Malene Birger´s self-designed, carefully composed living room in Mallorca is collected, eclectic, maximalist – and timeless. [Image Credits: “Malene Birger, Stine Regild & Jean Marie del Moral, Creating a New Home in Mallorca, teNeues 2025]
A designer’s methodology is perhaps most eloquently expressed through the shaping of their own sanctuary — as seen in this carefully documented book by the multi-hyphenate creative Malene Birger
Words By Kerry Harding
Set within the historic fabric of Felanitx in Mallorca’s southeast, an eighteenth-century townhouse stood in fragile disrepair, surrounded by cobbled streets and a local legacy rooted in winemaking and pottery. On the verge of collapse, its long-abandoned rooms had absorbed decades of stillness and decay, until Malene Birger reimagined the house as her personal residence—imprinting it with her unmistakable visual language and a presence both assured and quietly grand.
Following an internationally celebrated career in fashion, Birger has expanded her artistry to encompass interior design, ceramics, and art – with select pieces exhibited beautifully in her recently completed Mallorca home. Through The World of Malene Birger the multidisciplinary designer and art gallery owner is dedicated to renovating spaces and creating her own artworks – guided by the same intuitive precision and aesthetic discipline that have long shaped her work.
The restored 18th century reception room is modernised with the original black and white flooring, a striking sculpture and striped textiles. [Image Credits: “Malene Birger, Stine Regild & Jean Marie del Moral, Creating a New Home in Mallorca, teNeues 2025]
In Creating a New Home in Mallorca, her fourth internationally published title, Birger documents her latest project—the eighth house she has brought back to life. In Felanitx, she saw beyond disrepair: a structure poised to breathe again, a narrative awaiting renewal. From architectural interventions and material choices to furniture and objects, every decision both restores and honours the property’s historic features, while introducing her distinctive sensibility—balancing quiet elegance with eclectic, maximalist detail.
The entire ground floor of the 18th century townhouse in Mallorca was remodeled by owner and designer Malene Birger. [Image Credits: “Malene Birger, Stine Regild & Jean Marie del Moral, Creating a New Home in Mallorca, teNeues 2025]
When Birger acquired the 600-square-metre property in 2021, it had remained untouched for more than forty years—a home suspended in time, waiting for the right steward to honour its beauty. She recognised its potential immediately, and within days of viewing, she had secured the house. “Some places capture your heart before you even step inside,” she writes, and that was certainly the case with Casa Adosada De Birger.
“It was love at first sight… I could already see it, first visualising the past, then imagining what was to come. The interiors were in my mind’s eye from the start, with black and white as the dominant theme bridging past and present, and as much of the original detail, architecture, and spirit preserved as possible, so that the house’s history would guide its future.”
The designer has introduced her statement artwork depicting her beloved monochrome palette. [Image Credits: “Malene Birger, Stine Regild & Jean Marie del Moral, Creating a New Home in Mallorca, teNeues 2025]
Much of Birger’s aesthetic is defined by collected histories. Furniture and objects sourced from markets and ateliers across the globe sit alongside rare vintage books, Italian inlay pieces, Persian antiques, and her own paintings. Each carries a story—a memory, a conversation, a moment of curiosity, traces of her footsteps across the world. The interiors form a woven choreography of heritage, craft, and lived experience. Ceramic bowls, hand-blown lamps by local Mallorcan glassmaker Gordiola, alongside handmade Moroccan lanterns draw the eye, while her cherished antique cabinet from Aaholm Castle in Denmark, has once again found its place.
The effect is deliberate yet unpretentious—a home that reads like a living gallery while remaining warm, inviting and full of character. The poetic heart of ¨Casa Adosada De Birger¨ reveals itself in every space, from the newly designed painting studio on the second floor for moments of creation, to intimate corners such as the library and gallery, where rare volumes sit alongside sculptural and unusual finds. Birger’s approach is disciplined yet soulful: history softened by modernity, symmetry tempered by irregularity and a surprise in every nook.
Inside the intriguing master bathroom – objects decorate the worktop, the exquisite hand-blown glass lamp is by Gordiola, whilst an Arabic portrait adds more character. [Image Credits: “Malene Birger, Stine Regild & Jean Marie del Moral, Creating a New Home in Mallorca, teNeues 2025]
The interior layout of the former stately home, rooted in history and originally designed to suit 18th century living —was completely reinvented and deeply personalised. Dark, cavernous spaces were transformed into luminous interiors through significant building works and major structural restorations. Her signature black and white artworks—collages, graphics, abstract paintings, and sketches adorn the walls, infusing the home with strong identity and ensuring it remains an extension of herself: creative, considered, and fully realised.
The visionary artist working from her home studio. Paintings are sold from her art gallery Malene Birger Arte, also located in Felanitx, Mallorca. Modern skylight windows at the townhouse were added allowing the sunlight to infuse the space with light. [Image Credits: “Malene Birger, Stine Regild & Jean Marie del Moral, Creating a New Home in Mallorca, teNeues 2025]
Before and after: Creating a New Home in Mallorca reveals detailed insights from Birger on her restoration project – such as turning the attic into an open air sun terrace embracing the views over Felanitx and the Tramontana mountains. [Image Credits: “Malene Birger, Stine Regild & Jean Marie del Moral, Creating a New Home in Mallorca, teNeues 2025]
Birger’s career from building her namesake fashion labels to her explorations of interiors and art—has always been rooted in thoughtful creation and meticulous attention to detail. Her work embodies a commitment to living with intention: layered, measured, and quietly powerful. Her spaces invite reflection while remaining tactile, immediate, and authentic. Creating a New Home in Mallorca is a must-have book for lovers of design, art, photography and Mediterranean living – a collector’s item that captures the art of inspiring and masterful restoration in its most refined form.
Creating a New Home in Mallorca published by TeNeues is available to buy here
