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    Renovated Ibizan finca retains rustic charm as Aguamadera hotel

    A 19th-century farmhouse hidden away in the mountains of Ibiza has been converted into a hotel, where guests stay inside earthy, minimalist suites with interiors conceived by creative director Carlota Sarda Caralps.

    The remote Aguamadera resort opened earlier this year and was designed as “a secluded hideaway home” with a focus on nature, wellness and food.
    A 19th-century farmhouse has been converted into a boutique hotelThe brainchild of Pacha Group co-founder Iria Urgell and hospitality entrepreneur Pablo Fernández-Valdés, the hotel was designed under the creative direction of Sarda Caralps.
    Positioned atop a hill near the beach resort of Cala Llonga, the finca – or farmhouse – and its outbuildings constructed in 1888 were converted to accommodate seven guest rooms and four suites.
    The pink flowers of a large bougainvillea tree contrast the whitewashed buildingThe renovated whitewashed structures sit among 27 acres of pine forests, olive groves and terraced agricultural land, from which much of the produce used in the hotel’s restaurant is sourced.

    The name Aguamadera is derived from the Spanish words for water and wood, in a nod to the fact that the hotel hopes to promote healing through nature in its rural setting.
    A covered porch features built-in seating for loungingThis translates into the design through the use of natural materials like clay plaster walls, wooden furniture, linen textiles and jute carpets.
    Simplicity reigns throughout the resort. The textured plasterwork forms organically shaped surfaces and the cement floors complement the neutral palette.
    Small pendant lights hang from the exposed ceiling beams in the casual dining areaThe main building is minimally decorated with locally crafted furniture, objects and a rotating series of works by Ibizan artists.
    “Our venue serves as a vessel between artists and guests,” said the operators.
    “Aguamadera presents pieces of art for a limited time only where paintings, sculptures, environmental art and rare objects are integrated within the hotel experience.”
    Furniture, objects and works by local artists and artisans are displayed throughoutTowards the back is the restaurant, where the kitchen and its wood-fired oven are completely open to the casual dining area.
    Small pendant lights suspended from the exposed wooden ceiling beams softly illuminate the tables, which are set with tableware by British artisan and artist Sarah Jerath.
    The old farmhouse accommodates seven guest rooms”Cosy, easy-going and fresh, the space allows you to explore the valley from within with sunset views,” the team said.
    “In the essence of the winter season, a colossal fireplace evokes nostalgic charm.”
    The rooms have a monastic quality and are furnished with only the essentialsSpread over two floors, the guest rooms in the farmhouse have a monastic quality, with the earth-toned furnishings and decor elements reduced to only what’s necessary.
    Larger multi-room suites are located in corrals – the outbuildings that formerly housed livestock – and have the same visual language as the other spaces.
    Cushioned loungers surround the swimming pool, which overlooks the valley beyond”Rustic wood finishes, built-in furniture, quality materials and soft textures are highlighted through sculptural silhouettes, the cornerstone of our design,” said the team.
    Across the site, several terraces facing the surrounding valleys offer outdoor spaces for guests to eat, drink and relax.

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    A covered porch is lined with built-in seats for lounging and is further shaded by a bougainvillaea tree, whose pink flowers starkly contrast the building’s white walls.
    The pool terrace below features chunky cushioned loungers placed on terracotta tiles and is wrapped by a low dry-stone wall.
    The hotel’s larger suites are housed in the outbuildings formerly used for livestockSunset is best enjoyed from cushions and mats placed under a huge tree on the opposite side of the building to the pool, where a large al fresco dining area is also located.
    Details include hollow bricks with patterned faces embedded into the walls, which glow softly at night to help guests navigate around the site.
    The suites have their own outdoor areasAguamadera hosts a variety of activities for guests and the local community, from exhibitions and workshops to wellness offerings such as sound meditations, rituals and ceremonies.
    Ibiza is renowned the world over as a party destination but visitors are beginning to appreciate its natural beauty and rural charm, too.
    Multiple terraces wrapped by dry-stone walls can be used by guestsSeveral of the island’s old farmhouses have been converted into hotels or private villas, including a 200-year-old stone building that was turned into the members-only retreat La Granja.
    The historic port city of Eivissa has also seen a recent renaissance, with locations from international groups The Standard and Experimental both opening within the past couple of years.
    The photography is by Lekuona Studio. The main image is by Mateo Sánchez Garcia De La Cruz.

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    Ibiza's first hotel gets bohemian refresh from Dorothée Meilichzon

    The 1930s Montesol hotel in Ibiza has reopened following a full overhaul of its 30 bedrooms and three suites by Dorothée Meilichzon of French interior design studio Chzon.

    Set in the old town of Eivissa, the newly renamed Montesol Experimental has been undergoing a multi-stage renovation since 2021, when it was bought by the Experimental hospitality group.
    Interior designer Dorothée Meilichzon has overhauled the bedrooms (top image) of the Montesol Experimental hotel (above)Meilichzon was responsible for overseeing the whole project, starting two years ago with the Sabbaba restaurant and rooftop bar before finally turning to the rooms. Her aim was to infuse “a bohemian overtone throughout the interior”, drawing on the hotel’s rich history.
    Built nearly a century ago in 1933, the neo-colonial Montesol is widely considered Ibiza’s first hotel, and between the 50s and 80s was known for hosting a roster of hippies, celebrities and royals including the members of rock band Pink Floyd and legendary director and actor Orson Welles.
    The rooms are brightened up by Diego Faivre’s Playdough StoolsMeilichzon was keen to tap into this bohemian past, layering up an array of fabrics, patterns, fringes and pompoms, used against light woods and textured plaster walls.

