We put the wall and the counter for the new INDI & COLD store

For the redesign of the original and main store of this sustainable women’s clothing brand, the Avandmo studio has relied on two of our fired clay brick formats. One of them, the simple Rectángulo 30×10 in Straw color, has gone to clad the counter of the store. The other, our combined format Vélez-Mezquitilla, has found its place in the world by covering an entire white brick wall.

There are many aspects that make this project special, but we would like to highlight some of the specific features that have caught our attention.

The pleasure of finding a common place within mindlike projects

We are stark defenders of the notion that the versatility of fired clay allows for it to fit practically anywhere. We’ve participated in projects that followed industrial, futuristic or High Tech aesthetic guidelines. And in all of those projects we’ve found that terracotta is not only not out of tune with the whole vibe, but that it usually heightens the aesthetic message by contrast. It’s a material so discreet it can go unnoticed if the designers wishes so. We really enjoy working on those kinds of projects that present us with a challenge and where we come in contact with entities different from ours that allow us to learn new things.

However, there is something especially pleasant in finding kindred spirits to work with. When the studio Avandmo envisioned our products for the renovation of this store, we assume they did so with the purpose of finding materials that reinforced the philosophy of the brand.

We share a lot with Indi & Cold, but there are two things that really touch our heart: sustainability and aesthetics. This is better explained just by looking at the pictures of the final result of our collaboration. The color, shape and texture of the fired clay bricks fit with those walls as if they had been born there.

A white brick wall that makes an ever so original usage of the natural properties of terracotta

For the walls our clients have covered with the Vélez-Mezquitilla ensemble (a design of the studio LEBLUME that belongs to our designers collections) a very unusual decision was made. The saltpeter from the clay tiles was not removed. The studio wanted to play with the natural transpiration of clay, which affects its superficial aspect.

All and every fired clay piece develops imperfections on its surface overtime by the exposure to the outer world. Depending on its location and use, those imperfections and dirtinesses develop in one way or another. That’s the reason why we usually leave our floors and walls installed with an administered treatment. It repairs, prevents and delays the appearance of verdigris, debris, dirt, or saltpeter.

However, the peculiar choice to not have that treatment for this project makes a lot of sense when we see the final result. The store’s whole vibe gives nature, slow philosophy, sustainability, harmony. The imperfections and saltpeter stains on the clay’s surface reinforce all of these notions.

On one hand, the presence of saltpeter suggests the presence of the outside, as we associate those stains with the humidity of the shore, the sea water, etc. On the other hand, they contribute to defend the beauty of what is natural.

We usually recommend treating our pieces and to install them with the proper grouting. But in this particular case, we couldn’t agree more with the choice made (also taking into account that these pieces are not going to undertake an intensive or domestic use, as, say, a kitchen floor would). Living things grow and transform and change. And that’s ok.