An apartment that feels like a house in Palma

In Palma, some apartments feel just like houses. This is certainly true of this one, called Casa Villalonga. It’s located on the top floor of a building constructed in 1930. It features a private garden with a pool, a covered terrace, and a rooftop terrace.

From the rooftop terrace, the view sweeps over the rooftops all the way to the Castell de Bellver. We’re in El Terreno, a historic neighborhood in the island’s capital. Here, the cement tiles, arched windows, and original woodwork tell the story of nearly a century of history. Its minimalist, contemporary decor complements this beautiful heritage, letting it take center stage.

The living room, with a mosaic rug at its feet

The living room stretches out beneath a high ceiling accented by subtle moldings. On the floor, a pattern of small tiles forms a veritable rug, blending cream, sage green, burgundy, and ochre. This repeating pattern alone serves as the room’s decoration.

It is furnished very simply with a understated sofa, a glass coffee table, and a white shell-shaped armchair with a ’60s-inspired silhouette. The transparency of the glass allows you to enjoy the pattern even beneath the table. With a floor like this, there’s no need for a rug, is there?

A bright and minimalist dining room

The dining room occupies the other end of this vast living space. The furniture sits on hardwood floors, and around the glass table, four white chairs complete this understated ensemble. Opposite the table, the smallest of the windows has retained its original wooden interior shutters.

The kitchen, a white and stainless steel contrast

The separate kitchen deliberately contrasts with the home’s original features. It features an L-shaped layout with white lacquered cabinet fronts. The brushed stainless steel countertop incorporates the sink and stovetop. An imposing stainless steel range hood rises all the way to the ceiling. The sea-green glass backsplash adds a soft touch and is easy to maintain. On the floor, however, cream, red, and green hexagonal tiles serve as a reminder of the building’s age.

The bedrooms, featuring arches and carved wood

The three bedrooms share the same architectural style, with white walls and wooden trim. One of them has an adjoining walk-in closet, a real luxury in an older home. In one of the bedrooms, a large antique mirror hangs above the bed. Its carved wood serves as a spectacular headboard.

A bedroom-office bathed in light

Another bedroom, like the first, features a large arched French door opening onto a balcony. On the floor, white, brown, and sky-blue hexagonal tiles appear to be scattered at random. This free-form mosaic creates a cheerful decor, without a central pattern. Outside, classical columns and a white balustrade extend the apartment’s classical architecture. Outside, bottle-green shutters shield the windows from the Mallorcan sun, and inside, wooden shutters are often found to provide additional protection.

The perfect bathrooms for a family apartment

The first bathroom features a striking contrast between white and petrol blue. It’s a modern space that retains traces of the past with its window featuring weathered wooden shutters. Around the bathtub, embossed tiles form a tone-on-tone triangle pattern. This texture captures the light and reflects it back into the room.

The entrance

The entryway holds one of the home’s most delightful surprises. On the floor, hexagonal tiles form a path of ochre, green, and brown stripes. This graphic “rug” guides the eye toward a double door made of solid wood. Its hammered glass panels, featuring a honeycomb pattern, diffuse soft light. An oval transom and a frieze of small glass tiles elegantly crown the ensemble. These handcrafted glass doors are among the preserved treasures of the 1930s building.

The rooftop terrace, a living room with a view

Two staircases lead to the rooftop terrace, which spans no less than 126sqm. This space offers an unobstructed view over the neighborhood’s tiled rooftops, all the way to the Castell de Bellver.

A garden designed as a living space

Outside, a staircase leads down to the private garden, planted with banana trees and mature trees. A round table made of emerald-green zellige sits alongside wrought-iron chairs with terracotta cushions.

A wooden bench invites you to take a nap. The floor, made of concrete with exposed pebbles, evokes traditional Mediterranean courtyards, or even riads. Further on, the pool and its terrace complete this green oasis. On one wall, a large panel of azulejos with Baroque motifs serves as a work of art. With its outdoor spaces, this apartment truly feels like a single-family home.

Our take on the decor

A successful blend of heritage and design

The minimalist decor of this apartment is a wise choice made by its owners. They understood that the floors were enough and that they shouldn’t overdo it, at the risk of tiring the eye and the mind. They therefore chose light-colored furniture, often white or transparent, that lets these floors, known as “suelos hidráulicos” in Spain (our famous cement tiles), take center stage. The white chairs, glass tables, and chrome accents bring a very contemporary lightness. The gilded mirrors and carved wood, meanwhile, add a touch of old-world charm.

A Touch of the French Riviera

Although this apartment is located in Mallorca, one notices its resemblance to buildings in southern France and on the French Riviera. The architect evokes the historic buildings still found in Marseille or Nice. The architectural identity is similar and has been remarkably well-preserved.

Mallorca, a land of Mediterranean heritage

Mallorca has long attracted lovers of Mediterranean architecture. Palma, its capital, blends historic homes, shaded courtyards, and facades with colorful shutters. Buildings constructed in the early 20th century often conceal true decorative treasures.

Cement tile floors, which were very common in Spain at that time, are among them. Casa Villalonga features several variations, from large mosaic rugs to hexagonal tiles.

El Terreno, a bohemian neighbourhood undergoing a renaissance

Casa Villalonga is located in El Terreno, one of Palma’s most historic neighbourhoods. Once known for its elegant villas and bohemian spirit, it is now undergoing an architectural and cultural revival. This apartment, which feels like a home in Mallorca, is for sale at Fantastic Frank