Beyond the stone portal The Binissalem stone portal and rustic timber doors still mark the entrance to this old village house. The worn stone bears years of use. Beyond them, 353 Arquitectes has opened the ground floor from entrance to sitting room, dining area and kitchen, allowing daylight to travel further through the rooms. The house was in remarkably good original condition, so the renovation began with what could be kept. The interior design was developed by the owners, the Swedish couple behind Durietz Design, in close collaboration with 353 Arquitectes. Worn surfaces remain alongside the ease of a new layout. At the back, the house leads towards a garden and the Tramuntana beyond.

The marès arch was restored, along with the original interior doors and timber beams. The old staircase still leads upstairs on its timeworn steps. On the first-floor porch, three existing arches have been recovered, framing a quieter corner of the home. Their grain and weathered edges bring texture to the pale rooms, keeping the restoration visible in everyday life.

“A walk through the house reveals its older features gradually”

The most significant change is felt on the ground floor. Entrance, sitting room, dining area and kitchen now flow together, so a walk through the house reveals its older features gradually. Upstairs, skylights bring light into rooms that once had less of it. Existing openings were restored and new ones added for views and daylight; bathrooms were introduced where the original house had only one. The façade retains its lower windows, while circular openings return to the second floor. Grey walls and burgundy shutters give it a new face on the village street.

In the garden, the old water reservoir, cistern, exterior stair and vine arbour have been restored. The pool is the new arrival, lined in Binissalem stone that continues across the terrace. It gives the owners a place to spend an afternoon outdoors, with the mountains still in sight.