Only the sound of machinery starting up breaks the deep silence that fills Alex Mestre’s workshop on the outskirts of Sencelles. It is a place of focus and creativity for this graduate in Industrial Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, who discovered his true calling while completing a master’s degree in furniture design at Elisava.
Launching his own brand was not initially part of his plans. However, he recalls that the lighting company Milan Iluminación included one of his university projects in its catalog, creating the need for a brand under which to publish the piece. Without quite realizing it, that moment marked the beginning of his journey—a journey that also pays tribute to his family roots: his great‑great‑grandparents ran Fusteria Mestre, a carpentry workshop on Industria Street. Although his grandfather was no longer a carpenter, Alex grew up surrounded by wood and the machinery his father preserved.
After gaining experience in Barcelona and returning to Mallorca, he worked in both the cabinetmaking and nautical sectors. Yet it was his time at Amarar—an initiative that promotes self‑sufficiency by producing furniture from sustainably managed Balearic forests—that transformed his way of understanding design. “It’s the most powerful project I’ve been part of. My thinking was already aligned with it, but being able to work not only in design but also in the recovery of traditional crafts and the Serra de Tramuntana landscape meant a lot to me.”
Specializing in furniture and lighting, Mestre particularly enjoys designing lamps because they allow him to go beyond functionality and focus on perception. “It’s fascinating to see how a lamp looks one way when it’s on, but when it’s off—when it loses its function of illuminating—it has to offer something more. It has to communicate something. It can’t go unnoticed, and that challenge really excites me,” he says, surrounded by tools and traces of sawdust.
“As a small artisan, I’m much more drawn to custom commissions in small runs.”
More than reinvention, Alex Mestre’s vision is about recognizing and elevating the value of what surrounds us. This perspective is shared with collaborators such as Amarar, the natural materials collective Llanatura, and the iconic Lafiore blown‑glass factory, with whom he has also worked. It is no surprise, then, that materiality plays a central role in his work, often produced in limited series. “As a small artisan, I’m much more drawn to custom commissions in small runs. It’s also a challenge to have a client who wants a project tailored in both design and production.”
“It’s important to understand why we use this local pine wood, even if its color isn’t fashionable, or why we choose Mallorcan wool instead of another fiber. That’s what will truly distinguish us from globalization.”
Human connection, building creative synergies, and bringing pieces to life from the briefing of an architect or interior designer are other factors that shape his daily work. For this reason, he collaborates with professionals from different disciplines, works with suppliers he tries to source on the island, and participates in projects with clients who often become creative partners, such as designer Adrian Escarfullery. “In the end, these are three pillars of work that enrich the final result.”
Mestre’s services include design, product development, production, and consulting for prototype manufacturing, yet the creative process always begins with the material itself. “I’m not a designer who starts with paper and pencil or sits in front of a computer to draw. I like to design with materials in my hands,” he explains, surrounded by wood, leather scraps, and rolls of wool that confirm his words. “I can’t design without knowing the elements I’ll use. It’s almost like a game. Give me a piece of wood and a saw—that’s what sparks my ideas.”
Once the prototype is approved, the next stage begins: refining proportions, choosing suppliers, defining finishes, and moving into production—always artisanal. The goal is clear: “for the product to communicate by itself.” For Mestre, the challenge is that the client understands the origin of the piece the moment they see it, which requires building a true culture of materials and carefully reflecting on every choice.
“It’s important to understand why we use this local pine wood, even if its color isn’t fashionable, or why we choose Mallorcan wool instead of another fiber. That’s what will truly distinguish us from globalization. That’s the real challenge,” he concludes. His philosophy shows that concepts like local sourcing, proximity, and reuse are not passing trends but a way of creating objects rooted in their environment—contemporary furniture and lighting pieces that are precise, meaningful, and connected to place.
