Seville, Cordoba and Granada may be the headliners of Andalusia, Spain’s hilly, southernmost region, but if you’re searching for an unassuming, picture-perfect spot where locals and Spanish tourists far outnumber Brits, then Vejer de la Frontera in the historic province of Cadiz should be your next port of call.
The charming hilltop village is one of southern Spain’s famed whitewashed towns — the pueblos blancos — where narrow streets are lined with homes painted white to keep them cool in summer.
Vejer de la Frontera’s laid-back, undiscovered vibe is just one of the reasons designer and hotel owner Lee Thornley has been so fond of it for 17 years and counting.
In 2008, a “naive and impulsive” twenty-five-year-old Thornley set about restoring and renovating a rural farmhouse near Vejer de la Frontera into a boutique six-room hotel.
The creation of Casa La Siesta was an epic project that would see Thornley realise he had a knack for sourcing and using reclaimed tiles and would later inspire the Bert & May tile company.
Bert & May launched in 2013 and the doors to its first showroom, a canalside warehouse in Vyner Street in Bethnal Green, were opened just three years later.
It hosted pop-ups and events and the brand, which by then had added handmade vintage-inspired encaustic tiles to its wares, quickly found loyal admirers among London’s many passionate home renovators and design fans.
Those expecting Casa La Siesta to be kitted out floor-to-vaulted ceiling in Bert & May tiles are in for a surprise. Subtlety is key here.
While other hotel brands have found great success with the shoppable interiors look Casa La Siesta manages to use and showcase stunning handmade encaustic tiles without the feel of a branded residence.
Natural textures, handmade tiles and alfresco dining areas bordered by olive trees and lavender plants deliver a pared-back, luxury look that has all the feel of an exclusive members’ club, without the hefty joining fee.
New in Cadiz this year is The Stables, a standalone two-bedroom villa linked to Casa La Siesta by its aesthetic and use of the hotel’s services but separated by orchards, vegetable gardens and thus offering a feeling of total privacy.
The Stables were originally used to house Thornley’s rescue horses, before the main hotel was up and running.
Last year, Thornley undertook a six-month renovation to transform the space for guests and, in his words, “Do it once, I don’t want to change it. It’s not like fabrics in that you know you’re going to have to replace them.”
“That’s probably not the most sensible thing for me to say,” Thornley laughs, “but that’s my whole look, you just have to get the core material right.”
“The aesthetic is simple,” he explains. “Go with amazing materials, then you can create that cosy ‘home’ feeling. It’s all about texture and warmth.”
Design details
The Stables villa sleeps four in two bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and it’s in the tiled bathrooms that the connection with Bert & May really shines through.
Jewel-like, naturally imperfect zellige tiles in pale blue (main bathroom) and crimson (second bathroom) form rustic splashbacks behind handmade, freestanding basins.
Walk-in showers are tiled with the same zellige tiles, and provide a fun contrast to the sandy, reclaimed terracotta floor tiles and restrained pattern throughout the rest of the house.
Bathroom fittings are by British brassware designer Samuel Heath, Thornley selected the Landmark Pure basin fillers in non-lacquered brass for their understated, unpolished look.
A small but well-equipped kitchen features more zellige tiling, this time grey tiles are in a herringbone pattern above white countertops and warm wood cabinetry.
Rather than artwork, ceramics and textures are used as colour accents against raw plaster walls. In the cosy living room an indoor palm tree sits by a Cotswolds Grey sofa, for instance, while lemons in a rustic clay bowl on the Jan Henzel dining table provide the only other splash of colour in the room.
The comfortable space is understated while feeling opulent, just as Thornley intends, and, with a few simple jute rugs thrown in for more texture, you’ll both want and feel able to recreate the quiet-luxury look at home.
The villa has been perfectly arranged to catch sunsets, with the main bedroom overlooking a 16-metre swimming pool, the landscaped garden and open fields beyond.
A large courtyard has plenty of seated areas for drinks and dining, again with views of the pool and surrounding countryside.
What it costs
The Stables villa costs from €895 (£777) a night for four people. A room in Casa La Siesta costs from €350 (£304) a night. Head to casalasiesta.com to book.
Good to know
The six-room hotel can be booked for exclusive use, along with the two-bedroom Stables and a three-bedroom Casita villa. Thornley says often guests fall for the hotel and return for a bigger family event or celebration.
The hotel has a daily menu of simple dishes, with most ingredients grown on site or sourced locally. Guests of The Stables can use as many or as few of the hotel services as they wish.
Children are welcome year-round at The Stables, although there are some weeks of the year that the main hotel is adult only so make sure to check with the hotel if you’d like to be able to book an evening meal there for all the family.
Local gems
The local area “is very much a destination, it’s a whole coastline that hasn’t been ruined by too much tourism,” explains Thornley, “Beaches are windswept and wild, there’s a surfy crowd and an arty crowd, it’s a real mix.”
Vejer de la Frontera is “a stunning medieval town that has changed bit by bit over the last 10 years to have a more chichi vibe,” he adds.
“It’s sophisticated and cool which is a hard blend as sophisticated often means expensive and exclusive but it’s true to itself: people haven’t been told what a textbook tapas bar should look like — the TV is still on, there are olives sitting on the bar.”
“You can still get €1.50 beers and that’s a good sign for any Spanish town.”
Head to Plaza 28 for fresh, good-value tapas in the colourful public square Plaza España, a buzzing meeting point for bar-hopping locals and tourists alike.
Thornley rates Bodegas Tradicion, a winery and art gallery in Jerez de la Frontera, just north of Cadiz. The private art collection even features some tiles painted by an eight year-old Pablo Picasso.
Head to Cadiz city itself for the view from the bell tower of the cathedral, a visit to the fish market and a sherry in the lively indoor food market Mercado Central de Abastos, or south to Tarifa for its independent craft and art shops, suggests Thornley.
Back home: The Mix by Bert & May
Bert & May is returning to its original canalside warehouse home in Vyner Street, Bethnal Green, from November 1.
Opening as The Mix by Bert & May, the brand is teaming up with design brands to create a unique, shoppable interiors destination — think room sets created in partnership with Farrow & Ball, Pluck kitchen design, Curiousa lighting and Thomas Crapper & Co among others, all with interior designers, architects and DIY renovators in mind.
There will also be regular events such as supper clubs and cocktail evenings.
Head to bertandmay.com or @bertandmay for more information.
