Cecile Denis on painting old tees and “la vida buena”.

Cecile Denis is a designer who, along with her partner in crime Claudia del Olmo, turns her dreams into livable spaces. She and Claudia (a long-time friend of D&D) studied side by side in London, and spent their pre-lockdown days at Casa Balandra - a sprawling, palm-shaded house on the island of Mallorca. They are transforming this slice of Mallorcan ‘vida buena’ into a haven for brands, chefs and creatives from across the world, one lick of paint in linen overalls at a time. The house will soon become a platform for creative residencies, where projects and ideas can be nurtured among the blooming gardens and heavy, sun-baked stone walls.

Cecile has spent the lockdown period at her with her family in Switzerland, plucking at her guitar, picking flowers in the fields and stitching aprons from old fabrics for the sun-splashed feasts soon to come at Casa Balandra.

What inspired you to start painting t-shirts?

Last summer I found my mom's painted t-shirts in my grandparent's garage of treasures in Italy and fell in love with them. Each t-shirt reflected my mom's different "phases" growing up...the romantic, the careless, the rebellious. During this time at home in Switzerland, and with most of my clothes still in Mallorca, I decided to transform the old t-shirts at the back of my closet into the "phases" that one day I'll look back on. Is it important to you to reuse things you might usually throw away? Yes! I always like to give old things that I used to love a second chance and a new value. Sometimes it works, but when they gotta go, they gotta go.

How have you kept yourself creative over this period?

Finally learning the guitar beyond the point that my fingers hurt, learning to work the sewing machine, making aprons with old fabrics for cooking feasts at Casa Balandra. I’ve also been making photo albums like the ones from when we were small.

What are some of your Sunday rituals?

Going for a walk in the woods all by myself and calling my lover, sun or rain! Coming back with all the flowers that I picked on the fields on the way back, with a few borrowed from the neighbours. Going to the farm near our house to collect fresh eggs and vegetables of all colours for lunch. Aperitivo with the family in the garden while my brother grills prawns on the barbecue. Tamacun always plays at some point, I make sure of it.

If lockdown had a colour, what would it be?

A light blue-grey. In Italian we call it carta da zucchero. Which words do you associate most with Mallorca? Lightness. Indulgence. Vida buena.

What is the first thing you’ll do once lockdown is over?

Fly back to Mallorca, sit down at a chiringuito on the beach with my Clau for a conference about life with a pan con tomate in one hand and a glass of wine in the other.