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A traditional farmhouse on Menorca packed with treasures by the founders of Alcolea & Krauss
To the design cognoscenti of Menorca's burgeoning community of artists and creatives, Victoria Krauss and Fernando Alcolea are household names. On the edge of the capital, Mahón, the large warehouse unit of Alcolea & Krauss is a treasure trove of art, antiques and objets to which island residents flock to furnish or to decorate their homes.
'Our passion is paintings,' says American-born Victoria, referring to the long careers as global gallerists and art dealers that she and her Spanish husband Fernando have enjoyed since they met in Barcelona in the early 1990s. Between them, they have championed the work of contemporary Spanish artists far and wide, most notably in New York, China and East Asia, as well as mainland Spain.
It is no surprise therefore, that their own home, set in the picturesque countryside midway between Mahón and the town of Alaior, should be a private showcase for their personal collection, accumulated over the years. 'We had been coming to Menorca since the first of our three children was born 28 years ago, says Victoria. 'We fell in love with the island and, after several years renting nearby, we managed to buy this house in 2017.' The family of seven brothers to whom it had previously belonged continue to live as close neighbours.
The traditional whitewashed farmhouse, with its distinctive arched windows and duck-egg-blue shutters, has been subtly remodelled by Victoria and Fernando, principally by raising the ceiling heights and adding insulation and double glazing. Nowadays, even on the coldest winter day, the house feels warm and draught-free. During the summer months, the doors and windows are thrown open and day-to-day living moves outside to one of the two shady terrace areas.
The main salon runs the length of the façade behind large, arched glazed doors. Here, at one end, an assortment of white sofas and armchairs provides the focal point of a seating area filled with collected treasures. At the opposite end of the room, a round table and pine cabinet create a casual dining area. 'Just before the 2008 financial crash, I sensed things were going awry in the art world,' recalls Victoria. 'We knew that we needed to diversify away from contemporary art, so launched ourselves into buying and selling antiques and decorative arts.' The couple still travel for three to four months each year and never tire of sourcing pieces for their own home or to sell in their Menorcan shop, which they opened in 2014.
Adjoining the bright, sun-filled salon is a darker and cosier room with less natural light and a huge open fireplace. 'In the winter, this is where we have our meals and spend most of our evenings at home,' says Victoria, also pointing out how its high, whitewashed walls provide the perfect backdrop for many of Fernando's prized Spanish portraits.
As with so many family homes, the kitchen is the hub. An ornate 19th-century chandelier hangs above an industrial-style iron table - strong enough to dance on, insists Victoria - while assorted Menorcan tiles and shelves of glassware and pottery line the walls. A black cat sleeping on the worktop opens a beady eye at the sound of Victoria's voice. She adores the cats - 10 in total are to be found curled up in different spots round the house - almost as much as she adores her three donkeys and two horses. In fact, her greatest passion in life is riding and, when not busy being a collector of art and antiques or a shopkeeper, she is likely to be found on horseback, often competing in or judging dressage competitions.
Fernando has turned much of his attention these days to academic study, as both a writer and a lecturer on Spanish art history. Upstairs, all the rooms are entirely the couple's domain, comprising a main bedroom along the front of the house, separate offices for the two of them - groaning under the weight of their books, art and collectables - a dressing room, in which clothes are neatly concealed behind antique Menorcan linen curtains, and a bathroom with a striking granite tub.
The children's bedrooms open off a separate corridor down-stairs. Only Sebastian, the eldest, who is 28, lives full-time in the house, running the shop in Mahon and now sourcing art and furniture himself. The slow transition process of handing the business to the next generation is firmly underway.
‘There is an abundance of nature on the island of Menorca,’ says Victoria, leading me through her garden, down a stony path to six extraordinary prehistoric caves, three of which act as stables for the donkeys. The remains of a nearby ancient Talayotic site create 'an energy that draws you in', she explains, as we wend our way past wild olive trees, tumbling cacti, giant pines and rough stone walls to the saltwater pool, cleverly carved to follow the contours of the existing rocks and trees.
Victoria and Fernando are careful to point out, as we return to the terrace, that they are not interior designers, 'We follow our intuition and do everything we like.' Both the shop and their house are a true reflection of this approach.
Alcolea & Krauss: alcoleakrauss.com
Daniel Schäfer1/10Victoria with her beloved horses Octaaf and Precioso, in front of the block that she and her husband Fernando designed and had built in the grounds of their farmhouse. Reclaimed wooden doors, which have been sensitively refurbished, give the building an authentic look.
Daniel Schäfer2/10In the kitchen, locally sourced tiles, glassware and ceramics create a colourful and characterful backdrop for the industrial-style iron table, leather chairs and stools bought at UK auctions, and an elegant 19th-century chandelier.
Daniel Schäfer3/10A cast-iron rooster, once part of a shop sign, and a still life by Donald Baechler sit on top of a glazed pine cabinet.
Daniel Schäfer4/10An ancient giant pine tree towers over the front of the farmhouse.
Daniel Schäfer5/10The distinctive limestone that is found across the island of Menorca was carved to create the curved edge of the pool, with the rocky ledge above now providing a tranquil, shaded spot for a rustic wooden table and chairs.
Daniel Schäfer6/10In this terrace area off the kitchen, a simple wooden table is laid with a striped-edge tablecloth from the Madrid-based brand Becara and tableware from La Cartuja de Sevilla. The chandelier was picked up at an auction in the south of France.
Daniel Schäfer7/10In the dressing room, portraits painted by a Cuban artist in Paris, dating from circa 1900, and an antique horse on wheels sourced from a French estate add distinctive touches to this otherwise pared-back, practical space, which adjoins the main bathroom. Shelving and hanging space for the couple's clothes is neatly concealed behind curtains made from antique Menorcan linen.
Daniel Schäfer8/10Next to the window, a collage on antique mirror glass by the Spanish artist Angel Bofarull hangs over a 19th-century Menorcan console table.
Daniel Schäfer9/10A carved and painted wooden bed from Provence is paired with a step stool repurposed as a bedside table.
Daniel Schäfer10/10In the main bathroom. gilt-framed painting by Australian artist Mark Wilson, sourced from his New York studio, and a 'Cesendello' hanging wall light in gold silk, from Fortuny in Venice, enliven the whitewashed walls above the antique French granite bathtub.
