Painted Metal Desk with Brown Leatherette Top from Mermelada Estudio, 1960s

Barcelona-based design studio and brand Mermelada Estudio is the brainchild of Laura Blasco, Juanmi Juárez, and Álex Estévez. The three friends met in Barcelona after years of training in design schools across Europe, including Spain, England, and Italy. The trio went their separate ways briefly after working together in Italy, then regrouped in 2007 to establish their own studio. Five years later, in 2012, they expanded their vision by founding Mermelad Estudio, which integrates their design, production, and distribution efforts under one umbrella.

The name comes from the days when they first started working together in Blasco’s place. They would start every morning having breakfast together—a tradition that still remains—and they would store their pencils and felt-tip pens in the used marmalade jars. Their friends started to bring jam jars back from their travels, which continue to grace the wall of the studio today. With an emphasis on skilled craftsmanship and small-batch production, Mermelada Estudio creates distinctive pieces that aim to strike an aesthetic balance between a strong character with an understated nature.

Their work has earned them a spot on the list of Young Talents Worldwide in Dwell magazine. The media has described their work as a mix of wit and poetry, praising them for their “unconventional look at objects that fill up our everyday lives.”