    “The hotel is a pool of colour to reflect the joy and open-mindedness of Ibiza,” she told Dezeen.
    Shell-patterned walls feature throughout the interiorsWarm yellow hues nod to the building’s iconic yellow-and-white exterior, juxtaposed with a variety of green and blue tones that bring in the colours of the Mediterranean sea.
    “Solar colours have been adopted in common areas and lunar colours in rooms,” she said. “Listening to Ayurvedic principles, we used cooling, calming colours inside the hotel to counterbalance the heat outside.”
    Moroccan zellige tiles were used to frame the mini bars in the guest roomsTiling, too, brings a cooling element, used in both the rooms and the public spaces.
    “Tiles are an important feature in this hotel,” Meilichzon explained. “And we have used traditional zelliges to wrap the niches of the mini-bars in a palette of orange, brown and off-white.”

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    A hand-made theme threads through the building, as seen in the many shell-patterned walls that were created by pressing individual seashells into fresh lime plaster.
    Arched forms – from room openings to bathroom mirrors to statement headboard – reference the grandeur of the hotel’s exterior but in a more relaxed and low-key way.
    Arched headboards reference the grandeur of the hotel’s exteriorCircles are another recurring silhouette, found across rugs, arworks and chair backs.
    “I enjoyed shaping a lot of curvy, wavy lines around the hotel to add softness to the design,” Meilichzon said. “Nothing is sharp in Ibiza, it is a very smooth atmosphere.”
    The same rounded forms are repeated in the tables and chairsThe circle idea is continued through the use of celestial motifs, with brass suns and iron moons scattered across the hotel calling to mind the sunny days and celebrated nightlife of the island as well as its more spiritual side.
    The bedrooms have a playful feel, with chunky Playdough Stools by Diego Faivre, hand-made masks by Mallorcan artist Anna-Alexandra and wardrobe doors informed by jigsaw puzzles.
    “These unique and whimsical pieces bring a lot of character to the rooms,” Meilichzon said.
    Meilichzon previously completed the hotel’s Sabbaba restaurantSince founding her hospitality design studio Chzon in 2009, the designer has created a number of interiors for Experimental Group including outposts in London and Menorca alongside the Hotel Il Palazzo Experimental in Venice.
    More recently, Meilichzon was also responsible for overhauling a departure lounge at Charles de Gaulle Airport, incorporating her hallmark arches alongside fountains referencing iconic Parisian monuments.
    The photography is by Karel Balas.

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    The Standard and Oskar Kohnen design island hotel to reference “golden age of Ibiza”

    Boutique hotel group The Standard has housed a hotel in Ibiza in a former movie theatre with interiors designed by its in-house design team and architect Oskar Kohnen.

    Located in the heart of Ibiza Town in a former movie theatre, The Standard Ibiza contains 67 guest suites, restaurants, a rooftop bar and a swimming pool with panoramic views of the island. The project was overseen by architect and interior designer Lázaro Rosa-Violán.
    The Standard Ibiza was designed by its in-house design team and Oskar Kohnen”The specific location was the former site of an old movie theatre in the heart of town,” The Standard International’s chief design officer Verena Haller told Dezeen. “It was a place where locals came together throughout the year.”
    “Inspired by that, we knew we wanted to create something which would revive that energy for the local crowd, which is also always a hallmark of what we do so it was a good match in that regard.”
    The hotel is housed within a former movie theatreWhen designing the interiors, The Standard team and London-based interior architect Oskar Kohnen drew on the “lore and sensibility” of the island’s bohemian and “flower power” history, which emerged from Ibiza’s role as a haven from Spain’s dictatorship and the Vietnam War draft.

    This design choice was a “perfect nod” to the island’s style and provided a juxtaposition with the starker exterior of the former movie theatre, said Haller.
    The interiors take cues from 1960s bohemian design”Our team rallied around this direction because it felt spot-on for us and it’s something that has been lost over time despite it perhaps being the golden age of Ibiza in a way,” Haller added.
    Kohnen and The Standard designed the guest suites as a respite from the business of the town and the hotel’s public spaces. The suites have a pared-back beach-villa look with retro-informed furnishings that speak to the hotel’s bohemian identity.
    The hotel is located in the heart of Ibiza townTones of white, grey and beige were used for the walls and floors.
    The furnishings and fixtures are made with natural materials and light woods.

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    The team used the “layering” of texture, furniture and plants to bring dimension to the interiors and play off the Spanish sun, which enters the hotel through its shutter-lined windows.
    “It is important to see layering and pattern, textures and colour, the shadow play of the plants inside and out through sunlight during the day and warm temperature lights at night,” said Haller.
    Natural materials were used throughout the hotelContrasting to the hotel’s guest suites, the hotel’s public spaces, which include Jara, a ground-floor restaurant, and Up, a rooftop lounge and pool, were designed with more of a maximalist look.
    Retro-style shapes and patterns were incorporated throughout the interior of the ground-floor restaurant while seating was upholstered in rich greens and tropical leaf-printed fabrics.
    Public spaces employ a maximalist look”We wanted the interiors to convey the feelings we love about Ibiza,” said Haller. “The effortlessness of a chic holiday on the island with your closest friends. Not the mega clubs!”
    “The public spaces are a clear departure from that, filled with rich layers of colours, patterns and textures and the type of casual vibrancy that only The Standard can create.”
    The hotel opened in AprilIn 2o19, The Standard opened its first UK hotel inside the former Camden Town Hall Annexe, a brutalist building in King’s Cross, which featured colourful interiors.
    Elsewhere in Ibiza, architecture studio Marià Castelló designed a retreat that is formed of five bright white volumes and linked by glass corridors.
    Images are courtesy of The Standard.

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