Part-time islanders Alexis Brabant and Sandra Swinnen on the full-time escapism on offer at their Blakstad-designed, Terravita-landscaped retreat.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. There’s wisdom in the age-old aphorism for Alexis Brabant and Sandra Swinnen. So much so that when it came to reviving the rustic charm of their island home, an agricultural finca above the Cala Mastella coastline, they not only assembled some of the island’s most prolific designers – Rolf Blakstad on architecture and Terravita’s Jason Watson Todd on landscaping. They also sought the opinion of the one person who knew every inch of the 100,000 square metre parcel of land it sits on best: the octogenarian farmer whose family had tended the surrounding valleys for generations.
“It’s interesting to speak to those who worked the land,” reasons Alexis. “In my experience, while the younger islanders can be more nostalgic for a simpler way of life, the older generation tend to see the revival of the old fincas as an opportunity.
An appreciation for simplicity is cross generational, though, he concedes – and something that Alexis, Sandra and the farmer share. Sandwiched between sea and pine forest – the most elemental of island landscapes – the setting is blissfully chilled in every sense. “There’s a breeze every day and night,” says Alexis. “It stays fresh up here even in the height of summer.”
There’s simplicity too, to the traditional vernacular of farmhouse and fields. This sense of slowness, rusticity and peace informs everyday life at Casa Armonia. “We wanted to build somewhere that is made to retreat to, to escape,” Sandra explains. “It’s a place to seek calm, nature and connect with history.” Relics of the past are scattered around, from the timeworn stone walls to the old milling area. “There’s this stillness,” she continues. “The first time we came up here, we couldn’t hear anything but nature. It’s true luxury to find a sense of retreat like that.”
The architecture, interior design and landscaping correlate the calm. As you’d expect from a Blakstad designed blueprint, it’s sensitively realised. “There was no doubt that we were going to work with Rolf [Blakstad],” smiles Alexis. “We love the way he respects the local architecture.”
“The first time we came up here, we couldn’t hear anything but nature. It’s true luxury to find a sense of retreat like that.”
True to form, the reworked finca is in keeping with the vernacular but enhanced for modern living. The contrast renders the space timeless. Interiors overseen by Sandra follow the same sensibility, nodding to a more classic style through the use of natural materials. “We wanted to keep the formula of wood, stone, white walls, and then add some more contemporary design elements, through the curves of the furniture, for example.” The sense of scale – four-metre-high ceilings scored with robust, knotted beams – mirrors the soaring pines outside. “It all works in harmony with nature,” she says.
The outlook was another key to nailing the easy-going alignment between inside and out – or “transparency” as Alexis describes it. “The house isn’t positioned straight in its plot but rather slightly orientated towards the ocean, so we worked with Rolf to introduce some angles and make the most of the panorama.”
The views are postcard Ibiza, with sea, pine forest and valley all rolled into one – a ribbon of blue peeking through the vibrant colour wheel of green. “All the established trees bring privacy,” notes Alexis, who gave Terravita free license to experiment with more exotic foliage alongside the rollcall of indigenous pines. “We tried to plant whatever made most sense in terms of reducing water consumption and respecting the local flora and fauna.”
Designed for the everyday, the year-round holiday vibes are undeniable. Beyond the light-touch garden, heated pool and hammam, living spaces are suited to switching off. The principal bedroom suite dominates the finca’s top floor, encompassing a wraparound terrace with an outdoor shower and ocean vistas. Then there’s the chillout for ultimate relaxation – complete with a kitchen, bathroom and living and dining area that houses an almost six-metre table, long enough to seat 18 people. “I really like what we did there because it’s again a very peaceful environment and the view is between the sea with the trees all around. It’s the perfect place to be with family and friends,” says Alexis
“There was no doubt that we were going to work with Rolf Blakstad. We love the way he respects the local architecture.”
Next up, more “secret places” woven into the folds of the plot are being planned. These include a pétanque court, a viewpoint among the trees and a yoga platform on the stone surface that was once used for milling. Further down the line, Alexis and Sandra hint at projects to bring back some agricultural elements to the finca and respect its heritage further.
There can be a temptation, they explain, to see middle-of-nowhere homes as the perfect party pads, “but that would disturb nature”, Alexis affirms. “I always say party elsewhere and then come back and find your calm here, your harmony with nature. When you come here, you can just enjoy the place as it was built for.”
After travelling the world Monday to Friday for work for almost two decades, the couple are geared up for the quiet life on the island. “It was much freer back then,” Alexis recalls of their first visit to Ibiza in the late eighties. “But we loved the vibe then and we love it now.”
Having previously lived more in the island’s thick of it, the west coast holds a particular magnetism for the pair. “There’s a kind of fixation with the sunset here,” Alexis concludes. “The west coast is the golden coast and that also brings with it a certain type of calm – one that never gets old.”
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