Making old things new again – the ultimate concept in recycling. Before the modern compulsion of buying everything new and improved!, the world reused… and reworked… and refinished… and loved it. Portae is a company returning the world to that time where we respect age and appreciate true craftsmanship, resurrecting the idea that everything old can be new again.
Portae’s byline is “Antique Doors for Modern Living,” and they do deliver on their message. Their vast collection of antique Spanish doors have been carefully collected over the past four decades from castles, churches, monasteries, town palaces, old country houses, farms, and barns.
Just last September the company began their mission to make these doors, dating between the 15th and the 19th centuries, available on the world market. It has taken year upon year of intricate care and studied craftsmanship to do these works of decorative, yet functional, art justice.
It’s important to understand that Portae does not reproduce doors. Rather they carefully restore doors they have collected over the years, as well as the doors they purchase through other collectors.
What sets Portae apart is their drive to encourage the use of these rich symbols of tradition in a thoroughly modern way. Agostinho Alves, spokesperson for Portae, sums it up: “What makes our concept so unique is the combination of the antique and the very modern in design. In Europe these doors were so far only used to restore old buildings. Our idea is to open up these doors to very modern design.”
Not only is Portae relying on modern-thinking design lovers to incorporate these jewels in innovated ways, but they are also making them accessible by embracing the ultimate in modern convenience: an extensive, interactive website.
Though Portae’s home sits in the uniquely Catalan city of Barcelona, they can speak almost everyone’s language (Spanish, English, French and German), almost a necessity in the new age of the European Union and the world wide web. Their detailed online catalogue thoroughly demonstrates the wide array of available Spanish styles, all of which reflect the country’s rich and luminous history. The variety of influences – from Moorish to Gothic to Baroque – make finding a suitable door easy, but choosing one in particular quite difficult.
If you are lucky enough to visit the showroom in person, you will encounter a modern loft set in a refurbished, historic Barcelona building. It is here that you can understand Portae’s goal to blend the old with the new: saturated colors, unusual metals and contemporary water features all commingle with the deep patina of heavily carved doors.
Though Portae will sell to the end-user, they are marketing their unique wares to those in the industry: developers, contractors, architects and interior designers. Because of the extreme product variations and distinctively historical features of each door, part of Portae’s mission is to work with both professionals and customers to find the pieces that are perfectly suited to the project.
Contact information:
Portae, S.L.
Calle Girona, 67
08009 Barcelona
Spain
Tel. +34 93 2721731
Fax. +34 93 2722499
Many thanks to Portae’s Agostinho Alves for contributing to this feature. For more information about Portae and their product offering, visit www.portae.info or email them: portae@portae.info
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