Shed Chic: Architect Mariana de Delás Turns an Off-the-Grid Hut into a Dream Retreat
Photography by Tomeu Canvellas, courtesy of Mariana de Delás.
Calling all tiny house fans, outbuilding enthusiasts, and aspiring escapists.
Mariana also stocked it with low-impact design ideas: known as the 12-Volt Retreat, the hideaway, located 40 minutes from the island’s main hub, Palma, gets its power from rechargeable batteries and a solar panel perched in a wheelbarrow.
“The exercise in this particular hideout was to recuperate and emphasize the existing structure while optimizing the inside space,” says Mariana.
Mariana who got her start working for Ricardo Bofill and the hut s owner did the work themselves and along the way she began to think of the place as a...
...prototype not only for other empty hideaways on the island but thanks to her portable designs for modern nomadic life in general whether in a van mobile home or other compact dwelling
The hut has its original terracotta roof tiles.
Thanks to the new window, the interior has natural light and a cross breeze.
Mariana also used Mallorcan sandstone to build a daybed cushioned with local fabrics and fitted with metal storage bins.
The paintings are from Cinco Tejas, a Madrid gallery/artists’ collective that Mariana is part of.
The fireplace is original—”it was made for cooking the rabbits that were hunted; fireplaces are always the centerpiece of these retreats.” Mariana introduced simple shelves for basics, including a cook pot that runs on small bottles of gas.
The design for the ceiling fan, fabricated by 2Monos, was inspired by Mallorca’s 19th century windmills.
Red accents on whitewashed walls lend the hideout a fresh, cohesive look.
The stone sink was assembled from old farm fixtures, including a basin that had been used as a dog bowl.
Explains Mariana The existing well holds water that is collected from the roof originally there was a small window and water was brought into the house with the help of buckets We sealed the window with glass as was it brought in too many mosquitos and installed the faucet and sink on...
...the outside We bought a 12 volt pump that is inserted in the well thanks to a motorbike battery you can use it to bring water through a pipe that s attached to the faucet Instead of opening or closing the faucet we turn the pump on and off with a light switch
The Solar Roller, as it’s known, gets moved to optimize its charging position.