4 min readDanish designer and artist Malene Birger treats her home much like she would one of her always-expressive and ever-changing canvases. “My homes—and I have had many—always tell their own story,” she says. “I express myself deeply and personally through my spaces.” The interiors are layered with collected furniture, artifacts, art, and sculptures that fall within the black-and-white palette Birger gravitates toward. When she saw a listing for an 18th-century townhome in Felanitx, on the Spanish island of Majorca, with checkerboard floors and peeling plaster walls, it was kismet. “The house had a soul and a peaceful energy that I felt immediately,” Birger says. “Otherwise, I would not have bought it.”
The home has a storied past. It was the birthplace of a former council father at the Second Vatican Council and was later owned by a gambling clergyman, who lost it in a card game. When Birger acquired it, the 6,400-square-foot property had stood vacant for 40 years. It was in complete disrepair, literally crumbling in spots. “Humidity was everywhere—one of Majorca’s recurring issues, as we essentially live and build on rock,” she says. While everything from electricity to plumbing had to be rebuilt from scratch, Birger preserved the original architecture and historic details like arches and ceiling beams.
The home’s checkered floors became a way to unite past and present—Birger repeated the motif in the living room, library, and primary bathroom, adding radiant floor heating throughout to keep humidity out of the house. Moroccan lighting was another mainstay; Birger worked with artisans to design traditional Moroccan lanterns, centering them in a place of prominence in almost every room. “With ceilings nearly 13 feet high, they bring both intimacy and drama to every vertical space,” she says.
Birger admits that, even though she is practical, perhaps she loves objects, art, decor, and furniture a bit too much. The rooms act as an archive of her collections, spanning decades and lands, from midcentury Italian furnishings and North African finds to a prolific display of her own work. “I am an unapologetic maximalist,” she adds. “The atmosphere speaks for itself.”
FAST FACTS
Designer:Malene Birger
Location: Majorca, Spain
The Space: A two-bedroom, three-bathroom home across 6,400 square feet.
RECEPTION ROOM
Birger’s abstract artwork flows through the house–a narrative that ties it all together.
Located off the main entry to the home, this room—part gallery, part lounge—welcomes guests into Birger’s graphic, high-contrast universe. Collected antiques, including a Syrian bench and a metal palm tree from Los Angeles, nod to her travels. Birger’s own art remains on rotation, thanks to versatile gallery shelves.
LIVING ROOM
A gorgeous clash of abstract and antiques ties together cohesively, thanks to a graphic black-and-white palette.
African motifs, European antiques, and graphic elements meld in what Birger calls an “eclectic interior landscape.” The fireplace is topped with a 1970s geometric mirror and flanked by Birger’s signature artwork.
ENTRY & HALLWAY
Permanence is not a constraint; the furnishings and decor in here change frequently.
A collection of late-18th-century English brass candleholders creates a “still life” moment against the backdrop of Birger’s work.
“The mix of black and white and symmetry is my signature,” Birger says of the home’s vibe-defining entrance. To further enhance the checkerboard floor, she added the pattern to the staircase risers. “Wherever there is space for tile, I add it,” she says.
DINING ROOM
Interior French doors delineate the space without blocking light.
Interior architectural elements, like ceiling beams, interior shutters, and metal doors, add structural and visual interest to the expansive dining room.
PRIMARY BEDROOM
An oversized headboard helps tame the room’s scale.
A custom headboard, made of wood and mother-of-pearl marquetry, softens the scene, alongside bed linens crafted in India. “I don’t really own anything new, besides my bed,” Birger says. The lamps were purchased in New York 35 years ago. A Moroccan lantern adds a warm glow.
GUEST BEDROOM
A mixture of eras creates a collected scene.
Once a cavernous attic, the guest quarters now house an amalgamation of vintage pieces, like a 1970s lounge chair and a ceramic lamp from the Consell flea market on Majorca. A Brutalist-style console offers sleek storage.
PRIMARY BATH
Counter to ceiling mirrors maximize light.
Original wood Majorcan shutters lend privacy, while handblown sconces and a collection of Buddhas from Bangkok are amplified by an expansive vanity mirror.
GALLERY
The sleek space is a minimalistic backdrop for Birger’s bold art.
Last spring, Birger opened her eponymous art gallery, just around the corner from her house in Felanitx. Easels showcase her signature abstract paintings, and her ceramic vessels further enhance the graphic aesthetic.
LIBRARY
Towering shelves of books add the rare pop of color.
Vintage editions collected over three decades take up an entire wall, which Birger balanced with African and Middle Eastern artifacts opposite. A vintage Danish sofa, a Willy Rizzo glass table, and a Carlo Bugatti chair all tell their own story.
PATIO
A walled escape channels the charm of the Mediterranean.
Birger removed the original roof from a closed-off patio and transformed the once-unusable space into an oasis. It now includes an outdoor dining area, chaise longues, and a striped plunge pool that echoes the design found indoors.
