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Devoted to the crafts of Portugal, the emporium A Vida Portuguesa is your pitstop ceramics, hand-made woollen blankets, glassware to napkins, stationery to baskets - all made in Portugal. Curated by founder Catarina Portas, the stores represent her ethos of nurturing and supporting homegrown talent. A Vida Portuguesa celebrates the cultural heritage of local manufacture from mostly from family-owned, sustainable producers.
You can walk out, or order online, a handblown glass from Depósito da Marinha Grande, a ceramic figurine to the wonderful Alentejo blanket from Fabricaal as a bed throw, or snap up a ceramic swallow crafted in the original moulding from 19th-century ceramist Rafael Bordallo Pinheir. Frozen mid-flutter, the bird has become a popular wall-hanging in Portuguese homes. A strong narrative of the origin, personality and passion lends an air of individualism, making the items a perfect one-of-a-kind accessory to planet home.
In the words of the founder: 'We believe objects can tell extraordinary and revealing stories. About a people and its particular taste, about a society and its context, about a history which is, after all, a common identity. And, because we know – only too well – the infinite power of saudade (that nostalgic and untranslatable longing), we also believe objects have the magical power to, like a certain Madeleine, awaken memories and sensations in each one of us. In other words, to reveal ourselves.'
A Vida Portuguesa is for those aficionados who relish a little nostalgia and are not afraid to combine the echoes of the past with standout pieces of today.
Lisbon, Portugal's legendary capital simply bursts with heritage, azulejo tiles, Pastéis de Nata & art - this is a design guide you can shop, see & drink.
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Porto for culture seekers - we explore the Serralves Foundation comprising of a dusty pink 1930-40s’s Art Deco villa designed by Porto architect José Marques da Silva, a landscape-specific contemporary museum designed by Álvaro Siza.
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Set up in the 1980s, by Drummond Shaw, the company began as a vintage salvage company, restoring old rolltop baths to a characterful beauty, perfect for upmarket interiors and of course, indulgent deep soaks.
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A city of effortless cool & pioneering Scandi design Copenhagen has long been at the heart of the world’s ceramics stage, from practical to the performative.
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A Lisbon shopping guide for those under-the-radar gems spanning fashion, antique tiles, vintage furniture, design den interiors & all things children's gifts.
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Anchored to specific genres of hotel design, The Aficionados print editions: Farmhouse Fabulous, Casa Gorgeous, Blueprint Beauts, Neu Heritage and Alchemists of Italy take the reader through the creation narratives. A sourcebook for hoteliers, travellers, style aficionados and those who appreciate design.
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My Greek Island Home by Claire Lloyd is always out of the bookcase, an ever-present friend that tells the tale of falling in love with a Greek island and finding that a simpler life is not so bad after all.
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With an extraordinarily creative mind, Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro (1846 – 1923), was known for taking his own approach which can be seen in this revealing museum which showcases his graphic arts, caricatures, ceramics, object design and decoration.
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Ruth’s original manifesto to listen to what the house wanted to be has served her well. Reinvented for the curious traveller, Brücke 49 has been welcoming guests for nearly a decade.
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As the property neared finishing, Fabio took the decision to keep the garden wild and naturally indigenous – where the boundaries between garden and rural countryside were blurred.
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Whilst most people wisely steer clear of a crumbling abandoned building, others, thankfully, are drawn to them like a bee to nectar and instantly fall in love - for they can see a future and a purpose.
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De La Espada leads a new era of collectible design and cultural craft. Explore their collaborations with Sam Baron, Anthony Guerrée and more, rooted in Portuguese savoir faire.
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Get the insider news and lowdown on what we've been up to, where we've been, and who we've met along the way. Be the first to discover new places and get the scoop on our favourites.