Chilled Ibiza

Designer Sumari Krige has created a laid-back abode inspired by the jaw-dropping vistas that surround it

- Jo Leevers

This is a home with a dazzling international cast. It’s owned by a Dutch couple, was built by a Canadian-born architect and its interiors were created by South African Sumari Krige. The house is hidden away in the rural hinterland of Ibiza, which is part of the property’s melting-pot character, too. So how did this mix of styles come about? Interior designer Sumari Krige takes up the story. ‘The owners, Emile and Eva Kuenen, had been looking for an old finca on the island for a long time, but couldn’t find what they wanted. Then they discovered that architect Rolf Blakstad had a reputation for building houses that draw on Ibiza’s old farmhouse style, but embrace contemporary features.’

Traditional Ibizan homes tend to have small windows and rooms set low into the landscape, features geared towards keeping the interiors cool in summer, but today people yearn for views and indoor-outdoor spaces that make the most of the climate. ‘Luckily, Rolf is an expert at designing minimal, rustic homes that don’t look out of place in the setting, but work for modern life,’ Sumari says.