A Hillside Hideaway, Reimagined for Verdant Outdoor Living
A Hillside Hideaway, Reimagined for Verdant Outdoor Living
A simple request set it all in motion. When a Bermuda-based family contacted Mashamba’s Jennifer Warren-Gash to source plant pots, no one imagined it would lead to a complete transformation of their hillside holiday home overlooking the Bay of Palma.
Located in one of Palma’s most coveted seaside neighbourhoods, the home is surrounded by history and modern charm. The steep, palm-lined streets were once a bohemian enclave, but now hold an elegant mix stately villas with contemporary apartments.
Spending only a few months of the year in Mallorca, the family wanted outdoor living that delivered instant impact with minimal upkeep, spaces that reflected the relaxed, sun-soaked spirit of their surroundings. A Mediterranean sanctuary that felt like home from the moment they arrived.
Functional beauty
Their first enquiry had been about Atelier Vierkant pots, a brand long rooted in Mashamba’s story. The Belgian, family-run studio is known for its clay planters that are handmade by artisans, a natural fit for Jennifer’s ethos of craftsmanship over convenience.
“Their work embodies everything I love about design. Integrity, artistry and a real sense of soul,” she says. “For me, terrace design is just like art. Shape, form, colour, texture and light all come into play. But my spaces need to work hard as living areas too. That balance between beauty and function is where the magic happens.”
Verdant beginnings
The transformation and magic began with greenery, an element that brings life and a retreat-like calm to the terraces. Around the pool, Jennifer placed Strelitzia augusta (large bird of paradise) for sculptural height and movement, its broad leaves catching the Mediterranean breeze. They’re planted in oversized, earth-toned Atelier Vierkant pots that add textured warmth and a sense of architectural balance.
To further soften the stone surfaces, Erigeron karvinskianus (erigeron) was planted in built-in beds. The client adored the effect of its delicate blanket of daisy-like blooms that shimmer in the sunlight, saying “Love the little white blanket of flowers under the citrus trees. So pretty!”
Together, the pots and planting lend rhythm and cohesion, linking terraces of differing levels and uses while maintaining a feeling of calm continuity.
Spaces that Breathe
Along the front terrace, where the dining table sits opposite the master bedroom, Jennifer used taller pots to define the space and create intimacy. The planting separates the dining area from the bedroom terrace, turning the later into a private outdoor escape softened by layers of green and texture.
An oversized pot filled with Agave attenuata (foxtail agave) anchors the view from the kitchen, inviting you outside. Around the pool, plant life and rendered walls add a bright airy quality, while the addition of an outdoor shower in matching tile brought a subtle sense of luxury.
Because the terraces are used only part of the year, Jennifer focused on hardy, drought-tolerant species that retain their beauty with little care. The palette balances structure and softness, providing year-round form, movement and seasonal blooms.
Selected plants include:
Agave attenuata (foxtail agave)
Aloe spp. (aloe)
Chamaerops humilis (Mediterranean fan palm)
Citrus limon (lemon tree)
Cycas revoluta (sago palm)
Dasylierion longissimum (toothless sotol)
Dracaena draco (dragon tree)
Erigeron karvinskianus (Mexican fleabane)
Monstera deliciosa (Swiss cheese plant)
Strelitzia spp. (bird of paradise)
“For me, terrace design is just like art. Shape, form, colour, texture and light all come into play.
But my spaces need to work hard as living areas too. That balance between beauty and function is where the magic happens.”
— Jennifer Warren-Gash
Handled with care
One of the more rewarding challenges was a plain, disconnected wall that lacked purpose. “Rather than conceal it, we decided to celebrate it,” Jennifer says. For its colour, she chose a soft terracotta to reflect the warmth of Mallorca's light, and added a custom bench framed by planting. The simple intervention transformed a plain wall into the terrace’s centrepiece, a favourite gathering spot that anchors the family’s outdoor life and gives the terrace a new sense of welcome.
The neighbourhood’s narrow, winding streets brought their own practical challenges. Manoeuvring 150-kilogram ceramic pots through those lanes required meticulous planning, and, as Jennifer jokes, “a few crossed fingers and deep breaths.” Yet every vessel found its place, and the clients were none the wiser. “My job is to take care of all the stress, worry and logistics behind the scenes, so all my clients have to do is show up and enjoy.”
A long distance relationship
Throughout the project, the family remained in Bermuda thousands of miles away. Their collaboration relied on email, sketches and the occasional phone call, yet the trust was there from the start.
“As a designer, you’re not just shaping spaces, you’re building relationships,” Jennifer reflects. “You listen and ask questions until you truly understand what someone wants, even from afar. That trust is everything.”
Out of that understanding came deeply personal spaces that fit the client’s style and way of life. The terraces are relaxed but elegant, places to breathe, to feel at home, to live outdoors. A hillside hideaway reimagined for a verdant Mediterranean life.
As the client wrote upon seeing the final reveal, “Wow, wow, wow — this looks great, Jennifer!”
“Wow, wow, wow. This looks great, Jennifer!”
— Client, during the final reveal
Design by Jennifer Warren-Gash, Mashamba Design
Photography by Pernilla Danielsson, Lifestyle Mallorca
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