 pieces
15 × 15 cm: 23 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.
See our traditional Spanish tiles for more. For more lebrillo designs, custom size or color, please get in touch.
