Our homes are very often our biggest and most important investment, and owning a house in Mallorca brings with it some particular challenges. The weather, the paperwork, the language, all of these things can be barriers to overcome. Blazing sunshine in the summer, and cold damp days in the winter, your home and your furnishings will need to be able to cope with both. If you are thinking of changing or renovating your property you will need permission from the local authorities, you might even need permission for the smallest changes inside the house. Applying for the licenses is something which even the most fluent of us would probably balk at, which brings us on to the question of language. You might need to speak Spanish, or you might have to switch to Catalan, or even in some areas, pop in a bit of Mallorquin, just to get your point across and keep things cordial. All of these factors come down to needing local knowledge in the local language but with an international, sophisticated and yet sympathetic approach to clients, and yes offer a service at a fee which is reasonable. With the help of professionals like Justine Knox and the Knox Design team, you can feel confident that your investment and your sanity are not at risk.
Knox Design is a well known name on the island, and with good reason. The company, headed by husband and wife team Bruce and Justine, has established itself as a no nonsense, reliable and top quality service provider offering everything from architect plans, local authority permissions, and project management, to interior design, and sourcing furniture, soft furniture and accessories. You will find them in Son Bugadelles in Calvia where they have a very large homestore filled with beautiful and unique sofas, tables, chairs and beds, outdoor terrace furniture, and a huge range of lovely cushions, rugs, and curtains, with the biggest range of fabrics I have seen on the island. Justine and Bruce head up a knowledgeable and experienced team who can advise on difficult purchase decisions in the shop. “We keep all of our outdoor furniture outside so that you can see how the weather affect it and how you will need to maintain and protect it in the various seasons of the year,” Justine explains as she shows me around through many beautifully staged presentations of different interior styles displaying a cornucopia of soft furnishings and accessories.
Justine has been living in Mallorca since 1984. She is an award-winning interior designer with over 20 years experience helping second-home buyers in Mallorca reform and decorate their homes. She works with private and corporate clients, but for her the outcome of each project should be “To create exceptional, intuitive, unique homes to enhance my clients’ lives, stress free. I am a very inquisitive person and this helps me to ask the right questions and get to know them personally, it is this customer intimacy which leads to the best results and continued client relationships.” Justine is recognised for her creative use of colour, light and space in her designs, but her secret weapon has to be her team of tradespeople who she works with constantly. “My clients tell me that one of my important strengths is my ecosystem of tried, tested, competent and reliable tradespeople. This is very important for a foreign owner who otherwise would have to take potluck and which is likely to not work out well.”
Any advice for someone without a huge budget for interior design? “For a limited budget it is important to not waste money on big items that need to be good quality but maybe not designer. Like a well put together outfit, spend money on good accessories which will give the wow factor to the complete ensemble.” And where on earth do you begin with the design? “I find that there is always a starting point; for example, the client falls in love with a cushion in the store and this provides the colour scheme and the mood. It could be any object, a tone, a piece of art…something which sparks joy and happiness in your heart.” Justine and her team are currently working on several projects both on the island and internationally, but there is always someone at the store available for a chat, so pop in next time that you are in Son Bugadelles, now known as the Mallorca Design District. You can visit them online https://knoxdesign.net. They are open Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm.