Spanish Designers Are Embracing a Handcrafted, Rustic Sensibility
Reacting against the increasingly derided minimalism of Nordic design, Spanish designers and manufacturers continue to drive the Continent’s rustic aesthetic.
The Kurul Bovedilla Series #2 from Madrid-based Enorme Studio translates ceramic handicraft traditions into modular furniture painted with hypergraphic patterns. Courtesy the designer and manufacturer
Ceramic tiles with uneven edges. Chairs of untreated teak and recycled materials. Rugs bifurcated by abrupt color shifts. These eccentricities in new Spanish products haven’t missed a bullet in the production checklist—they’re by design. Such features, moreover, are not being snubbed as shabby, atavistic, or down-market; in fact, they are increasingly sought after, as tastes move from slick minimalism toward the handmade and personal. And manufacturers, recognizing craft’s newly claimed esteem, are all too eager to add a human touch.
The movement has found a welcome home in Spain, where practices have united the country’s sun-drenched aesthetic with long-standing emphases on material and process. Products boasting an artisan spontaneity have come to define much of Spain’s postrecession design. “Spain is traditionally renowned for its design, but in the last 10 to 15 years, we’ve taken a step forward,” says Carlos Alfaro, U.S. export director of outdoor giant Kettal. “One secret is the craftsmanship involved in our process.”
Barcelona-based interior and furniture designer Susana Piquer, who founded Colapso Studio in 2014, applied her predilection for wood and a self-styled “bohemian” approach to the redesign of her apartment in central Barcelona. Colapso Studio
Central to this trend is a recasting of the notion of “perfection” in support of an informal, handcrafted feel. Features that would otherwise be seen as requiring post-production remediation are now being exalted, if not incorporated intentionally. “Randomness and imperfection are not issues,” says María Gil, furniture maker Expormim’s U.S. and Canada area manager. “They make every piece unique and provide character.” This aim at imperfection has long suffused tile design, where faux fading and irregular protrusions abound, according to Ryan Fasan, technical consultant for manufacturers’ association Tile of Spain. Smaller design practices are also a part of this embrace. Susana Piquer, founder of Colapso Studio in Barcelona, says, “If a material has imperfections to the eye but fits with the concept of an object, that’s a strength.”
Spain has historically benefited from studios nimble in adapting to changing material and economic conditions, and from an animated civic life that correlates with excellence in hospitality, outdoor, and lighting design (see the surging popularity of brands like Kettal, Expormim, and Marset). Unlike Italian designers, with their material focus on plastics and ideological hang-up about luxurious simplicity, the Spanish have ensured a degree of accessibility by focusing on exports (see “Finding Creativity Amid Crisis” from the December 2014 issue of Metropolis). “I try to keep the creative concept open and relevant in a global market,” says Colapso’s Piquer, “even though it’s produced in Barcelona.”
Spain’s homegrown genius, seen especially in the postrecession era, has not only driven innovation but raised broader, global questions as to what constitutes good, accessible design.
ENORME STUDIO KURUL BOVEDILLA SERIES #02The young Madrid collective Enorme Studio specializes in conceptual and context-driven approaches to architecture and interiors, emphasizing nimble designs with underlying communal and civic implications. Its modular furniture system Kurul is based on the timeless local ceramic tradition with supporting metalwork and hypergraphic painted patterns. Part of the Bovedilla series, which commits to the use of local materials and handiwork, Kurul advances Spanish craftsmanship, injecting contemporary vivacity into age-old practices.
Courtesy the designer and manufacturer
ENORME STUDIO KURUL BOVEDILLA SERIES #02The young Madrid collective Enorme Studio specializes in conceptual and context-driven approaches to architecture and interiors, emphasizing nimble designs with underlying communal and civic implications. Its modular furniture system Kurul is based on the timeless local ceramic tradition with supporting metalwork and hypergraphic painted patterns. Part of the Bovedilla series, which commits to the use of local materials and handiwork, Kurul advances Spanish craftsmanship, injecting contemporary vivacity into age-old practices.
