Living Architecture: Inside Further Ther, Lisbon’s Hybrid Studio-Showroom-Home

Main Facts

On the historic, steeply ascending Rua de São Bento in Lisbon, amidst the timeworn charm of antique shops and vintage dealers, sits Further Ther. Founded and curated by the multidisciplinary design duo Tomás Fernandes and Natasza Grzeskiewicz, Further Ther is a singular protean space that defies traditional categorization. Operating simultaneously as a private home, a ceramics studio, and a collectible design showroom, the establishment represents the physical manifestation of the partners’ shared aesthetic vision.

Further Ther specializes in limited-edition and bespoke furniture, lighting, and utilitarian art objects crafted from tactile, enduring materials—predominantly stone, timber, ceramics, and metal. The space itself acts as a living catalog. Rather than presenting their work within the sterile, white-cube environment of a conventional gallery, Fernandes and Grzeskiewicz invite the public directly into their domestic sphere. Here, visitors can sit on the sculptural stainless-steel frame of the Bend Sofa, examine the monolithic drawers of a robust basalt-stone kitchen unit, or sip tea from bespoke stoneware at a dining table surrounded by Askew Chairs charred using the traditional Japanese shou-sugi ban technique.

The studio’s philosophy—“we are what we explore”—underpins a design ethos that rejects the frictionless invisibility of mass-produced consumer goods. Instead, Further Ther crafts intentional, tactile objects that demand mindfulness from their users, bridging the gap between contemporary fine art and functional domestic design.

Chronology of a Partnership

The genesis of Further Ther is a cross-continental narrative rooted in serendipity, shared mentorship, and a steady migration toward the tactile richness of Southern Europe.

The Domaine de Boisbuchet Encounters (The Spark)

Tomás Fernandes and Natasza Grzeskiewicz originally met in the south of France at Domaine de Boisbuchet, a renowned cultural project and design workshop set within a historic château and its surrounding woodlands. For decades, the estate has hosted summer workshops where international architects, designers, and students converge to experiment with materials and concepts.

Despite hailing from opposite ends of Europe—Fernandes from Portugal and Grzeskiewicz from Poland—and coming from divergent professional backgrounds (engineering and fine arts, respectively), the pair discovered an immediate aesthetic and creative synchronicity. It was here that their personal and professional partnership took root.

The Scandinavian Interlude (Stavanger, Norway)

Following their time in France, the couple’s shared interest in Scandinavian design drew them north to Norway. They spent three years living and working in the coastal city of Stavanger. There, Fernandes honed his skills in furniture crafting while Grzeskiewicz focused on bespoke ceramics and tableware.

Although they were employed by separate design studios, a pivotal project brought their practices together: the interior design and outfitting of a local restaurant. