Josephine Du Rietz has been spending her holidays on the sunny island of Mallorca since childhood. When she first began dating her now-husband, Christoffer, the Swedish interior designer invited him along to join her. It was impossible for the couple not to fall in love with the place. So, when they began discussing leaving Sweden for a quieter life in the sun, there was only one destination in the mix.
After two years of searching, they found the perfect home to kickstart not just their time on the island, but also a new business: Durietz Design & Development.
Now known for transforming abandoned buildings, the company’s first project, called Camp Roig 31, is a traditional semi-detached townhouse in Alaró, a small town in the foothills of the Tramuntana mountains.
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‘We certainly don’t see ourselves as “house flippers”,’ explains Josephine. ‘What we do is much more intricate.’ Indeed, the pair are meticulous and caring in their approach to the homes they refer to as ‘hidden jewels’.
One builder, on hearing the plans for the renovation, advised that they should tear the house down and build something new. It’s an attitude that Josephine and Christoffer have encountered often in the area, where beautiful buildings with great potential are overlooked because people are unwilling to solve the problems that older properties present.
The approach here was to strip out everything, leaving, admits Josephine, ‘basically just the walls’. What was left was a shell, but what a shell: ‘There are many antique details, including two stone fireplaces and wooden carvings,’ says Josephine. ‘Our favourite part is probably the airy roofed terrace, with arched openings to the private garden and mountain views.’
To that garden the duo have added a large swimming pool, while the terrace leads to a relaxed living room. There are also seven bedrooms, five bathrooms, a cellar that boasts its own house wine and a kitchen/dining area that opens straight onto a shaded portion of the courtyard.
The finishes throughout are exquisite in their muted beauty, with a combination of classic mid-century furniture and bespoke pieces, such as the walnut table and ‘Josephine’ dining chairs created by Durietz Design specifically for Camp Roig 31.
‘The original architecture was subtle but with certain standout features, leaving us with plenty of room for new interpretations without desecrating the soul of the house,’ says Josephine. ‘We worked with its Mallorcan heritage to produce a natural and earthy materials palette, both inside and out.’
Key to the success of this pared-back look is the shade of the walls: warm, welcoming and somehow simultaneously both traditional and contemporary. It is an exact combination of three different-coloured lime plasters that is now called the ‘By Durietz Design’ blend.
After pouring their hearts and souls into this project, Josephine and Christoffer have created a home that’s a million miles from the cookie-cutter villas that continue to pop up across Mallorca. Now, all the couple hope is that another family will fall in love with their image of island life. Perhaps then they will be able to take things a little easier. durietzdesign.com
