Architecture, function and beauty

The Ibiza Interiors headquarters on the San Juan road is one of the island’s most refined interiors retail spaces, in addition to being the home of a team of architects and designers under the direction of Jurjen Van Hulzen. From the long communal desk plus a dining table inhabited by swatches and blueprints, Van Hulzen makes people’s architectural dreams come true. “We work from the first sketch of a project to completion,” says Van Hulzen. “Sometimes we work with a local architect and other times we take a whole project on ourselves. It depends on the needs of the client.” Whether it’s seeking council permissions orrestructuring an existing home to choosing fabrics and finishing touches, Van Hulzen’s pedigree brings Dutch sensibility with a healthy dose of island soul to all projects.

Each project follows its own path and Van Hulzen is passionate about finding the right concept for the right person. “I get to know the client a little bit. Some people are already really into design and have a clear idea,” he says. “Others look to us for guidance.” With the help of reference books, mood boards and clippings, Van Hulzen slowly unwinds the needs beneath a client’s ideas to reveal the best way forward. A recent project near Aguas Blancas required a complete rethinking of the possibilities of space and location. “It was a house built about 40 years ago and was basically a square box,” explains Van Hulzen. “I started to explore modernism and Bauhaus with the client and we decided to go in that direction instead of the usual Ibiza finca style.” The result is a classic piece of modernist design hidden within the pine forest. A beautifully surprising slice of architectural history made all the more striking by the juxtaposition of the site.

Another client with a villa in Es Cubells wanted to create a beach house ambience despite lacking an actual beach. “He wanted people to feel like taking their shoes off and relaxing as soon as they entered. So, obviously, the concept doesn’t suit Eames style furnishings,” he says. “We went with reclaimed woods, sand colours and natural fibres to bring the beach inside. It was a really nice project.” While Van Hulzen eschews the idea of having a signature style, there is a definite continuity to his work that is instantly recognisable. Working with contrasting elements is what brings adhesion to an Ibiza Interiors project. “If you focus on one colour palette, the space has no life,” explains Van Hulzen. “If you bring in a contrasts between light and dark or rustic and industrial, you see the space start to live.”

Van Hulzen’s determined gaze is the physical manifestation of his penchant for details. It’s a characteristic he instills in his team. But while a tendency towards perfectionism runs through the firm’s ethos there is also a love for the chaos of imperfection. “If I do something, I do it well. But I love imperfection,” he explains. “The location and project inform the choices, almost like they’re guiding the style. If it gives you imperfection, you can embrace it and make it fit.” Nothing gets in the way of functionality however. “We use space efficiently,” he says. “One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is not to compromise on functionality. It comes first. Every design choice has to have a purpose.”  Sometimes it helps to show clients what doesn’t work in order to determine what does. “There is not always just one answer, everything depends on how the client wants to use the space; the technical aspect and the aesthetic need to meet.” The ever-growing list of projects waiting for completion is a sign of the trust this young firm has built in a short time. Van Hulzen and his team work in all facets of the architectural journey – from new builds to renovations to interiors they consider the needs of the client as the foundation from which to build something functional as well as beautiful.