It seems everyone is abuzz about Casa Bonavita, the historic house turned hotel in Malta designed by Christopher and Suzanne Sharp. We are too. The property is filled with eye-catching tiles and clever styling moments — and the island has a connection to our cheekiest collection.
When we heard that Christopher and Suzanne Sharp were turning their 18th century palazzo in the ancient Maltese village of Attard into a 17-room hotel, we were eager to see the interiors. As the founders of The Rug Company, the duo are notorious for their sense of style and for their vision. Where some might have updated every last hint of faded grandeur, the Sharps sought to preserve the home’s warmth and character, creating a retreat that feels more like a home than a hotel — because it does indeed function as both.
In the kitchen, with its soaring ceiling, that translates to an oversized backsplash of Sicilian tiles which are repeated on the center island. Reminiscent of our hand painted Series S tiles, their verdant petals are picked up in the island’s Verde marble countertop and minty green joinery, lending the room a nostalgic feel. The effect is amplified in the classical artwork, copper pots, aged brass hardware and rustic chik blinds, which all lend a hand in making the vast room feel cosy and welcoming.
The Sharps replicated the effect in a bathroom with similarly high ceilings by taking the tiles just beyond the window line. Leaving plenty of negative space above draws the eye up and imbues the room with a sense of airiness, while fabric shades on the window and lamps soften the space. These tiles, by Suzanne Sharp Studio, nod to the island’s multicultural heritage with reference to Moorish designs.
Pattern is flipped on its head in the dining room, where a trellis motif adorns the ceiling (and calls to mind our Series S Bamboo pattern). With summer upon us, this room demonstrates why geraniums are a favourite styling tool for so many creatives. Interior designer Veere Greeney famously kept a lush collection at the Temple and continues to do so in Tangier, while John Derian is notorious for letting his get wildly leggy. And similar to the one propped on a chair here, designer Olga Naiman swears by a plant on a pedestal as one of her go-to styling tricks.
But back to tile! In the walled gardens at Casa Bonavita, Moorish references continue in the mosaic-tiled table, typically seen in Moroccan courtyards, and in the tiled border along the swimming pool’s waterline. Malta's position south of Italy in the Mediterranean has made it a cultural melting pot throughout history, with Sicilian, Arab, Spanish, Portuguese, and English influences all leaving their mark.
The island nation left its own mark on designer Jean Paul Demeyer, whose Fearless Eyes tile collection is one of our most playful. Having been in Malta for a decoration project, he noticed eyes adorning the boats in the harbor and promptly scooped up a souvenir in the Maritime Museum gift shop. That memento was added to eyes he had begun amassing on holiday in Capri, which eventually grew to 36 over three or four years and several destinations. “In Malta, the fishing boats have a different type of eyes than the Greek fishing boats,” he explained when we launched the collection, illustrated by Pablo Piatti, in 2022.
The Maritime Museum is currently closed for renovation (as is Villa Guardamangia, the one-time home of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, which is being turned into a museum), but there are plenty of ways to while away a week or even a long weekend in Malta. Check out this guide that the Sharps put together for AirMail, or this one their daughter, Sophie Edwards, current shepherd of Villa Bolgona Pottery, put together as well. With direct flights from the UK, it’s an easy mini-break this summer.
Photos: Casa Bonavita, courtesy of Casa Bonavita; Malta, courtesy of WikiCommons