Interior designer Cuca Sánchez-Cuenca has deep roots in Mallorca, but an adventurous spirit means she has lived in 18 countries. All those years immersed in different cultures – Mexico, Russia, Kazakhstan, India, Paris, Italy and many more besides – have richly shaped her personal perception of beauty. “I love gold; it reminds me of sunshine,” she tells us, gesturing around her elegant living room, a fresh, updated take on palazzo style, sumptuous gold detailing popping against crisp white walls. Her palm-tree art is bright and breezy, the furnishings all refined luxury. Spending time in Moscow made her appreciate gold, but Cuca takes worldly influences, and makes them her own. “Oriental design – it can be a bit much” she smiles. “I like to sprinkle gold tastefully, and create contrasts.”
Wit and eclecticism
It’s all about placing elements of surprise – an ornate gold object placed next to a basket, or a glass table laid with handpainted placemats. Those unexpected marriages that inspire pleasure. With her heavenly shop in Ses Salines, Cuca curates treasure handpicked from around the globe. After years of international clients delighted by her interior design projects saying she should open her own store, she took their advice, buying both a large house she’s currently renovating into a concept space, and a small shop.
Like Maison Palmera, a gorgeous eclectic mix of goods – exquisite Japanese pottery; colour-blocking Indian textiles; beautiful baskets; leather items from South America and Portuguese tableware, to name a few – Cuca herself is full of surprises, and architecture runs through her veins. Her father, Felipe Sánchez-Cuenca, was a renowned architect, as well as her grandfather, the legendary architect and town planner Gabriel Alomar, author of the elegant Jardines del Rey and Avenida Jaime III. Theirs are big footsteps to follow, but Cuca inherited an eye and sense for aesthetics, and she follows her own path, in a spirit of sunny effervescence. “My style is best described as ‘Mediterranean, with a twist.’ Searching for special pieces, my shop – it brings me so much joy” she says, radiating happiness.
