SONMO

Even as the world accelerates, there remains a need to pause, to embrace the moment, to savor life’s simplest and often intangible pleasures. It is no coincidence that many of these pleasures are provided by nature. In a paradoxical dance, the faster life moves, the more projects emerge with the desire to return to our roots—whether those are in nature, within ourselves, or both.

This philosophy gave rise to SONMO, a project set in the Serra de Tramuntana, which draws from its surroundings and demonstrates that it is still possible to live off the land, to nurture creativity with locally sourced materials, and to love the landscape with respect. For how else can one truly love?

In truth, SONMO is the continuation of Son Moragues, a Mallorcan estate located on the island’s western side. Joe Holles, its Director of Innovation and Sustainability, arrived here at the age of five. His love for the area where he grew up led him to connect with Son Moragues, a 14th-century house that fell into decline by the late 19th century. SONMO began a project to regenerate the estate and restore the vitality it once had, a process that has been ongoing for 15 years. “It’s an attempt to crystallize this vision and this special place into tangible products, bringing this world into the 21st century,” Joe explains. He adds, “We wanted to show that it’s still possible to align people with place, economy with nature, agriculture with biodiversity.”

The journey hasn’t been easy. “The Serra de Tramuntana is an anthropogenic environment transformed by people, a place where taming nature and making a living was a hard-earned endeavor,” Joe explains. He also mentions the challenges posed by the lack of rivers, lakes, and surface water. Yet, through the efforts and perseverance of many, today this area is welcoming and warm—a place bathed in the Mediterranean’s magic, where most people long to return. 

The secret lies in a straightforward logic: “You cannot regenerate a landscape like this without regenerating the crafts, culture, and society intertwined with it,” Joe confides. This involves embracing sustainability in its three dimensions: environmental, economic, and social. This respectful and conscious perspective is reflected in the products offered by SONMO. Although categorized into five groups—pantry, ceramics, textiles, stone, and wool—most are made from the estate’s raw materials using processes that do not harm the environment.

Among all these, the standout ingredient is the olive, which they use to produce one of the few organic oils made from a 100% Mallorcan variety. Even this was no easy feat: the estate has maintained around 10,000 ancient olive trees, spread across over eighty hectares of dry stone terraces, carefully preserved over the years. While olive oil was the first product they developed, they quickly realized they needed to expand their offerings to include preserves like jams and jellies. Soon after, they began producing ceramics, textiles, and various objects crafted from beautiful stones found in their forests and olive groves. They also have their own sheep, which provide wool used for blankets—a key pillar in the holistic management of the estate.

For each product family, SONMO collaborates with artists and artisans from diverse backgrounds, ages, and skills to rebuild connections with the local community and create a network of people from various disciplines. “People are the key to this incredible constellation we’ve built,” Joe says, smiling with the certainty that only comes from time and an understanding of one’s craft.

With the clear and determined way in which things with an honest purpose often persist and flourish, SONMO has extended its roots beyond the estate, forging alliances to improve the planet. In partnership with associations and institutions on the island, they work to expand regeneration efforts throughout the Serra de Tramuntana. They are also part of the Mediterranean Initiatives Foundation and the UN’s Race to Zero, a mission to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Additionally, they are developing the traceability of their products to ensure consumers are aware of the environmental footprint throughout their lifecycle.

SONMO remains something of an intuition—one that springs from the deepest places. It happens rarely, and when it does, one must know how to listen. Joe is acutely aware of how fortunate they are and values the fact that the project involves young people who still possess that ancestral knowledge, connecting it to a modern vision. “We aim to reactivate that virtuous circle created over centuries and that harmonious coexistence with nature from a renewed perspective.” Often, the best stories come full circle, and the Son Moragues project is a fine example of that.