EXPORMIM FONTAL CHAIR Barcelona-born Oscar Tusquets Blanca seeks to revive yet another snubbed material and process and restore it to its past glamour with his Fontal indoor chair design for Expormim. Despite the seat’s sparseness and minimal frame, Fontal’s use of rattan and traditional Spanish handicraft techniques makes it “a light, warm, and likable chair that is luxurious in the true sense of the word,” according to Blanca. “For us, the honest behavior is to export a piece of furniture that speaks to our principles and shows what we have lived since our childhood,” says Expormim’s Gil. “[It’s a] type of furniture that is respectful of the environment—Mediterranean, but with a global nature.”
Courtesy the designer and manufacturer
EXPORMIM FONTAL CHAIR Barcelona-born Oscar Tusquets Blanca seeks to revive yet another snubbed material and process and restore it to its past glamour with his Fontal indoor chair design for Expormim. Despite the seat’s sparseness and minimal frame, Fontal’s use of rattan and traditional Spanish handicraft techniques makes it “a light, warm, and likable chair that is luxurious in the true sense of the word,” according to Blanca. “For us, the honest behavior is to export a piece of furniture that speaks to our principles and shows what we have lived since our childhood,” says Expormim’s Gil. “[It’s a] type of furniture that is respectful of the environment—Mediterranean, but with a global nature.”
DVELAS DINGHY TABLE FAMILY DVELAS employs its signature sail-material upcycling process to achieve a nautical, handcrafted Spanish look for this family of auxiliary tables, which will be released later this month at ICFF. Designed by the San Sebastián–born and Navarre-based architect Enrique Kahle, Dinghy A and B are made from repurposed sails (enhanced by a rustic patina) and enclosed by marine plywood and a resin envelope—a material palette that reflects Spain’s physical and historical context and nods toward sustainable production. Each DVELAS product is labeled with the sail’s type, port of origin, ship name, and manufacturer.
Courtesy the designer and manufacturer
DVELAS DINGHY TABLE FAMILY DVELAS employs its signature sail-material upcycling process to achieve a nautical, handcrafted Spanish look for this family of auxiliary tables, which will be released later this month at ICFF. Designed by the San Sebastián–born and Navarre-based architect Enrique Kahle, Dinghy A and B are made from repurposed sails (enhanced by a rustic patina) and enclosed by marine plywood and a resin envelope—a material palette that reflects Spain’s physical and historical context and nods toward sustainable production. Each DVELAS product is labeled with the sail’s type, port of origin, ship name, and manufacturer.
BOVER AMPHORA COLLECTIONLike the ceramic and terra-cotta amphorae—vaselike wine storage containers best known from Greek and Roman antiquity—that inspired this lamp’s design, Bover’s fixture can be used to adorn interiors and terraces alike. It takes the form of a handwoven synthetic wicker basket, resulting in a decorative object that feels at home in the Spanish Mediterranean.
Courtesy the designer and manufacturer
BOVER AMPHORA COLLECTIONLike the ceramic and terra-cotta amphorae—vaselike wine storage containers best known from Greek and Roman antiquity—that inspired this lamp’s design, Bover’s fixture can be used to adorn interiors and terraces alike. It takes the form of a handwoven synthetic wicker basket, resulting in a decorative object that feels at home in the Spanish Mediterranean.
KETTAL BASKET CHAIRKettal revises the iconic bowl-shaped Basket Chair—originally designed in 1950 by Danish husband-and-wife duo Jørgen and Nanna Ditzel—making the classic better suited for the outdoors, while sticking to all-natural materials. Crafted from hand-braided wicker and teak, among other materials, the update also gets new pure-wool cushions in four color combinations and eight Kvadrat fabrics. “During a recession, color patterns tend to be a little more muted as people want to be less flashy and more discreet,” says Carlos Alfaro. “One of our secrets is the craftsmanship involved in our manufacturing process. Eightyfive percent of our pieces are handmade.”
Courtesy the designer and manufacturer
KETTAL BASKET CHAIRKettal revises the iconic bowl-shaped Basket Chair—originally designed in 1950 by Danish husband-and-wife duo Jørgen and Nanna Ditzel—making the classic better suited for the outdoors, while sticking to all-natural materials. Crafted from hand-braided wicker and teak, among other materials, the update also gets new pure-wool cushions in four color combinations and eight Kvadrat fabrics. “During a recession, color patterns tend to be a little more muted as people want to be less flashy and more discreet,” says Carlos Alfaro. “One of our secrets is the craftsmanship involved in our manufacturing process. Eightyfive percent of our pieces are handmade.”
