It is undoubtedly our passion for beautiful things and above all for the Portuguese lifestyle that bring
Olivier Pereira, Stéphane Gaillard and me together.
Originally the decoration shop Zé e Maria was founded by Olivier and Claudia Lichtenstein and is managed on a daily basis by Stephane. It's also the place where they give life to their passion for decoration and the art de la table.
The shop, already an institution in the Algarve and more particularly in Olhão, is the place where they curate artists, craftsmen and brands not very common in Portugal.
Today, they honour us by telling us and showing us what makes their home a "Casa Portuguesa".
1 — Olivier and Stéphane, what's your favorite corner of your home, and why?
"Our favorite corner is our living room, because we spend a lot of time there with the sofa and some pillows, it's very pleasant."
2 — Is there anything precious you keep for its meaning?
"Yes. There's a painting in the house of a goat, made by the artist Meinke Flessseman living here in Algarve. It's a painting with a lot of history, it transmits us the Portuguese life in the countryside."
3 — Any favorite book?
Stéphane: "There's a big Taschen book I like about palm trees. I also really like Artur Pastor's book."
4 — What about your favorite place to eat?
"We really like the great Portuguese restaurants, when there's a family with a lot of food, with a lot of talking, it's the same as our living room, a space to have fun, to talk, rest, eat well... a space for conviviality and sharing."
5 — If you could live in any other part of the country, where would it be, and why?
"Hum… We like Algarve a lot, so it's difficult. Maybe in Porto, because it's a spirit we like best. We prefer Porto to Lisbon, as it's more typical, conveys more of the Portuguese soul."
6 — Any favorite Portuguese quote?
Olivier: "Ó mar salgado, quanto do teu sal são lágrimas de Portugal".
"I like this quote from Fernando Pessoa. We created a line of linen cloths with Luz Editions with the style of Portuguese life in Algarve and put words and texts by Fernando Pessoa there".
Stéphane: "I am not Portuguese, but in my heart I am, because I like Portuguese life more, its heritage, its history; that's what we try to transmit here in our store, because foreigners don't know the history of the country."
7 — If you had to offer a Luz Editions product to someone, what would it be and why?
"Candles. Candles, because they are a product of very very good quality, the smells are so good... it's a product with meaning and history."
8 — And finally, a word to define your home.
"Portuguese garden, because the name of the house is Petit Jardin dans la Ville (small garden in the city), in french. The house is old, dates from 1930 and we did a renovation with modernity, but recovering the old style; it looks like an enclosed garden in the city, there are palm trees inside the room, paintings with palm trees, it's our garden in the city."
