Craftsmanship meets design: A visit to furniture manufacturer Expormim in Valencia

In November 2025, I had the privilege of taking an inspiring trip to Valencia to visit Expormim, a family-run business in Spain with a long history and a clear commitment to craftsmanship. The objective of the trip was to gain knowledge, experience the materials firsthand and learn about the artisanal work that goes into the furniture.

We see time and again in interior architecture how important such experiences are for the design process – especially when it comes to picking furniture. This is a crucial part of our work because furniture is about more than form and function: it is also about a sensory experience. How does a product look “live”? What does its surface feel like? How does a chair sound when you move it? You can only make these sorts of judgements when you see, touch and compare materials in person. That’s why we at DOBAS believe in the importance of firsthand experience in our design process. We communicate regularly with manufacturers and keep our own materials library that can help with precisely these sorts of decisions.

Visiting with a specific project in mind

Last year Expormim came to visit us and did a product presentation. Back then we didn’t have a fitting project, but as soon as we were commissioned to design an exhibition stand for the 2026 Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhibition, we seized on the opportunity to use pieces by Expormim. So the trip to Valencia was not only inspiring, but extremely relevant to our work. I was able to check out the collections we had selected for the project firsthand and make sure that their quality, comfort and appearance met our expectations.

Colours, tiles and shapes in Valencia’s historic centre

The first day was devoted to exploring the city and its culture. Valencia is indeed a very diverse place: the historic centre – with its colourful, world-famous ceramic tiles, orange trees and Gothic cathedral – felt both dynamic and grounded at the same time. I was particularly impressed by the narrowest building in Europe – at 107 centimetres wide, it was formerly inhabited with one room per floor. After a traditional Valencian paella at a converted country estate, we visited the City of Arts and Sciences (Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències), a cultural and architectural complex in the drained riverbed of the Turia – filled with contrasts that impressively highlight the wide spectrum of design. In the evening we got to feel what using Expormim furniture was like in a restaurant furnished with their products.

Experiencing traditional craftsmanship on site

On the second day, we took a tour of the Expormim exhibition where we got to test the entire range of their collections. It was especially helpful that I had already earmarked several pieces for the project in Doha. I could actually sit down on the seats, touch all the surfaces and experience the interplay of form, material and comfort. To round off the tour, we walked through a small museum that showed the company’s development since 1960. What began as a basket-weaving company is now one of the last remaining rattan furniture producers in Europe. The La Costera region, where the company is headquartered, has a long tradition in wickerwork with materials such as basket willow, esparto grass and sugar cane – a craft that sustained and shaped families for generations.

While visiting the production site it was remarkably clear how much manual labour goes into every piece of furniture. The rattan strands are preheated in the oven and then bent by hand, while the outdoor chairs are individually woven with fabric straps. Each step follows the language of the hands, humanity’s first universal language, as they put it at Expormim. I was particularly taken by the care with which the traditional techniques are combined with contemporary design.

Compelling interior architecture is based on the senses

At the end of this intense trip we dined in the old factory where we had just tested chairs that morning. A chef prepared several courses of local fish dishes: regional, fresh and with great attention to detail. A culinary counterpart to what we had experienced.

The visit to Expormim showed me once more how important it is not to judge furniture solely on its appearance. Because design is created through experience – the experience of space, materials and production. And through trust in the quality of the partners we work with.