ARTURO ÁLVAREZ IMOS SCULPTUREGalician designer Arturo Álvarez is best known for his lighting work, but his recent anthropomorphic sculptures—which made their U.S. debut in March as part of ddc’s Spanish Masters exhibition—examine illumination from a different, more indirect perspective. In Conversas and Encontros, light is projected through mesh busts and nettings, casting ghostly shadows. For Imos (pictured), Álvarez created groupings of bare, votivelike statuettes made of natural wood. Throughout the new collection, the designercum- artist allows random differences in material, process, form, and adjacency to forge new conceptualizations of relationships within communities and between humans and their environment. “The ‘handmade’ factor is essential and highlights my entire career,” Álvarez says. “It allows me to discuss the complexity of human relations.”
Courtesy the designer and manufacturer
ARTURO ÁLVAREZ IMOS SCULPTUREGalician designer Arturo Álvarez is best known for his lighting work, but his recent anthropomorphic sculptures—which made their U.S. debut in March as part of ddc’s Spanish Masters exhibition—examine illumination from a different, more indirect perspective. In Conversas and Encontros, light is projected through mesh busts and nettings, casting ghostly shadows. For Imos (pictured), Álvarez created groupings of bare, votivelike statuettes made of natural wood. Throughout the new collection, the designercum- artist allows random differences in material, process, form, and adjacency to forge new conceptualizations of relationships within communities and between humans and their environment. “The ‘handmade’ factor is essential and highlights my entire career,” Álvarez says. “It allows me to discuss the complexity of human relations.”
COLAPSO STUDIO APARTMENTBarcelona-based interior and furniture designer Susana Piquer, who founded Colapso Studio in 2014, applied her predilection for wood and a self-styled “bohemian” approach to the redesign of her apartment in central Barcelona. Emphasizing local materials and distributors and a certain pragmatic versatility, the project includes original moldings, wooden-shuttered fenestration, pine furniture, a multifunctional brick table, and local lighting purveyor Santa & Cole’s Cestita lamp. Walls and much of the carpentry and were painted white to accentuate and disperse incoming natural light. “All materials are perfect and imperfect at the same time,” Piquer says.
Courtesy the designer and manufacturer
COLAPSO STUDIO APARTMENTBarcelona-based interior and furniture designer Susana Piquer, who founded Colapso Studio in 2014, applied her predilection for wood and a self-styled “bohemian” approach to the redesign of her apartment in central Barcelona. Emphasizing local materials and distributors and a certain pragmatic versatility, the project includes original moldings, wooden-shuttered fenestration, pine furniture, a multifunctional brick table, and local lighting purveyor Santa & Cole’s Cestita lamp. Walls and much of the carpentry and were painted white to accentuate and disperse incoming natural light. “All materials are perfect and imperfect at the same time,” Piquer says.
APARICI GRUNGE COLLECTIONStudded leather, faded geometric ornamentation, and a rusted-metal look—these finishes define the industrial and punk aesthetic of Aparici’s aptly named Grunge porcelain collection. “Burn” marks, faux rust and oxidation, and imitation blemishes are replicated at an industrial scale in Oxidum Lappato finish (pictured). Grunge’s Chevron formats allow modular combinations, as well as single mosaics that appear to contain grids of different smaller tiles.
Courtesy the designer and manufacturer
APARICI GRUNGE COLLECTIONStudded leather, faded geometric ornamentation, and a rusted-metal look—these finishes define the industrial and punk aesthetic of Aparici’s aptly named Grunge porcelain collection. “Burn” marks, faux rust and oxidation, and imitation blemishes are replicated at an industrial scale in Oxidum Lappato finish (pictured). Grunge’s Chevron formats allow modular combinations, as well as single mosaics that appear to contain grids of different smaller tiles.
ÁBBATTE TAFFETA CUSHIONSince its founding as a textile firm focused on handicraft five years ago, Ábbatte has perfected what it calls a “slow and complex” creative process. This cushion, designed by Camila Lanzas Goded, is made of 100 percent hand-spun (and handwashed) alpaca fiber in tobacco, gray, and alder yellow, and was produced—as nearly all Ábbatte textile products are—on the northern side of the Guadarrama Mountains in Segovia, near Madrid. “Craftsmanship gives a personal and inner closeness to unique items and an emotional touch when we have a handmade product in our hands,” says Elena Goded, the company’s founder.
