On a crisp winter morning, the sun rises in the vibrant blue sky, casting its warmth across Jaime Romano and Roberta Jurado’s home in a secluded valley of almond trees in northern Ibiza. Set near the village of Santa Inés, far removed from the island’s party scene, the residence has a rough stone and plaster facade, punctuated by a brise-soleil, that blends seamlessly with the lush greenery bursting from pergolas and terraces.

Roberta and Jaime—an interior designer and an architect, respectively—met in Ibiza in 2001 after living nomadic lifestyles spanning Switzerland, mainland Spain, Ecuador, Paris, Rome, and Miami. They have collaborated professionally since 2005—both through Jaime’s firm, Romano Arquitectos, and the studio they cofounded, Box 3 Interiors.

“Roberta and I have almost opposite personalities, and from that friction arises a fertile dynamic in life and work,” Jaime says. “I am more radical and combative when I clearly understand what architecture can bring to the client and the project, even if that means opposing specific instructions—however, Roberta is more pragmatic, down-to-earth, and flexible.”

In tune with the pastoral setting, the couple’s property comprises a regenerative farm with a small vineyard, fig and carob trees, a thriving vegetable garden, and an elevated saltwater pool inspired by the island’s agricultural reservoirs. The landscape might look wild, but its chaos is carefully tended. “I always dreamed of living in a house that felt truly like a home—not just an architect’s vision,” Roberta says, marveling at how their residence balances functionality with character.

Jaime’s vision was clear: He wanted to build a discreet, simple, and efficient dwelling that harmonizes with the landscape. “The house and the environment are one cohesive organism,” he explains. It’s one of the first homes on the island to receive Passivhaus certification, and it incorporates traditional Ibizan materials and building techniques and natural ventilation—when the doors on the two long sections of the home are open, a cool breeze blows in from the nearby sea. The home is outfitted with enough solar panels to cover 100 percent of its electricity needs, including heating and cooling.

The couple also designed the house so that their daughter, Manuela, and Roberta’s mother, Graciela, can live with them. It’s set on a single level for ease of mobility, with Graciela’s quarters on one side and an office, Manuela’s bedroom, and the couple’s room on the opposite. Each of the three bedrooms has an en suite bathroom and an outdoor space. “If at any time you want privacy, you can go out to read, meditate, or simply sit under a pergola or next to a tree,” says Jaime. “The house is conceived that way: to share life without renouncing one’s independence.”

Graciela spends six months of the year visiting from Ecuador. “We have a very close relationship; we are truly good friends,” says Jaime. All of the home’s suites are designed for accessibility with walk-in showers, and Graciela’s accommodates one of her favorite hobbies: watching movies. “When we did the layout, we arranged a large room for Graciela,” Jaime recalls. “I had prepared some diagrams for her about orientation, views, and light...until she interrupted me and said, ‘Jaime, stop with the nonsense. What I want is a big television in front of my bed.’”

“Graciela has her own rhythm,” he adds. “Each morning, she dedicates two hours to exercise, and in the afternoons she devotes herself to her passions: cinema, politics, and geopolitics—subjects that fascinate her and fill our conversations with content.”

The smaller, more private areas are balanced by bright, open common spaces. The kitchen/dining/living area is positioned at the center of the home, and it opens to a spacious outdoor patio draped with wisteria where family and friends often gather to enjoy hand-pressed quince juice, Ecuadoran pan de yuca hot from the oven, and freshly brewed coffee.

“I was looking for a functional and serene house in which each space had a direct relationship with the exterior: a constant correlation between pergolas, trees, and shadows.”
—Jaime Romano, architect and resident

Despite being only a few years old, the home radiates warmth and comfort. The eclectic decor includes salvaged cabinets from a nearby 1970s house, shaggy rugs, hammocks from Ecuador, vintage furniture, large-scale contemporary art, and a bathroom that celebrates Japanese bathing with tropical references. Some of the furnishings lean a bit glam, such as the living room’s retro Swedish Galaxy armchairs designed by Alf Svensson—and the couple selected a linen sofa by Maison de Vacances in a terra-cotta color to hide prints from their dog’s paws, which are often covered with red earth.

Roberta shaped the interiors with her excellent eye for color and texture. The rooms are wrapped in natural materials: warm-hued stone walls, raw and colorfully stained oak beams and built-ins, and golden-toned tiles from mainland Spain. The tiles were originally gray, but some were stained with the valley’s red earth when rains set in during construction—so the couple opted to apply a mixture of earth and water to the entire batch to even out the color. “The result is a marvelous tan, leatherish hue, which is easy to clean and hides any dirt that comes in,” Roberta says.

The house embodies how the couple live. Jaime often works from home, taking breaks to swim or tend to the vines, while Roberta loves to relax in the hammocks by the pool and watch the sunset after a day at the office. Jaime adds, “We favor simplicity and ease of maintenance: spaces that work and put the house at the service of our everyday lives.”

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Jaime Romano, Romano Arquitectos / @romanoarquitectos

Builder: Danisol

Landscape Design: Romano Arquitectos, The Farmers Club, and Terravita

Interior Design: Roberta Jurado, Box 3 Interiors / @box3ibiza

Cabinetry: Box 3 Interiors

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