make your fridays matter with a well-read weekend

 

In Residence: Alexandre de Betak

Winding down for the holidays at the visionary show producer’s Balearic hideaway.

by NOWNESSPublished on : Jan 23, 2020

Fashion show producer, art director and designer Alexandre de Betak lounges in the sitting room of his remote island home in the northern Tramuntana hills of Majorca. Like almost every other room at Son Muntaner, the house has a devastating view of the Mediterranean sea, and during summer evenings when the sun finally sinks into the water, each of its undulating walls turn neon pink. The subtle light show evokes the spirit De Betak brings to his work––whether it’s a multi-sensory Dior Couture set or a Star Wars-themed Rodarte installation, the transient spectacles he creates are meticulously designed under Bureau Betak, the company he has helmed for two decades. “The house I did for myself, my family and my friends,” he says. “There’s no ‘work-for-hire’ there, it’s incredibly personal.”

03 mins watch In Residence: Alexandre de Betak | Alexandre de Betak | In Residence | NOWNESS | STIRworld
In Residence: Alexandre de Betak Video Credit: Courtesy of Nowness

Outside, the façade of the classical Majorquian finca nestling among an expanse of olive groves belies its playful interior: curvaceous, white plastered walls are punctuated with quirky design details such as Darth Vader candles, R2-D2 lamps, rock-encased computer screens, 1970s pin-ups (“they’re my mascots – I don’t move without them”), and a Flinstones-inspired tub. “I love that kind of binary, communitarian, organic white architecture of the 1960s and 1970s,” the producer explains of the interior.

Despite his refusal to conform to classic architecture conventions, De Betak’s home appears to have very few ticks on the standard mid-century design checklist – but on closer inspection, one sees collectible Joe Colombo Elda chairs, a Sergio Asti profiterole lamp, British custom-made plumbing (to ensure that a shower chez De Betak lasts no less than 30 minutes), and, naturally, a wall tap that produces endless red wine. 

Next up, In Residence: Angelika Taschen

To see more episodes from the series In Residence, click here.

For more details, visit Nowness

What do you think?

About Author

Recommended

LOAD MORE
see more articles
4496,4579,4556,4506,4475

make your fridays matter

SUBSCRIBE
This site uses cookies to offer you an improved and personalised experience. If you continue to browse, we will assume your consent for the same.
LEARN MORE AGREE