Habitables

Having lived in my current flat for just over two years, I’m determined for this to be the year that I finally make it feel like a home.

With three rooms redecorated, only the kitchen and bathroom remain. Yet with both in need of substantial refurbishment, I shifted my focus to the lounge. Here, with my television perched upon a small table and a large L-shaped desk occupying one corner, it was time to look for more reasonably sized replacements.

I initially thought that the recesses on each side of the chimney breast would be wide enough (100-115cm) to accommodate the type of furniture I was after, yet as I began to look around, I realised that most desks and tables aren’t much narrower than 150cm. The high street trampled, charity shops trawled, only a tireless search on the web was left. This brought me to Etsy, where I was quickly drawn to Habitables, a producer of high-quality indie furniture:

Habitables was born in 2013 with the desire to manufacture and market the ideas and projects designed by us, our intention is to create unique pieces with the best value and quality possible. Based on completely local production, we want to re-enable the craftsman and quality work.

I immediately fell in love with designer Manuel Barrera’s distinctive mid-century modern aesthetic. With the option to produce items at bespoke sizes, their standard dimensions were already inch-perfect for my needs. More expensive than the ill-fitting furniture I had already seen, it was with a deep intake of breath that I clicked on the ‘Buy’ button.

My order arrived last week. Appropriately packaged for its long trip from Madrid, opening and assembling these new pieces felt like Christmas Day all over again! Not so much a purchase but long-term investment, I’m left with two unique pieces of furniture that I will treasure for many years to come.