Both the ancient and the contemporary architecture of the Mediterranean are deeply connected to the outdoors. There’s a constant exchange between built space and nature, interior and exterior. With over 300 days of sunshine each year, the way we live in Ibiza is shaped as much by light, shade and the rays of the sun as it is by stone and timber. At Blakstad, outdoor spaces are never treated as secondary. They’re woven into our designs from the moment of conception, informing the way a home functions, flows and feels. Outdoor areas work best when they can shift with the day. A space might be a peaceful place for breakfast in the morning, a family hangout by afternoon and somewhere to gather for sunset drinks in the evening. Designing for this kind of versatility means thinking beyond simple aesthetics – it’s more about how people live and spend time together.
The traditions of the island always inform our designs and there’s no better place to look for inspiration than Ibiza’s ancient farmhouses. Shaded porches lined with flagstones, once used for household tasks such as shelling broad beans, are now spots for a quiet morning coffee. Interior patios where livestock would shelter at night become beautiful conduits to draw fresh breezes through the home. Modern touches such as wooden pergolas dripping in bougainvillea are dining rooms for sun-dappled lunches or starlit dinners and floor-to-ceiling glass pocket doors blur the line between indoor and out. Pool terraces that stretch out into the horizon, sweeping over stunning vistas are ideal for daytime play and evening entertaining. These transitional spaces – the porches, patios and terraces – are often where daily life naturally settles, especially in summer. With built-in seating, shaded corners and thoughtful lighting, they evolve effortlessly through the day and across the seasons.
In Ibiza, entertaining outdoors is part of everyday life and a well-designed outdoor kitchen becomes a regular gathering point – not just practical, but a joy to use. We often incorporate generous dining areas, bars and wood-fired ovens, alongside features like firepits and outdoor lounges that encourage lingering long after the sun sets. These aren’t additions; they’re part of the home’s rhythm and considered an essential element of the architecture.
Children’s play areas add a special ambience to any Ibiza villa. Think curvy slides, pirate ships, wooden forts, and cubby houses where kids can roam, explore and expend their energies with much joy and abandon, their laughter trickling across the outdoor spaces. Grown-ups love to play too and tennis courts, pétanque pitches, volleyball nets and more all have a place in the daily goings-on of an Ibiza home. Integrated into the design, these spaces balance practicality with visual harmony blending into the landscape and supporting a lifestyle that’s active, relaxed and deeply connected to nature. All these spaces are softened with rich and lush landscaping. Working with hardy, native plants that thrive in the dry climate such as rosemary, lavender and olive, agave, and using stone, gravel and timber to create an earthy, grounded palette brings Ibiza’s natural ecology into your home’s embrace. A well-designed garden feels as though it’s always been there, settling in over time and gently framing the architecture, rooting it to its surroundings.
As night falls outdoor lighting enhances the evening hours, bringing the space to life after dark. It’s all about mood, comfort and a sense of wellbeing. A few uplights can give an ancient olive tree a magisterial presence, path lights and lanterns quietly guide the way, the glow from a pool, a soft wash across a stone wall – these small touches help the garden shift artistically into evening. As summer temperatures stay steady all night, it’s about keeping the outdoors usable and welcoming from morning to night.
At Blakstad, we see outdoor living as an essential part of a home, something that shapes how people experience their island lives. A quiet terrace, a rooftop with a view, a patch of shade in the garden – these are the places where life happens. Spaces to rest, to gather, to cook, to play. The architecture of the outdoors is really just the architecture of living well, in rhythm with the land, the light and the seasons.
