Besides beaches, food, Christiano Ronaldo and port wine, Portugal has a legacy of astonishing art and craftsmanship. The symphony of bright and refreshing colours and combinations with unparalleled artisanal expertise make the Portuguese art, architecture and culture refreshing and joyful. Preserving the ancient knowledge and techniques, this brand carries the God-like gift of craftsmanship, art and expression into the technology-driven present.
Boca do Lobo was founded in 2005 and, early on, it committed to reinterpreting ancient techniques of fine craftsmanship to create unexpected pieces of contemporary design. Every single piece at Boca do Lobo passes along different skilled hands, and undergoes several processes to conceive a unique design expression laying in Portugal’s flair in marquetry, azulejaria, joinery, upholstery, filigree, and metalwork, just to name a few.
The brand’s pieces are handmade in North Portugal by 25 exceptionally talented artisans who combine the knowledge and wisdom of the traditional manufacturing techniques with the latest technological methods. They work together in Boca do Lobo workshops to deliver exceptional products where no element or detail is overlooked and the human factor is treasured.
“Each creation of Boca do Lobo carries the legacy of centuries of craftsmanship, talented and passionate artisans challenge and combine traditional manufacturing techniques with the latest technological methods to shape the finest materials into remarkable furniture, upholstery and lighting pieces. The commitment of the brand is to create the unexpected through innovation and to deliver an unparalleled experience to design lovers,” the brand told us.
The art and the artist
The first piece of Boca do Lobo was drawn 15 years ago, yet its story started being shaped centuries ago. The brand has presented with home décor pieces that have not only expressed a new perspective using the generation-old techniques but also are extraordinary and spectacular. A true centrepiece, every Boca do Lobo creation garners the attention of everyone in the room.
One of the brand’s well-known designs, Heritage sideboard is a piece that is made of a different number of layers, where each one tells a different story. The piece is created using a renowned Portugal tradition of hand painting known as ‘Azulejos’. Azulejo is a clay or ceramic plate piece, generally with a square shape decorated with glazed colourful designs, and the majority of tiles shows Moorish designs which have curvilinear, lace-like and looping designs, or even have geometric or floral motifs.
Joinery, another of the oldest arts of humankind reborn from the perfect marriage of ancient skills with mechanical methods, is one of the most elementary concepts in woodworking that connects different pieces of wood. The strenuous art of wood marquetry and joinery is seen in the brand’s Amethyst Diamond sideboard that features three highly sculptured doors leading to a gold leaf interior with shelving and two drawers.
The Filigree mirror flourishes in a shape traditional to Portuguese culture and art. A true work of art, the luxurious mirror plays tribute to Boca do Lobo’s core values heritage and craftsmanship. The art, though not originated in Portugal, is now a part of their culture. Filigree is one of the most delicate techniques used to work precious metals, usually of gold and silver. It requires skilled artisans to painstakingly solder tiny beads and twisted threads to create striking artistic motifs, suggesting often an exquisite and intricate lace-like pattern. The brand further incorporates arts and techniques like metalwork, leaf gilding, upholstery and more in its designs.
Doing it right
Having a Boca do Lobo creation in your home décor is a definite attention stealer. The brand knows how to make its creation shine in any given setting. Therefore, styling a statement piece can often go overboard or seem plain odd. The brand said: “A statement piece will always enhance any space and give a powerful vibe to it. In order not to become something exaggerated, it is only necessary to know how to combine everything else, using, for example, neutral colours and keeping attention to the number of pieces in one space. To have a beautiful room you just need to have the perfect pieces in the right places.”
Boca do Lobo launched a limited edition design e-book that helped professionals and customers to experience the unparalleled experience to all design lovers by witnessing the process of the brand’s one-of-a-kind design creations of contemporary pieces. The e-book would be a glimpse into the process and the conceptualisation of the masterpieces created by the brand.
The brand has always endeavoured to give an evergreen experience to its customers, thus, trends are a no-go! This year the brand celebrates 15 years in the industry and to celebrate that they put together a list of 15 dearest pieces that include the Newton console, SOHO sideboard, Versailles sofa and more. Over these 15 years, the brand has participated in more than 200 international exhibitions, its masterpieces can be seen across the globe in exquisite residential projects to leading hotels and contract projects. From decorating the luxury corners for brands such as Fendi, Prada, Printemps in Paris and Harrods in London, Al Jasra Boutique Hotel in Qatar and more, the brand has been a trusted name in the luxury décor industry.
As Boca do Lobo states: “The brand has different services depending on the type of business, but the overall experience is the same. The ultimate goal of Boca do Lobo is to satisfy the desires of their design lovers, creating unexpected pieces that can inspire generations and be part of people’s lives.”
