Inspiration

Travel, collaborations and the Mediterranean habits behind the objects.

A holiday centerpiece of fruit, red flowers and greenery with lit candles, pink napkins and a glass of wine.RitualsHoliday Glow CenterpieceCandlelight, greenery and a centrepiece that takes fifteen minutes. Our holiday table, step by step. Sant Jordi collage with a red rose, a statue of Saint George and the dragon, an open book and Casa Batlló.RitualsBooks & LoveA dragon, a rose and a knight. The legend behind Sant Jordi, and why Catalonia exchanges books and flowers every April. A yellow OCTAEVO paper vase with tulips and willow branches hung with colourful DIY paper Easter eggs.RitualsDIY Easter Paper EggsPaper, scissors and an afternoon. A simple Easter egg you fold rather than dye. Hands with a cocktail and olives on gold OCTAEVO picks, beside a yellow basket of oranges on a pink table.RitualsEl AperitivoGildas, vermouth, mismatched glasses and good company. Our favourite ritual, and how we set the table for it. A pink twisted Sicilia trivet hung on a wall as a Christmas wreath, trimmed with greenery and blue thistles.RitualsChristmas WreathsCeramic rings, dried flowers and a little patience. How to turn a Sicilia trivet into a Christmas wreath. A table with a white cloth by the sea, set with a blue bowl of citrus and a Janus paper vase by OCTAEVO.RitualsA Room with a ViewGolden light, classical forms and the painter David Ligare. On rooms that frame something worth looking at. A modernist pavilion with marble walls, a bronze statue and a still reflecting pool.RitualsIf stone could speakDry stone walls, worn thresholds and centuries of hands. What Mediterranean architecture remembers. A deep blue artwork with handwritten text beside an abstract ultramarine form on cream.RitualsBlue all the wayFrom azure to cobalt to the particular blue of a painted door. A study of the Mediterranean's defining colour. A black and white portrait of a man in a coat with a cigarette, collar turned up.RitualsThe sea close byCamus wrote about the sea as a form of thought. On living within reach of the water. Curved rows of worn stone seats in an ancient amphitheatre.RitualsOh, these philosophers...Ancient wisdom, everyday objects, and what the Stoics might make of a well-set table. A vintage French Riviera poster of a woman in a wide yellow straw hat against a blue sky.RitualsThe Bright LifeLong lunches, open windows and unhurried afternoons. The Mediterranean approach to living well. A black and white photograph of a man at the wheel on the deck of a boat at sea.RitualsOur storyHow a Barcelona studio came to make water-resistant paper vases, and the philosophy underneath it. How an Octaevo paper vase works: water-resistant paper slipped over a jar or glass to hold flowers.RitualsHow to Use the OCTAEVO Paper VaseWater-resistant paper, ancient ceramic forms, and a plastic bottle you were about to throw away. How the paper vase works — and how to arrange one. A soft pink set with a wicker bowl, an orange twisted trivet and a candle holder with a pink candle.NewsAn Ode to RitualsCoffee, candlelight, the same walk each morning. Small repeated acts, and why they hold everything together. Templo cocktail coaster ceramic design perfect for entertaining and stylish drink serviceRitualsCocktail TimeAnis, mastic and sweet fennel — the herbs behind Mediterranean spirits, and three cocktails to make with them.