WAS THE NEWSLETTER #117

I’m Paige Wassel. WAS the Newsletter is your weekly dose of design inspiration, where we ❤️ privacy.

Mediterranean Modern, Pt. 3

Cliffside Minimalism and The Art of Restraint (Palmares)

If Vilamoura is giving community energy with its marina, tennis courts, and my lazy river, Palmares is the quieter sibling, the one who went to Oberlin and not Miami of Ohio. Same region, but an entirely different mood. Architecturally, Palmares’ Signature Apartments & Residences is a masterclass in restraint, so let’s discuss.

When Architecture Steps Back

Palmares sits on the western edge of the Algarve, built into the hillside overlooking the ocean. Of course I gravitate to this because the property doesn’t try to compete with the landscape. The structures quietly take a backseat to the terrain. The terracotta tones blend into the cliffs and the natural stone flows into the ground. This is Mediterranean Modern at its best.

You get sleek, minimalist European lines, but they’re softened by color and texture that feel native to the region. This place just gets it right, where everything feels local and nothing feels loud.

Building Into the Hill (Yes, Please)

Who isn’t obsessed with buildings integrated into hillsides? I don’t know if YOU recall hanging on your Social Studies teacher’s every word about the cliff dwellers of the American Southwest, but I was riveted. I was into the marriage of form and function, long before I studied design.

I just feel like there’s something powerful about architecture that adapts instead of dominates. Palmares’ Signature Apartments & Residences does this so beautifully. The volumes are low and horizontal. The structures almost disappear at certain angles, thanks to the natural color palettes, so all you really notice is water and sky.

To me, restraint is kind of the ultimate luxury. Look at it like this—what's more chic? A canvas-coated Neverfull bag covered in logos, or a quiet 35cm tote with pebbled Togo leather, chevre lining, and palladium hardware? IYKYK.

The Golf Landscape, But Make It Design

Palmares’ Signature Apartments & Residences features a 27-hole championship golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones II, and yeah, my dad’s heart just skipped a beat. If you’re not a golfer? The golf course still matters because it shapes the environment. (FYI, I’m absolutely volunteering to drive the cart across those open green expanses with uninterrupted ocean views.)

What’s so cool is this development also offers select plots where you can build your own home. That changes the equation entirely, because now we’re not just talking about interiors.

Oh, no. We’re talking about creation from the ground up.

Privacy by Design

Compared to Vilamoura’s social energy, Palmares feels secluded. Less clubby, and more “I’m disappearing for a while.”

For high-net-worth buyers who value quiet, that is key. There’s also a JW Marriott coming to the development (Portugal’s first), so that’s going to add another layer of infrastructure and long-term vision. Regardless, the architecture still stays restrained. That’s what makes it feel elevated, not commercial.

Why This Version of Mediterranean Modern Feels So Current

Design is swinging back toward simplicity with warm minimalism and natural materials. What’s exciting is that we’re starting to embrace authentic color and regional awareness, something Ralph Lauren has been politely suggesting for, like, ever. Palmares hits Med Mod perfectly, in that it doesn’t over-style or over-build. Their Signature Apartments & residences blends, baby. If Springs Vilamoura is about resort-community living, Palmares is about stillness.

Anyway, next week, we’re gonna zoom out.

Because whether you’d buy at Springs, build at Palmares, or just swipe their best ideas to bring Med Mod home, there’s a bigger conversation here about designing for climate, safety, and lifestyle.

Next week, we break it all down.

xx,
P