Project: Almudaina Apartment
Architecture: Jaime Salvá
Location: Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Area: 110 m2
Year: 2023
Photo Credits: Tomeu Canyellas
The reform of the Almudaina Apartment is one of the latest works by the Jaime Salvá Architecture & Interior design firm. The property is located in the old town of Palma de Mallorca, near the Town Hall and the cathedral, surrounded by narrow winding streets. Its owners were looking to create a new home in the city, and the old town caught their attention due to the life on the streets of this characteristic neighborhood.
The Almudaina apartment was in conditions that did not allow its habitability. It was necessary to renovate the facilities, kitchens and bathrooms. The reform took into account the original elements of the house to maintain its essence, such as the Ionic column, adding other more contemporary elements that could work, achieving a “chic” and timeless atmosphere, a fusion between the old and the the current.
To achieve the “chic” effect that was sought, the original colors of the house are combined with other more daring tones, such as the red used on the sofa. Current and traditional elements are combined, to obtain a feeling that they have been there before.
It is also worth noting the pavement. Salvá says that they decided to “keep the original despite having to replace some pieces of hydraulic ceramic tiles.” In some rooms it was decided to put herringbone oak wood.
The kitchen is a bright and open place. During the renovation, Jaime Salvá’s team opened a hole in the load-bearing wall to be able to connect the semi-open kitchen with the other spaces in the apartment. The material chosen for the island and other elements that make up the space is calacatta marble, which is white and has very distinctive gray veins.
Banni was the company chosen to select the furniture. The team says that the elements were defined by Jaime Salvá Architecture & Interior Design, and they “tried to understand the base and idea to capture it as well as possible”. Knowing the clients and their lifestyle was also a very important point when choosing the fabrics for their optimal use and passage over time.
The living room rug was made with a completely personalized drawing, as well as its colors, allowing the perfect combination with the other pieces in the living room. The bookshelf, located in the office area, is hung on the wall, with large-scale open holes, increasing the feeling of space.
The bedroom was a great structural challenge, where it was decided to hang the large velvet curtain, allowing the separation of the bathroom and the main room with a great light between main walls and maintaining the line of the original hanging beam.
With this intervention, not only was the aesthetic defined by the architecture firm: they also wanted to find comfort in each piece. The curved shapes invite us to sit down, enjoy and spend time in them. Keeping original pieces, such as the large lamps in the dining room, combining them with cheerful colors, curved and natural shapes, makes it a very special and characteristic space, between chic and historical.
The interior design was carried out by Jaime Salvá in collaboration with the interior designer Ondrej Zdercik. All the images in the project are by photographer Tomeu Canyellas.
