A Personal journey from one World Heritage site in The English Lake District to the equally spectacular World Heritage mountain range of the Serra de Tramuntana in Mallorca

Award winning UK interior designer Sarah Jane Nielsen brings the magic of Nielsen House to your Mallorquin Interior Design Project

PART 1

Rural Beginnings

From very early on in life as a fine artist and print maker my personal expression bled into the architectural and interior design world through applications of texture, form, colour, layering and pattern. Every one of my interior design schemes stem from my interpretation of nature and my constant aim is to make the most of every influence within my work as an Interior Designer to the best of my ability, and offer my unique experience and ethos to every discerning client that comes across Sarah Jane Nielsen and Nielsen House

Personally, I have always been sucked into my surroundings, becoming at one with what is around me and usually with very positive effect.

I feel I am fortunate to be so visually lead, noticing and reacting to every level of detail, especially in nature and using what I learn to the utmost effect.

I am heavily influenced by the natural world that engulfs me and my location.

Like many, I find my mood shifts and my mind clears through the beauty and wonder of the relationship between the sky, the land and the sea.

The effect can be miraculous, hugely inspiring and uplifting emotionally, which in turn motivates my creativity and as a designer , you can see such evidence in my work.

Projects near and far tell stories of my whereabouts.

Designer History

I was brought up in Scotland and nurtured into the design world by my couture designer parents at a very expectant level in the bespoke clothing arena. My father’s family come from Denmark which had an enormous impact on my design sense and styling. He was an exceptional tailor, and my beautiful mother a unique art student, model, and clothes designer.

The Northern hemisphere always attracted me. The wilds of the wilderness from the Heart of Scotland, North, West and East, Iceland and Scandinavia, Orkney and Shetland down to the borders and the dramatic coastlines that envelope us on our island of the United Kingdom.

Brought up and educated in Edinburgh. I was heartbroken to leave Scotland when my parents chose to move south to the English Lake District. They had already discovered this gem through breaks away with friends. Little did I know that this would become my home for over 30 years and I would meet and marry my husband, and raise a family.

I couldn’t say the Lakes are more beautiful than Scotland, as each have their own characteristics and idiosyncrasies. But to live and work in the Lake District National Park is a complete pleasure.

Business and Family

Although life was good and Nielsen House was thriving, a great turning point in the life we were living was the knowledge that our first daughter of 17 was soon at an age where she would be choosing her own way, without us constantly in her space.

It became our priority to spend as much time with her as possible as it was noticeable that both our businesses had become all-consuming during our girls earlier years. And this led us to challenge our relationship with Bethany and her little sister of 11 years, Emilia.

The Interior Design studio at Nielsen House had blossomed and grown into a more “signature style” brand, allowing younger designers to learn and develop as individuals within the studio. At the same time, the passion and drive it demanded from me personally had taken affect. After more than 30 years completely dedicated to producing exceptional interiors for our expectant clients, I craved some diversification in line with my years. I saw and acknowledged that younger designers had the edge on administration and a more natural approach to the ever-evolving IT world. Our business required varied and fast software, this required stamina and perseverance. This should be their time to shine, it seemed a natural progression.

At home, there was so much we needed to know about our children and who they were. Although we were involved practically in their daily lives. Our personal and emotional roles could have been deeper.

Through tough experience, we also knew, while we lived in close proximity to our businesses, we would be called to task. We needed to re- prioritise, for a while anyway. It was time to take a leap of faith and pursue a lifetime dream experience of moving our family to the beautiful island of Mallorca. The girls would go to school and learn the culture and language of Spain. My husband and I would attempt to do something other than be tied to the daily running of our businesses.

Serra de Tramuntana, Mallorca

My husband and I had a holiday relationship with the island of Mallorca, both independently had been taken there by parents with siblings for over 50 years.

And we were now doing the same with our children in search of sunshine, a more outdoor life and release from the pressures of home and work balance.

Mallorca had always been a place where we tried not to work but enjoy family time.

In 2020, after a testing time through Covid as business owners, we like many discussed how we could manifest a lifetime experience with our girls that they would not forget.

With some considerable planning, could we reprioritise … just for a period, to remove ourselves from the management of our businesses, we both needed to step out to breathe, reflect and bond as a family.

In September 2022, we relocated our family to Mallorca in time for the start of the new September school term.

Location, Location, Location

Over the years we had grown accustomed to Pollenca and the northern mountains, wide beaches and intriguing villages .Constantly being attracted to the smaller typical Mallorquin villages nestled under the mountain ridge that makes it way south to the west coast of Calvia. After much research, we quickly understood to live there is quite different to holidaying and that it may be a little too quiet in the winter months with little community. Plus, most international curriculum schools were in and around Palma.

We were looking to become involved in a truly authentic Mallorca culture , As far as we could with very little or no Spanish. Of course we were British expats, like many, but we were determined to come away with firsthand knowledge and experience of Spanish culture and enable the girls to take part in the enormously inspiring fiestas, celebrations and unity of neighbourhood and community. These towns had all of this and under the backdrop of the stunning Terra de Tramuntana mountain range.

Santa Maria del Cami felt like the best place to start. A small, pretty, but centralised town that offered industry, all year-round local amenities, a train station and an international curriculum school.

Finding a home

The rustic finca we found to rent overlooked the town and the mountains beyond. Settled just outside of town. It was exceptionally beautiful, although still modest, the location creatively inspiring to wake up to each morning and a true Mallorca home from home.

As with any transitional experiment, there were hurdles to jump over, potholes to avoid and hoops to pass through. Relocating a family of four to a country where the everyday running of our lives posed huge challenges such as mastering The language and becoming familiar with the way things were done, people and places was going to turn our world around.

Our beautiful home in the Lake District held its own, but this adventure added opportunity, excitement, and individual growth for us all.

It had become vastly apparent that our daughters directions needed our parental support and encouragement which was paramount to our life fulfillment as parents.