#olive-wood

#olive-wood

Throughout its history, Spain has been shaped by a wide range of cultures and civilizations, including Muslim, Phoenician, Roman, Greek, Carthaginian, and Visigothic influences, which are reflected in its architecture and design.

"We met with linen and wool weavers and were blown away by the exceptional quality and beauty of the cloth they produced, as well as the depth of [textile] history in Ireland. We were in equal measure concerned by the decline in the number of weavers. They mentioned that they were losing out to cheaper cloth from abroad and that Irish buyers were few and far between."

Craft is often defined as skill in making things by hand, but this interpretation is being challenged by AI. Craft transcends physical interaction; historical figures like Mozart and Beethoven exemplify mastery without traditional methods.

Studio NEiDA operates at the intersection of architectural practice, research, and curatorial work, focusing on how buildings emerge from the material and cultural conditions of a place.

Rather than representing a simple return to the past, this renewed interest reflects a broader reconsideration of how architecture engages with materials, local resources, and environmental conditions.

Off the Grain works out of Halifax in West Yorkshire, handcrafting every piece to order. Forget flat-pack or particleboard - here, it's all about real materials and genuine expertise. Skilled craftspeople cut, join, and finish each item by hand. You can pick your dimensions, wood, and finish, so the final piece fits your space instead of the other way around.

What began as a modest brief for a young and growing family soon evolved into a considered renovation that reimagines an existing Barwon Heads home. The original house had endured several unsympathetic alterations over the years, leaving it disjointed and built to a poor standard.

Tons upon tons of these single-use plastics end up in landfills or even floating in the ocean. Spanish design firm PET Lamp set out give another purpose to these otherwise short-lived materials. Partnering with artisans in communities from Chile to Ethiopia to Australia, the company celebrates both Indigeneity and sustainability, drawing upon time-honored global craft traditions while supporting local economies and recycling discarded materials.

The HOUYOU lamp doesn't announce itself. It sits on a table, conical and quiet, wrapped in fibrous brown bark that looks almost raw, almost unfinished.

"Piano piano" is an old Italian saying that sounds nonsensical, but is actually full of wisdom, especially if you, like me, are finding yourself wishing away these frigid winter days and hoping spring and summer gets here fast. These days, I've found myself rushing from one thing to the next, frustrated at the smallest things, from post office lines to just missing my train. And I'm ready to make a change.

Founded by a pair of Americans in 2020, Graza produces high-quality, Mediterranean olive oil that's just as delicious as it is influencer-friendly. The model has been so successful that Graza has become one of the top olive oil brands in the United States.

Traveller check into hotels for easy access to historical Mayan sites and the cenotes beyond, with ambles through colourful squares and late, balmy nights digesting feasts over tequila tipples. Between cultural excursions and natural wonders, however, there's much to be said for the artisans in these parts. From crafted perfumes to handmade chocolates, these are the gifts and trinkets to make space for in your luggage.

The expansion of Dexamenes Seaside Hotel extends K-Studio's transformation of a former wine factory into a coastal retreat in Greece. When the hotel first opened in 2019 in the western Peloponnese (see designboom's coverage here), its identity was shaped by the adaptive reuse of concrete fermentation tanks set directly along the Ionian shore. The cylindrical structures, once vessels for wine production, were converted into Beachfront Wine Tank Suites.

Marcello Mariana + 24 Architects: Margine Area of this architecture project Area: 480 m Completion year of this architecture project Year: 2023 Photographs:Marcello Mariana Brands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: Artnova, Ceramica Sant'Agostino, Devina Nais, FRATA, FRATA, Laminam, Laminam, Midj, Potenza e Greco, Sangiacomo, Tuttolegno, Tuttolegno, Vetreria Calasso, Vetreria Calasso Lead Architects: Giulio Ciccarese, Valentina Pontieri Contractor: Aurora Costruzioni SAS Project Team: Enrico Durante

You know that feeling when you run your fingers across something and the texture makes you stop in your tracks? That's exactly the vibe British furniture maker Nick James is going for with his sideboard featuring sculpted doors. And honestly, it's the kind of piece that makes you rethink what furniture can be. At first glance, it looks like a solid oak sideboard. Clean lines, classic proportions, nothing too flashy.

A new summerhouse by Biris-Tsiraki Architects rises above a rocky cape on Antiparos, facing the open Aegean and the island of Despotiko across the water. Set into a steep slope and exposed to northern winds, the house addresses sea, sky, and terrain with a measured architectural language shaped by orientation and movement. From the approach, the building reads as a composition aligned to horizon and topography.

Small businesses operating in niche sectors often face a paradox: projects become increasingly complex and large-scale, while the company's structure and resources remain at the level of a small, independent workshop. This is especially evident in architectural offices, design studios, creative agencies, and workshops working with unique physical objects. A church woodcarving workshop performing a full cycle of work on the creation of iconostases and interior ensembles for churches serves as a representative case.