BAF Week 2008

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CASA CALVET & THE CALVET CHAIR

Facade of "Casa Calvet" at Carrer de Caspe 48, L'Eixample District - Barcelona

Original drawings of the "Calvet Furniture" by Antoni Gaudi

"Calvet Stool" in natural oak by Antoni Gaudi, 1902

"Calvet Chair" in natural Oak by Antoni Gaudi, 1902

Design has always been such an important part of the Calvet legacy.  Personally,  it brings me a great level of  comfort to know that beautiful form and functionality have always played such a role in the lives of my ancestors.  And this is precisely what I try to honour in each and every MARCELA CALVET handbag of my design.

Lately, some of my wonderful clients were asking me about the "CALVET CHAIR";  a superbly crafted design they had seen featured on several publications.  They were intrigued by the beauty and craftsmanship of  the chair; and they wanted to know if they were my designs too! 

Whereas I do appreciate the notion that such masterfully created furnishings could be associated with me, I cannot take the credit for that, given that the original designs were the vision of Antoni Gaudi at the turn of the last century. Still, I cannot discard the idea that in the near future, I may decide to launch a line of fine furnishings as well; but for now, I shall continue bringing you the alluring handbags you have come to love so much!

The CALVET chair as it came to be known world-wide, and the other fine pieces of the same "ensemble", were created by famed Barcelona architect and designer Antoni Gaudi in 1902 for the Calvet branch of my family who resided in Barcelona. They were textile industrialists. 

Mr. Gaudi is probably best known for the church of the "Sagrada Familia" in the city of Barcelona. His style was surely different, organic and new.  He designed several buildings, and among them is one of his most admired Masterpieces: the beautiful "CASA CALVET" which he created for the family.

Given his unique talents, the Calvet family commissioned him to also create a line of fine  furnishings for the house. Indeed, such a gorgeous house deserved only the most beautiful and "avant-garde" furnishings.   Incidentally, in the year 1900 CASA CALVET was named "Building of the Year" by the Barcelona City Council.  The five story building is indeed quite impressive!

 

The furnishings created for the home had to be a true work of art, and the end result was exactly that. Today, as it has been since the 1970's, some of these fine pieces continue to be exclusively reproduced as heritage classics by BD designs of Barcelona, Spain.   

I hope you too will enjoy the photos I am presenting here; for they are quite beautiful! And if you find yourself visiting Barcelona, you may consider taking a stroll around the beautiful L'Exaimple district  where you will be able to take a closer look at the fabulous CASA CALVET.

If you'd like to learn more about "Casa Calvet" and the fabulous "Calvet Furnishings", here are some worthy links. Please see below.  Cheers!

Marcela