Archaeology of Dwelling: Authenticity, Mastery in Mineral Distemper, and the Curation of Contemporary Space
Contemporary interior design is undergoing a phase of profound introspection that transcends the mere alternation of aesthetic styles. Following COVID-19, a critical transition began to emerge: a shift from decoration understood as an exercise in superficial scenography toward a curation of space based on "material honesty" and technical memory. This phenomenon, driven by the need to create "meaningful homes," sought to reclaim historical artisanal processes as a tool to combat the alienation of mass industrial production. In this context, organic paints and signature furniture emerge not as anachronisms, but as avant-garde solutions that fuse sustainability, environmental health, and an aesthetic of permanence.
Precisely at this inflection point, within our Gustavian & Gold workshop, Legacy Paint was born—not as an exact recreation of the past nor a completely new creation, but as a natural evolution where past and present unite under the gaze of artisanal authorship, roots, and the history of the Spanish Golden Age. We have set aside mass production and serial manufacturing to make way for the real, human rhythm that characterized the craft and originality of the ancient workshops that once inhabited Spain and Europe at large.
Craftsmanship and Material Honesty as a Direct Response to Industrialization: The Arrival of Slow Design
The evolution toward authenticity in the modern home is a direct response to the saturation of synthetic materials that characterized the second half of the 20th century. The Industrial Revolution introduced the mass production of plastics, metals, and petroleum-derived paints which, while democratizing access to consumption, eroded the connection between the inhabitant and matter.
All of this manifests in a preference for organic textures that defy the aseptic perfection of the industrial. The concept of "meaningful homes" implies a curatorial selection of elements possessing a technical and cultural narrative. This current aligns with movements such as "Slow Design," which prioritizes durability and respect for natural materials, the return to craftsmanship, and decoration that communicates with our own personality. Authenticity does not reside in the imitation of the old, but in the application of trade techniques that respect the integrity of original materials, such as lime, clay, mineral pigments, and natural textiles like linen or cotton.
Design Referents: Spanish Decorators and Artisans Seeking a Return to Roots
Amaro Sánchez de Moya: Architect, interior designer, painter/muralist, and scenographer. His work and profound passion for architecture, antiques, and 17th to 19th-century decoration—coupled with a reclamation of Spanish aesthetic pride—recovers the atmosphere of the Golden Age for contemporary interior design. He does not decorate; he creates learned scenographies where color—dark greens, intense blues, or deep reds—acts as a historical varnish. By elevating antique furniture and engravings to the category of cult objects, he restores to the furniture and its surrounding history their status as artistic pieces, connecting our artisanal tradition with European-rooted decoration.
Erico Navazo: Son of a cabinetmaker and the ultimate exponent of "sophisticated castizo," he is the great ally of craftsmanship in modern interior design, giving a voice to master artisans of clay, textiles, and wood. In projects such as the award-winning Metallic Harmony, he demonstrates that true luxury resides in slow processes and the truth of living materials. Navazo neither seeks nor creates perfect pieces, but rather objects with history; he integrates furniture where the materials used and the manual finishes do not hide the wood, but rather enhance its memory, elevating the artisan's work to the category of haute decoration through the use of limes and waxes for texturing, allowing the grain to breathe.
Interior designer Beatriz Silveira champions an authentic sophistication based on the exclusivity of the unique piece. Her work recovers trades at risk of extinction, such as in situ carved plaster, to create spaces of absolute refinement. By prioritizing signature design, bespoke furniture, and antiques over industrial manufacturing, she grants manual labor—from cabinetmaking to artistic finishes—the leading role in the most personal projects on the current scene. Her sensibility, recognized with the Best Project Award at Casa Decor, relies on the use of noble materials such as marble and natural woods that age with dignity. For Silveira, every space must tell its own story; therefore, she integrates selected antiques and artisanally crafted pieces, defending the idea that beauty resides in the imperfection of the handmade and the honesty of materials.
Conclusion: The Luxury of the Authentic
The movement toward conscious decoration in 2026 and the years to come has ceased to be about furnishing and decorating superficially, giving way to the inhabitation of meaningful spaces. The balanced fusion between tradition and the contemporary finds its best ally in mineral distemper, in inherited trade techniques, and in materials of long ancestral tradition: deep, vibrant, and curatorial finishes impossible to achieve through industrial processes.
Reclaiming these techniques, materials, and paints, and giving a voice to authentic craftsmanship is, ultimately, an act of cultural resistance. As demonstrated by current decorating trends and designers, true luxury does not reside in the perfection of the machine, but in the nobility of materials that, like us, have a story to tell and an old age to celebrate.
Legacy Paint, under our Gustavian & Gold workshop, is a return to recovering and reclaiming Spanish and European craftsmanship and history.
We believe in the beauty of what is made with time and conscience. Thank you for joining us in this search for material honesty.
INMA AND AROA
Artisans behind Legacy Paint
