Catching up with Sol & Luna and Yukiko Kitahara

sol y luna

Five years ago, I started this blog to feature the excellence of Spanish design. I have featured dozens of artisans and makers of fine works of ceramics, leather, fiber, metal, textile, and basketry. I recently caught up with four of the studios that I have featured. In this first of two articles, I reach out…

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Workshops in Madrid on Ceramic Making

Guille-Garcia Hoz Workshops

In April, those in the Madrid area can learn the art of ceramic making from the team at Guille García-Hoz, a ceramic artist and interior designer. The workshops take place at his studio at 6 Nao Street. Please check his website to verify available spots. Clay and Wine (April 3, 10, 17, 24) Learners enjoy a…

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Dichoso Estudio designs Vibrant Mexican restaurant in Madrid

DICHOSO ESTUDIO_XIPE

Xipe is a Mexican restaurant on the Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid designed by  Dichoso Estudio. The concept that inspired the design is the simple, neutral, organic, warm and natural architecture of the famous Mexican architect Luis Barragán and the figure of Xipe, the Mexican deity of agriculture, goldsmithing, and corn. As a result, wheat…

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Jungle-inspired decor for Maison Jaguar restaurant in Madrid

4RETAIL – Maison Jaguar Restaurant

Maison Jaguar is a Mexican restaurant located on Goya street in the upscale Salamanca neighborhood of Madrid. The spectacular design is lush and jungle-inspired. Madrid-based Mil Studios was the lead design studio and collaborated with Dichoso Studio. 4Retail was in charge of the construction of the 450 m2 space. The decoration is maximalist, exuberant, and ornate with a profusion of details…

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Enrique Rovira-Beleta: Advocate for Accessible Design in Spain and Abroad

Enrique

Enrique Rovira-Beleta is an architect and university professor. He has been a wheelchair user for more than 40 years. He formed his architecture studio in 1994 after completing his architecture studies in 1993. In 2009, he founded Rovira-Beleta Accessibility Consulting. Throughout his career, he has established and improved accessibility laws, regulations, and policies for public…

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Álvaro M. Leiro wins Spain’s 2023 Artisan of the Year Award

2023 NATIONAL AWARDS FOR CRAFTS

On December 15, 2023, Galician artisan Álvaro M. Leiro received one of the highest honours in crafts in Spain, the prestigious Premio Nacional de Artesanía (National Award), at the sixteenth edition of the National Craft Awards. Convened annually by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism through the School of Industrial Organization (EOI) and its craft promotion arm, Fundesarte,…

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Spain for Accessible Design: Summary 2023

mudd architects

Since I published Moving Forward in 2022, my mission has been to feature beautiful interiors and products from Spain that allow those with reduced mobility to enjoy the built environment. It has been challenging to find projects to feature. Sadly, there is not yet widespread recognition of the need for this area of design and its incorporation…

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2023 Made in Spain Holiday Gift Guide

ILOEMA

Purposely pared back, this year’s holiday gift guide showcases Spain’s rich and varied ceramic, textile, glassmaking, and woodworking artisanal traditions. Plaart Located in Madrid, Plaart studio makes unique handcrafted contemporary ceramics. Founder Isabel San Martín is a graduate in fine arts and received specialized training in ceramic arts from the School of Art Francisco Alcántara and the Moncloa School of…

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Andreína Raventós Architecture: connecting to nature in new ways

Andreína Raventós Casa Decor 2022

“The art of living with pureness is a central idea in my designs represented in different ways, sometimes working with organic lines, raw textures, balance of volumes or simply working with the light.” Andreína Raventós. Andreína Raventós of architecture and design studio Andreína Raventós Architecture has a keen understanding of how a restrained palette, texture, and space…

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MuDD Architects: Marrying Cutting-Edge Technology and Raw Materials

MuDD

MuDD Architects is an architectural and interior design studio with offices in Paris and Barcelona. Co-founded by French architect and interior designer Stephanie Chaltiel in Singapore in 2012, she began her career in Mexico and French Guyana, after which she worked for Bernard Tschumi Architects in New York, OMA, and Zaha Hadid Architects. With projects internationally, the firm…

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