6 | LUXlife Magazine Redefining Luxury: From Aesthetic to Purpose For as long as I can remember, luxury has been defined by beauty, exquisite craftsmanship, rare materials, and spaces designed to inspire awe. I’ve spent my career surrounded by this kind of beauty, from the precision of superyacht interiors to the calm symmetry of Mediterranean villas. But over the years, I’ve come to realise that beauty alone is no longer enough. True luxury today must go deeper. It must ask not only how something is made, but why. Who benefits? What legacy does it leave behind? Luxury, to me, should not exist in isolation, it should contribute meaningfully to the world around it. Nowhere is this shift more visible than here in Mallorca, an island long loved for its natural splendour and cosmopolitan spirit. Once a showcase for grand statements and architectural bravado, Mallorca is now leading a quieter, more profound evolution, one where design and responsibility are inseparable. At Coertze & Clacher, the company I co-founded with my wife Jess and our partners Rachel and David Clacher, we call this philosophy luxury with purpose. It underpins everything we do, from the way we site a building to the materials we source and the communities we support. Beauty Rooted in Integrity and Place Every one of our homes begins with the landscape. We start by listening to the contours of the land, the direction of the wind, the way the light shifts throughout the day. Rather than imposing a design, we allow the terrain to shape it. This approach not only The New Definition of Luxury: Beauty with Purpose in Mallorca honours Mallorca’s fragile environment but also ensures each home feels as if it has always belonged there. Our material palette tells its own story. We work with local stone, lime render and timber, materials that breathe, that age gracefully, that speak of place. Many are crafted by Mallorcan artisans whose skills have been passed down through generations. We don’t simply reference their traditions; we revive them, giving ancient techniques a contemporary voice. The interiors are designed to capture the essence of Mediterranean life luminous, tactile and open to the outdoors. Gardens bloom with native flora, restoring local biodiversity and reducing water use. Technology is seamlessly integrated too: renewable energy systems, water recycling, and smart energy management come as standard, not as luxuries. This is beauty grounded in integrity, homes that function flawlessly, age gracefully, and tread lightly. Sustainability, for us, isn’t a constraint on creativity. It’s a foundation for it. When Luxury Becomes a Force for Good Yet our commitment goes beyond materials and methods. Luxury, I believe, carries responsibility. If we are privileged to create extraordinary homes in extraordinary locations, we must also give something back to the communities that sustain them. That’s why every Coertze & Clacher project contributes a portion of its profits to affordable housing initiatives across Mallorca. This By Francois Coertze, Co-founder of Coertze & Clacher
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