There are places that do not need to be reinvented, but rather listened to. This is the case of this mid-20th-century casa payesa, rescued from abandonment and reborn as a refuge in harmony with the surrounding nature. An architectural project by Blackstad Ibiza, defenders of vernacular design and the peaceful pace of tradition, sets the tone for this meticulous restoration, which interior designer Raúl Martins has turned into an intimate tribute to the Ibizan landscape.
On the horizon, the silhouette of Es Vedrà seems to watch over the silences of the estate: 14 hectares of pine forest that embrace the house. “The owners, a sustainable fashion designer and a tech executive, she Belgian, he French, are deeply environmentally conscious. They were adamant that the renovation should not harm the landscape, so everything was done in an almost entirely traditional way,” explains the interior designer. The project was carried out with the patience and awareness of ancestral trades, reviving materials, techniques and local knowledge.
Chestnut beams, limestone and a limewash skin embrace an architecture where the vernacular becomes majestic. The interiors unfold in neutral tones, with bold yet serene pieces in constant dialogue with the outside: large tables carved by artisans, bespoke furniture, built-in shelves and kitchens, ceramic or resin-coated rope panels—all revolve around a single principle: true luxury lies in letting nature take centre stage.
The spaces, around 600 m² spread across the main house and two independent pavilions, are designed for outdoor living. From the saltwater pool with slate bottom that mirrors the garden by Terra Vita, to the former tool shed now turned chill-out pavilion, every corner celebrates slow living, shared moments, and essential beauty.
The upper floor is dedicated to the main bedroom, which opens out to the sea and the pine forest through a terrace where silence can be heard more clearly. Most of the furniture, designed by Raúl Martins, blends aesthetic sensibility with Mediterranean soul: natural fibre lamps, elm and marble dressers, linen textiles and Matarranz blankets, stuccoed ceramics and artisan vases. Everything here is humble yet elevated, cultured and, above all, deeply peaceful, like the island itself. The house becomes an extension of the land, a second skin. A place where the cosmopolitan and the local reconcile to create a sanctuary for embracing this wonderful island.
Project: Casa Molí.
Location: Ibiza.
Architecture: Blackstad Ibiza.
Interior design: Raúl Martins.
Landscape design: Terra Vita.
Completed: 2024
Photography: Pablo Saravia.
Raúl Martins
Raúl Martins is a Spanish interior designer whose career bridges diverse fields of knowledge and creative disciplines. He studied Political Science and Public Administration at the Complutense University of Madrid, followed by a degree in Interior Architecture in 1996 from the Polytechnic University of Madrid. He further enriched his academic background with specialized courses in Landscape Design at the University of Bath and Historic Heritage Restoration at a university in Scotland. His studio is composed of a multidisciplinary team of professionals in interior design, decoration, architecture, and graphic design. Martins has led residential projects in Europe and the United States, as well as corporate headquarters, commercial spaces, private clinics, showrooms, and ephemeral installations. Read full biography.
Fuente: Raúl Martins.
Raúl Martins
General Castaños 5
28004 Madrid
+34 91 700 48 67
+34 639 176 885
contacto@raulmartins.com
raulmartins.com
@raulmartinsstudio
Project by Raúl Martins
