Filipa De Abreu

AT HOME WITH Filipa de abreu

For Filipa de Abreu, style is a lived experience, woven from global wandering and a deep reverence for heritage. With a singular ability to layer history and soul, she creates spaces that feel less like a mood board and more like an intimate diary. By filtering out the noise of perfection to protect small pockets of slowness, Filipa proves that when rituals are intentional and objects are truly loved, living becomes an effortless art form.

You have a remarkable gift for weaving stories and heritage into a space. Right now, what is one thing you are consciously filtering out of your day‑to‑day toprotect your own sense of pause?

I’m trying to filter out the noise of perfection and the idea that everything has to happen now. I answer messages a little slower, Isay no more often, and I protect small pockets of slowness at home where nothing has to perform except the kettle.

What role does craft and artisanal work play in your life today?

An obsessive one. Craft is how I measure time and care, it’s my favourite form of intimacy with the world. Again it goes back to my previous point where I am moving away from perfection.

Which piece in your home brings you the most joy, and why?

Usually the one that has the most dents and stories a table that has seen too many dinners, or a chair everyone fights over. I like objects that clearly had a life before Instagram.

But honestly my bed. There’s nothing like a perfectly made bed, crisp white linens. It gives me a sense of balance and safety from the madness of the outside world.

Girasole Dessert Stand and Dome

$710.00

Alpha Garden of Paradise Water Pitcher

$950.00

Brindille Dinner Plate, Ochre Brûlée

$521.00

Bambou Gold 4-Piece Cutlery Set

$830.00

Bouquet Rosewood Napkin, Set of 4

$340.00

Woven Ocher Pedestal Bowl

$630.00

Rattan Wine Cooler

$730.00

La Savane Flamingo Salad Plate, Set of 2

$520.00

"I like objects that clearly had a life before Instagram."

Filipa De Abreu

What is the one piece of design advice that has stayed with you, and why?

“Buy less, but buy the thing you’ll love in ten years.” It’s ruined fast shopping for me, but it has given me a home that feels like a diary instead of a mood board.

What are the homeware non‑negotiables you couldn’t live without?

Good glasses, proper plates, linen napkins you don’t have to iron perfectly, and more candles than is strictly reasonable. If the lighting and the table are right, everything else can be improvised.

What is your go‑to gift for a host?

Always something that can actually be used: beautiful linens, a slightly naughty bottle for after everyone leaves, or flowers. I love flowers, but it always has to be monochromatic unless it’s wild flowers. I basically give what I would like to receive.

What is the most memorable artisanal or design piece you’ve ever received?

A piece that carried the story of a family behind it, you feel when an object has been loved before it reaches you. I’m very weak in front of anything with a bit of history and a slightly imperfect glaze. My all time favourite piece is a shell mirror from the late 19th Century. Some of the shells are broken but in my eyes it’s exactly how it’s supposed to be.

Mallorca Dinner Plate, Set of 4

$760.00

Conch Shell Dish, Set of 2

$260.00

Faux Tortoise Salad Set

$135.00

Spring Blue Coasters, Set of 4

$120.00

Petunia Oil & Vinegar Basket Set

$485.00

Giverny Blue Square Tray

$1,080.00

Franci Glass Pitcher

$290.00

Alhambra Blue Dinner Plate, Set of 4

$940.00

When you’re hosting, what small rituals or details never fail to delight your guests?

Tiny things: the right light, a piece of music that makes people slow down, a glass already waiting in their hand, and a table that looks like it might tell a few secrets if it could talk. And always, always candles. I’m practically sponsored by wax.

If guests arrive unexpectedly, what do you instinctively reach for to make the moment feel intentional – a favourite drink, a simple bite, or a small ritual?

Olives, good bread, something in a little bowl that suggests I was absolutely expecting them, and a drink in a beautiful glass. If you serve crisps in a silver bowl, it counts as cooking.

"I protect small pockets of slowness at home where nothing has to perform except the kettle."

Filipa De Abreu

Julia Light Horn 4-Piece Cutlery Set

$760.00

Blue Neo Enamel Hand-Painted Crystal Tumbler, Set of 2

$830.00

Charlotte Wine Holder

$1,130.00

Zig Zag Navy Blue Napkin, Set of 4

$160.00

Camaïeu Drageoir, Azur, Set of 2

$940.00

LIght Blue Mahjong Game Set

$4,720.00

Tulipano Tray

$1,360.00

High Seas Hand-Painted Crystal Carafe

$760.00

What is your signature summer dish?

Something very simple, very fresh, and assembled in a big lazy way lots of herbs, tomatoes that actually taste of sunshine, good olive oil, and enough salt to make everyone ask why theirs never tastes like that.

What do you, or what would you like to, collect?

I always say I don’t collect anything… and then I lookaround and realise I collect textiles, ceramics, glasses, books, table linens, and probably also humans. I’m a serial collector of beautiful things and good people.

What is the simple, hands‑on ritual in your life right now that feels like a quiet luxury?

Laying the table slowly. Choosing the cloth, the plates, the glasses – mixing high and low, old and new it’s five minutes where my hands know exactly what to do and my brain is allowed to wander. I live in a very small city apartment where I no longer have space to have extra stuff. So every thing I have kept is everything that I truly love. What was once used only for special occasions is now my daily use. It’s actually made life more beautiful and made everything less precious.

Whatis a small, everyday moment at home that consistently brings you back toyourself?

Going to bed very early. While I may not necessarily fall alseep immediately, I light a candle and turn the lights off and don’t answer any messages or calls after 9pm. That moment of quiet and disconnection keeps me grounded.

At home series