Courtesy the designer and manufacturer
ÁBBATTE TAFFETA CUSHIONSince its founding as a textile firm focused on handicraft five years ago, Ábbatte has perfected what it calls a “slow and complex” creative process. This cushion, designed by Camila Lanzas Goded, is made of 100 percent hand-spun (and handwashed) alpaca fiber in tobacco, gray, and alder yellow, and was produced—as nearly all Ábbatte textile products are—on the northern side of the Guadarrama Mountains in Segovia, near Madrid. “Craftsmanship gives a personal and inner closeness to unique items and an emotional touch when we have a handmade product in our hands,” says Elena Goded, the company’s founder.
TEIXIDORS TIME THROW AND CUSHIONSBarcelona-based textile house Teixidors is a leader in sustainable resources, both material and social: The brand employs people with learning disabilities, aiming to further their socioeconomic independence. Its products are handmade on traditional wooden looms, resulting in unique textiles whose colors and textures subtly vary. Time, to be released this month at ICFF, is made of ecoconscious Merino wool sourced from nearby Provence. The textile “incorporates the value of time in its texture,” says Nuria Bitria, the brand’s head designer. “When weaving, we give form to time through the material.”
Courtesy the designer and manufacturer
TEIXIDORS TIME THROW AND CUSHIONSBarcelona-based textile house Teixidors is a leader in sustainable resources, both material and social: The brand employs people with learning disabilities, aiming to further their socioeconomic independence. Its products are handmade on traditional wooden looms, resulting in unique textiles whose colors and textures subtly vary. Time, to be released this month at ICFF, is made of ecoconscious Merino wool sourced from nearby Provence. The textile “incorporates the value of time in its texture,” says Nuria Bitria, the brand’s head designer. “When weaving, we give form to time through the material.”
SALONI OXY COLLECTIONThe understated finishes, earth-tone palette, and flat reliefs of Saloni’s Oxy red-body tiles can be seen as typical of the Spanish tile industry’s proficiency in providing a range of natural-looking surfaces as an alternative to metal or stone. The many sizes available—in brown, beige, gray, and anthracitelook colorways—ensure endless rustic and eclectic applications.
Courtesy the designer and manufacturer
SALONI OXY COLLECTIONThe understated finishes, earth-tone palette, and flat reliefs of Saloni’s Oxy red-body tiles can be seen as typical of the Spanish tile industry’s proficiency in providing a range of natural-looking surfaces as an alternative to metal or stone. The many sizes available—in brown, beige, gray, and anthracitelook colorways—ensure endless rustic and eclectic applications.
NANIMARQUINA HAYÓN X NANI COLLECTION Born and trained in Madrid and currently working out of Barcelona, Jaime Hayón has enjoyed highprofile collaborations with the glitzy likes of Swarovski and Metalarte. Although many of his past designs reflect a sleek, cleaned-up aesthetic, his new rugs for nanimarquina—launched at Salone del Mobile last year to celebrate the company’s 30th anniversary— constitute a playful and eccentric contrast. The dreamy, complex textile at left is the product of a hand-tufting technique, wherein a manually operated pistol shoots threads of wool to produce organic geometries and imaginative suggestions of animals. It is designed to be viewed from any angle, including from below if affixed to a wall as a statement-making tapestry.
Courtesy the designer and manufacturer
NANIMARQUINA HAYÓN X NANI COLLECTION Born and trained in Madrid and currently working out of Barcelona, Jaime Hayón has enjoyed highprofile collaborations with the glitzy likes of Swarovski and Metalarte. Although many of his past designs reflect a sleek, cleaned-up aesthetic, his new rugs for nanimarquina—launched at Salone del Mobile last year to celebrate the company’s 30th anniversary— constitute a playful and eccentric contrast. The dreamy, complex textile at left is the product of a hand-tufting technique, wherein a manually operated pistol shoots threads of wool to produce organic geometries and imaginative suggestions of animals. It is designed to be viewed from any angle, including from below if affixed to a wall as a statement-making tapestry.
