In Portixol/Es Molinar, in a neighbourhood with low buildings, just a breath away from the sea, Janne Önnesjö and Lillemor Robbins have found their dream home.
– This is a very quiet area. And to be able to live this close to the center of Palma, but still right next to the sea is just amazing, Janne says.
Janne and Lillemor have found their place in Mallorca.
Out here, in the old fishing village, the vibe and the atmosphere are completely different compared to the big city life just minutes away. It is not the same touristic feeling and the big hotels are nowhere to be found
– It is more a place where people come to visit during the weekends. To take a walk along the promenade or to have lunch at one of the nice restaurants in the harbor.
– For us, this location could not have been better. The apartment itself maybe is not great, but the area is lovely and that is what matters most, Janne says and states that if it were not for the fact that it was a rental, they would probably renovate a bit and change it into something more according to their own taste.
The townhouse apartment is divided into three floors.
The decor is light and colorful, with fabrics from Mallorca.
The famous Ikat fabric is handmade in Mallorca.
Before Janne and Lillemor moved to Mallorca they had a small holiday apartment which they used a few times a year. But they could not really get enough of their little island paradise.
– Every time we were about to go home, we felt the same way. “We do not want to leave”, Janne says.
So they started playing with the idea to live abroad, to make Mallorca their new home, and decided to spend a whole year on the island. Just to try.
– The big question was of course how we would support ourselves if we decided to move, but I had an idea to do something with property management and wanted to give it a try, Lillemor says.
So, she asked for a leave of absence from her job in Stockholm and Janne who was self-employed did the same, and they were off to new adventures. Lillemors property management service, Mrs. Robbins, was a success and already after six months they knew they would not move back to Sweden.
– I got an amazing response to my business. There are many who need help taking care of their homes when they are not here or who need someone to prepare before they arrive.
Property management can mean everything from arranging cleaners, electricians or construction workers, to pick up the mail or watering the flowers when the owners are away.
– For a lot of people it feels safe just knowing that there is someone with a key that can help out if something were to happen.
Townhouses are common in Portixol/Es Molinar. Most of the buildings are not higher than two or three floors.
Since the apartment is a rental, Janne and Lillemor have added their personal touch through the decor.
Before Janne and Lillemor moved to Mallorca permanently, they lived in their holiday apartment in Santa Catalina, but since they decided to stay here, they were certain that Es Molinar was the place for them.
– We felt so very lucky when we got this apartment. We called on the ad just an hour after it was published, Lillemor says.
The apartment is divided into three floors, the entrance hall on the ground floor and two floors of living area.
– It’s like a little British town house, Janne says.
On the first floor you find the living room, a kitchen and two bedrooms and upstairs there is a bedroom with charming sloping ceiling and a wonderful rooftop terrace with a lot of pots and plants.
– We bought all the plants at the flea market. Sometimes I also take small sprouts from flowers that I like and plant them. Gardening is so fun in Mallorca, everything grows so fast, Lillemor says.
“I love the flee market in Consell. You always find so many beautiful and exiting things”
Ebba, a 3,5 year old Bichon Havanais, is enjoying her place in the sun.
The terrace is welcoming and cozy. Like an outdoor living room, with a dining area and a small lounge area with a sofa, chairs and a table.
– We spend a lot of time out here, Janne says. This is more like our living room than our actual one.
Thanks to the houses being so low in this area, the view from the terrace is really unique. Rooftops and terraces meet the blue sky, with the glittering Mediterranean Sea in one direction and the beautiful Tramuntana mountains on the other.
The afternoon sun in June is hot and an umbrella gives shadow in the lounge corner.
– We really need that umbrella, Janne says. We have sun up here from early morning until about eight o’clock in the evening.
With a rooftop terrace you will have many hours of sun.
In Molinar you are never far from the sea.
Nowadays Janne and Lillemor are resident in Mallorca. Last year they sold their apartment in Sweden but are thinking of getting something small in the Stockholm area where their children live.
– We might do the opposite of everyone else, live in Mallorca with a holiday apartment in Sweden, Janne says with a smile.
“Sometimes I feel the need to just stop and think about that we are actually living here”
Text: Maria Strömqvist
Photo: Ida Carlsson
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