Kitchenware, table and light

Nowadays, people are too guided by large companies and do not dare to think about how to decorate their own home, how to live in it, and above all, how to make it their own. Today it is so easy to find the same home project in so many homes that it is already boring. Today's solution is provided by the companies in charge of home decoration, major renowned brands. And they all agree: same floor, same color (white and maybe one or two other colors, but without taking risks), same furniture, same kitchens, bathrooms, studies, and the whole complete home package.

Looking for pieces with history, which involved personal decisions, and making a home with that motivation behind it is no longer fashionable. It is as if it were a trend where all homes end up looking alike.

And the fault is not with the large companies, because if it works, it is because things are going well, the marketing is right and connects with the customer, they set the interior design trend, and above all, they make people depend on them. We could say the fault lies with social media, the reason we turn to these trends today, that simplicity where everything is ready-made, the algorithm that fuels this way of thinking and choosing, which today decides for us. All this makes good taste endangered. What should be an act of identity becomes a selection system by the companies. The mobile phone camera becomes our eyes. What should be a home to live in and enjoy is a perfect place for social media.

If you have been swept away by the current of these large companies, it is okay, we still have time to improve! You are in front of a person obsessed with decoration, tableware, and the lighting of spaces. Now it will be time to be a little daring, add a little judgment and taste, and with some mini-details we can always improve, because in the end they are the ones that make the difference.

Tableware

Home tableware must be chosen carefully, and you must decide well, because it is what will accompany you at your meals. It is something that the guests who come will see, yes or no, and in the end it is pure design. It is where the artisanal, the classic, the eclectic, combining contemporary pieces with antique ones, designer glassware next to Portuguese ceramics, up to traditional Mallorcan table linen (llengos), and that Zara Home dinner set, or the Mango Home glasses with their peculiarity and their colors. They make everything change, and your creativity express itself to the maximum.

The table

We must think that we spend many hours at the table: having breakfast, lunch, dinner, and above all, enjoying the most important moment of any meal: the after-dinner conversation, of which we in Catalonia are true experts. We like to prolong those moments and, if we want to do so, we must also take care of the harmony and aesthetics of the table.

For me, designing a good table solely because guests are coming is a big mistake. We, the family, are much more than guests: we are the ones who take care of our home. Just because we set up a table of ten on any Monday or Wednesday does not mean there is a special occasion. Well, yes there is: we are here. And that is already more than enough reason.

A beautiful table completely transforms a meal. Compared to a messy and unattractive table, a well-cared-for table directly influences how we enjoy that moment. Furthermore, taking a few minutes to design it and combine all its elements gives it its own personality.

In my case, I have to admit that I am passionate about dinnerware, and little by little, the collection keeps growing. Although, for the sake of consumerism, it is also good to have only what is necessary. It is usual to have one set of dinnerware for everyday use and another for big occasions, usually Christmas. However, I have to admit that it bores me not being able to play with creativity using different dinnerware. The same goes for glasses.

If you asked me for a reference brand, I would tell you about Vidrios Gordiola. They have been working the glassblowing technique for over 300 years, a tradition that traveled from Murano to Mallorca, specifically to Algaida. That is why I like to have different resources to express my creativity at the table.

A table always needs small decorative ornaments. I would like to mention Luzio, a design furniture and decoration store in Barcelona with which I recently had the pleasure of collaborating on a video. It is a perfect place to find pieces to dress a table. I am also a big fan of Des Pots vases, a brand that, since 1989, creates ceramics ideal for centerpieces and side tables. Their lemon vase is probably the most iconic and perfectly conveys that essence and warmth so typical of the Mediterranean.

And, if we talk about major home decoration brands, I cannot fail to mention Zara Home, Mango Home, Casa Viva, Maisons du Monde, Kave Home, or Ikea. Although they are large brands and not local businesses, it must be admitted that they do things very well… and I also fall for their marketing strategy.

The light

To finish creating a cozy atmosphere, lighting is essential. I love brands like Santa & Cole, Vibia, Louis Poulsen, Flos, Artemide, or Gubi. I also do not want to forget PongoTodo, a design brand with which I recently collaborated. They conceive their lamps as if they were a real pastry shop: they create pieces inspired by small French petit fours using 3D printing. Their luminaires are modular, incorporate a magnet system, and a rotating top screen that allows you to regulate the intensity of the light. It is a truly brilliant project, born from the creativity of three young designers. In my case, they gave me the Guinda lamp, inspired by the shape of a cherry.

And, of course, there are also simpler and more affordable options in pendant lighting, such as Ikea, Sklum, or Kave Home, which allow you to achieve very well-cared-for spaces.

For me, one of the most important aspects of lighting is creating different points of light in the home. Those corners that remain lifeless due to a lack of lighting are a waste of harmony. Finding the right piece to bring joy to those corners is quite an adventure.

From dusk on, we should only use the light from lamps. Ceiling lighting should be reserved for when it is really necessary. At home, I am always chasing myself off by turning off all the lights I turn on during those hours, because it is the time when warm light should be the protagonist. Before going to sleep, I always make my particular tour turning off all the lights that have been left on.

In the end, it all comes down to having intention and not always staying in the same aesthetic line.

ModernoDeZ could be defined as that peculiar teenager who feels a true passion for design and for those small details that make the difference in a home. My greatest inspiration are great industrial designers like Miguel Milá or André Ricard, but also people as close as my family, who have educated me in good taste, culture, and tradition.

Cover: Megaron Lamp, Federico Villa (2026). Gianfranco Frattini Centenary Campaign, advertising photography for Artemide.