The first thing you see when you enter the home of Ulf and Helena Strömqvist, is the sea. The Mediterranean lights up the apartment with its turquoise, glittering water and the large glass framed terrace gives you a full view of the port of Cala Nova, Bendinat hills and Illetas coast line.
You can’t get much closer to the sea than this.
The port of Cala Nova.
– I like to watch how the boats go in and out of the port, Ulf says and points towards the small port of Cala Nova.
This past year the port has been rebuilt and the small port has become a well attended dock for both sailing boats, beautiful yachts and all of the catamarans and dinghies from the sailing school. The couple are frequent visitors to the restaurant next to the pier.
– Sometimes we just bring a book and go for a cup of coffee, every now and then we go there to eat a Sunday lunch or to drink a glass of wine, Helena says.
Helena and Ulf Strömqvist love their home in San Agustin.
Ulf and Helena have visited Mallorca many times and Palma soon became one of their favorite cities, but up until a few years ago they thought of the island mostly as a great destination for vacation.
-We had decided not to buy a home abroad. We love to travel, but wanted it as easy as possible. Just check in and check out, Ulf says.
But sometimes opportunities can appear that sets things in a different light.
One morning back in Sweden they saw an advertisement for a new construction project next to the sea in San Agustin. Bendinat Mar – a large and exclusive construction with its own access to the sea and panoramic views from every apartment.
-It felt like a “once in a lifetime” opportunity. It was an absolute dream home for us and we decided that very morning that we wanted to live here.
During the construction of Bendinat Mar they travelled to Mallorca to see how their dream home became reality.
From the pool area there’s a direct access to the Mediterranean sea.
The terrace has 25 square metres and is frequently used by everyone who comes to stay.
…by both two- and four legged friends.
The decision to buy their Mallorca dream home was made fast. Which was was lucky. There were several people who had seen the potential of the new construction project and the apartments were sold one by one. And very fast.
– This apartment was actually the third we looked at. We barely got the chance to see the first two before someone else had signed the contract.
The apartment is 134 square meters, with two bedrooms, and the guest room is frequently used by both children and grandchildren, Helena says.
An extra bedroom is appreciated by both children, grandchildren and guests.
There’s one bathroom for each bedroom.
Here and there, the decor hints that sometimes very young guests come to visit.
A lot of the design and materials gives you a Scandinavian feeling, with the bright wooden floors and surfaces in white stone, but Spain and Mallorca have taken their place in the interior. In the bookcase you find cooking books with tapas and Spanish cuisine, a large bowl made out of handmade painted Majorcan porcelain is filled with oranges and colorful ikat fabrics, the beautiful handmade fabrics woven according to ancient tradition and typical of Mallorca, decorates both the sofa and the bedrooms.
– We went on an excursion to the factory and bought the fabrics. We got blue for our bedroom, green in the guest room and the sofa, Helena says.
Shortly after the couple moved into their new apartment they hired an interior designer who designed and planned to help build cabinets, benches and a workplace.
– it was not the plan from the start, but many of the apartment’s walls have different angles, and it was a bit of a challenge to make it look nice by ourselves.
The kitchen is relatively small, but fully equipped and thanks to the open plan it still feels spacious.
In the master bedroom you wake up to an astonishing view.
A lot of the furniture have been shipped all the way from Sweden.
Some of the furniture have been sent from Sweden, others have been purchased on the island.
– A couple of our close friends bought an apartment in the same building and thanks to that we were able to coordinate a move from Sweden. We hired a moving company that delivered our furniture to Mallorca, Ulf says.
The interior holds many shades of blue. One can understand why, the sea is a part of every room.
The kitchen is integrated with the living room and the back of the kitchen counter became a bookshelf.
Mallorca has a lot to offer, Ulf and Helena already knew that, and they continue to discover and experience new things and places. Every now and then they rent a car to get around and see more of the island. They have visited wineries, markets and village festivals. And although they often pay Palma a visit, they are very pleased to have settled in San Agustin.
– The location is really ideal for us, Helena says. Both Cala Major and San Agustin are neighborhoods that have life all year round. There are grocery stores, restaurants, cafés, a medical center and pharmacies, she says. It was an important criteria for us, since we are not on vacation, we are living here, she adds.
And with three bus lines down the street, they can get to Palma easily.
Helena and Ulf Strömqvist
Ulf and Helena run a business together that makes it possible for them to work both from Mallorca and from Sweden.
-We still spend more time in Sweden than we do in Mallorca, but the ability to move between our two homes is a really nice way of life, Ulf says and adds that they are as happy to visit their Mallorca home in June as in November.
Last year, they chose to celebrate both Christmas and New Year’s Eve in Mallorca.
-Every season is really lovely in its own way. The autumn and winter in Mallorca is almost nicer than summer. Everything calms down a little bit, but the weather is still amazing.
Even in November the weather in Mallorca is warm enough for a swim.
Text: Maria Strömqvist
Photo: Ida Carlsson
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