NATUCER COTTOSKIN COLLECTION The simple irregularities of Natucer’s CottoSkin collection reflect its clay essence, as well as Spanish tile’s general pursuit of ever-morerealistic- looking products. With rough edges and asymmetrical texture and shading, CottoSkin signals patina and human spontaneity, despite its industrial, mechanized production. More decorative, offbeat, and statementmaking pieces can be interspersed within the application thanks to the tiles’ many formats, including square and subway shapes.
Courtesy the designer and manufacturer
NATUCER COTTOSKIN COLLECTION The simple irregularities of Natucer’s CottoSkin collection reflect its clay essence, as well as Spanish tile’s general pursuit of ever-morerealistic- looking products. With rough edges and asymmetrical texture and shading, CottoSkin signals patina and human spontaneity, despite its industrial, mechanized production. More decorative, offbeat, and statementmaking pieces can be interspersed within the application thanks to the tiles’ many formats, including square and subway shapes.
MARSET PU-ERH COLLECTION Marset has long typified Spanish design’s embrace of material conditions and the human hand. Its conical Pu-erh light, designed by Xavier Mañosa and released last year, is a near-ideal embodiment of the brand. Mañosa’s initial sketch, with its irregular grooves and undulating tactility, is translated and applied to the ceramic mold directly, resulting in a pleated, fabriclike surface with a chalky hand. Rather than correcting the imperfections of the artisan process, the hand-polished and glazed Pu-erh celebrates them as the basis for production. “The clean, pure definition, and these live artists who finish the piece and cut the light—it all has this sensuality,” says Mañosa. “This lamp is about the idea of showing the naked material.”
Courtesy the designer and manufacturer
MARSET PU-ERH COLLECTION Marset has long typified Spanish design’s embrace of material conditions and the human hand. Its conical Pu-erh light, designed by Xavier Mañosa and released last year, is a near-ideal embodiment of the brand. Mañosa’s initial sketch, with its irregular grooves and undulating tactility, is translated and applied to the ceramic mold directly, resulting in a pleated, fabriclike surface with a chalky hand. Rather than correcting the imperfections of the artisan process, the hand-polished and glazed Pu-erh celebrates them as the basis for production. “The clean, pure definition, and these live artists who finish the piece and cut the light—it all has this sensuality,” says Mañosa. “This lamp is about the idea of showing the naked material.”
NOW CARPETS KO04 RUG Barcelona-based designer Francesc Rifé does not shy away from abrupt gradations, offbeat color juxtapositions, and protruding constructions in his hand-tufted KO rug collection for the Zaragoza- and New York–based manufacturer NOW Carpets. The bamboo-silk designs feature biophilic shapes and nature-inspired fractals, and cover the color gamut from warm earth tones to gloomy, darker hues.
Courtesy the designer and manufacturer
NOW CARPETS KO04 RUG Barcelona-based designer Francesc Rifé does not shy away from abrupt gradations, offbeat color juxtapositions, and protruding constructions in his hand-tufted KO rug collection for the Zaragoza- and New York–based manufacturer NOW Carpets. The bamboo-silk designs feature biophilic shapes and nature-inspired fractals, and cover the color gamut from warm earth tones to gloomy, darker hues.
DUNE MAGNIFICENT COLLECTIONDune’s ceramic wall tile provides an aged, vintage look defined by its swirling floral geometries and ersatz faded patina. Featuring a copper-style inlay to add sparkle, Magnificent conforms to the long tradition of tiles inspired by billowing and printed textiles—in this case, the dignified aesthetic of damask fabric. “Spain is a country that, since antiquity, has been nourished by the cultural legacy of the civilizations that have populated it,” says Anabell Torres, Dune USA’s general manager. “Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, and, above all, Arabs have left their mark in the form of ceramics.”
Courtesy the designer and manufacturer
DUNE MAGNIFICENT COLLECTIONDune’s ceramic wall tile provides an aged, vintage look defined by its swirling floral geometries and ersatz faded patina. Featuring a copper-style inlay to add sparkle, Magnificent conforms to the long tradition of tiles inspired by billowing and printed textiles—in this case, the dignified aesthetic of damask fabric. “Spain is a country that, since antiquity, has been nourished by the cultural legacy of the civilizations that have populated it,” says Anabell Torres, Dune USA’s general manager. “Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, and, above all, Arabs have left their mark in the form of ceramics.”
