Focus on craft: heading for the mediterranean

Think Karawan Authentic’s Aleppo olive oil soaps or the huge blocks of savon de Marseille from la Savonnerie du midi that have been used for what feels like forever to clean both body and home, and whose raw aesthetic brings a touch of design into the modern-day bathroom.
Think woven or tufted rugs that herald from Morocco or Turkey. Picture ceramics, ranging from the pared-back terracottas from up-and-coming French brand Oustao to the bright and colourful earthenwares and porcelains from iconic Portuguese brands Vista Alegre and Bordallo Pinheiro. And then there’s terrazzo, the flooring technique that can be seen right across the Mediterranean and that has been sweeping us all off our feet once more for the past few years, rippling through the home with its colourful designs borrowed from textiles and wallpaper. Mediterranean silhouettes, hues and expertise appear to have become more enticing than ever.

Authentic expertise

For the past decade or so, Take Caire has been cementing ties between Egyptian artisans and young European designers. The firm’s founder, Sylvie Blanchet, is not only a well-informed observer of this creative Mediterranean vibe, but is also helping drive its revival. “From an aesthetic standpoint, there is a local element, a sense of returning to our roots, embracing raw qualities and hues that are fully aligned with current desires,” she explains. “There is also the allure of the Mediterranean’s cultural diversity. These are countries that have been doing business together since the dawn of time, and they share so much history and common ground.”
At the last edition of the trade fair, Take Caire showcased ceramics from the Fayoum Oasis, just south of the Egyptian capital. The region’s ceramic expertise, a legacy from the time of the Pharaohs, was resolutely revived thanks to the curiosity and passion of Swiss ceramic artist Evelyne Porret, who fell in love with this particular corner of the world and founded a pottery school there. Fast forward to today, and four generations of potters now work in the village. Take Caire also works with coppersmiths, glassblowers, weavers and woodturners. The majority of these techniques are, indeed, employed right across the Mediterranean, but what makes each creation so special is the quality of both the materials and resources used for these often frugal pieces. “The common denominator is the preservation of expertise with varying degrees of success, and of the traditional way of using the materials in Greece, Spain or Portugal.” Boutiques owned by brands such as Honoré, based in Marseilles, have been shining a light on the Mediterranean’s artisan wares for a good many years. Enhancing these ranges with their own pieces creates a Mediterranean vibe that celebrates authentic materials and handcrafted finishes.

A voyage of discovery and rediscovery

Certain designs have never ceased being produced and used in their country of origin. Beldi glasses, for example, made from recycled blown glass, had always been a staple in Moroccan homes prior to securing a spot on design houses’ shelves. Italian firm Bertozzi, meanwhile, first started producing hand-printed linens and ceramics to adorn our tables back in 1920. Its prints have always been made using hand-carved pearwood stamps, making them eco-friendly and decidedly on-trend, much like its new designs.
Les Editions Midi, based in Provence, blends the creative vision of founder Jérémie du Chaffaut with increasingly rare artisan expertise, and the brand is currently working with the only remaining Camargue chairmaker.

Creativity

“When you live in a place where the sun shines all day long, it influences your life. I’m painfully aware of that being from Belgium!” laughs Christophe Penasse, co-founder of Masquespacio. “We’ve always favoured extremely bright colours, and even now that our work has matured slightly and uses slightly less edgy hues, it still exudes a really sunny vibe”. The latest collection from the Valencia-based interior design studio draws inspiration from the private home owned by Colombian designer Ana Milena Hernandez and the man who’s both her associate and partner, recreating pieces that adorn their own personal space. The exuberant and colourful designs bear no explicit references to Mediterranean traditions, but exude the overall feel. Ceramics, for example, are omnipresent in this part of Spain and have featured in the brand’s collections for years, but this time around the decision was made to produce their latest design – bold 3D-printed hand-finished vases – in-house.

Turkey, meanwhile, boasts an extensive textile industry. But when Green Petition produces its beach towels that are exceedingly useful when heading to the sea, its zingy-hued creations come solely from recycled plastic bottles – the very kind that are salvaged from our oceans. “Barro” means “ceramic” in Portuguese, and is the name of a brand that is reinventing the artform in the land of the azulejos glazed tile. Their innovative tiles are characterized by bold, modern hues, enriched with textured designs. The Mediterranean’s influence on our interiors is consequently about so much more than specific techniques or pieces. The power of the surroundings, landscapes and hues, the persistent yearning for a lifestyle that brings the outdoors in, and the desire to blend refinement with raw beauty all continue to fuel the kind of designs which, although underpinned by age-old techniques, become more desirable than ever when freed from the shackles of the past.