Slow Design: Soulful Handmade Goods from Dora Daar

We first took note of Barcelona-based design studio/creative agency Dora Daar when we stumbled upon their Oráculo Carpet, a circular woven rug that wraps around the base of a tree. It was designed by founders and best friends Nat Sly and Pepi de Boissieu after a trip to Senegal, where it’s common to see families gather under the shade of a tree. “[It] was their place of reunion,” they say. “Under the canopy of the trees, daily dramas and moving love stories were played out.”

This attention to the poetry in human-made objects is apparent in all the products they’ve curated for their online store. The collection is spare—just 23 items and three workshops (one on how to create altars, another on astrology, and a third on meditative drawing)—but every single thing feels considered and well-made (the two collaborate with artisans, who execute their ideas).

From their website: “We aim for and deeply believe in changing the way we produce and consume. All of our projects are locally sourced and sustainable. We are engaged with the human beings that manufacture each of our goods and therefore committed to fair trade. We believe that this is the new luxury, one that is produced honestly, truthfully, with real time and thought put into each project.”

Below, a selection of our favorites from Dora Daar.

Chair Duvets

Above: The duo designed the Nube Casamance as soft duvets for chairs (“nube” means cloud in Spanish). The embroidered fabric is made by a community of women in Casamance, Senegal, where these fabrics are traditionally used to wrap newborns.

Above: The cotton and wool Nube Casamance pillows are €180 each. Photograph by Claudia Maurino.

Bread Bags

Above: These patchwork bread bags are called “Let us break bread together.”

Above: The “Let us break bread together” bags are made by women in Portugal; €35. The rattan hooks, designed by their friend Marc Morro, are also sold on the site.

Wall Shelves

Above: The pair found the wooden wall shelves in Portugal. “They were called ‘Bica do Papagaio’, which translates into ‘Beak of a Bird’, probably because each shelf would stick out from the wall and, at night with candlelight, resemble a beak.”

Above: The Bica Shelf can be used to hold candles, small decorative objects, or mundane things like a roll of toilet paper; €40 to €50.

Hand-Painted Plates

Brass Candleholders

Above: The Helios Selene Applique candleholder was designed in collaboration with Après Objet. Photograph by Apres Ski.

Above: The brass Helios Selene Applique candleholder is made by artisans in Portugal; €160.

For more Mediterranean style, see:

• The All-Vintage Renovation by Quintana Partners in Menorca, Spain
• Spanish Eclectic: An Airy Stable Turned Guest House on the Mediterranean Coast
• Ses Sucreres and Hevresac, Two Subtly Stylish Hotels in Menorca, Spain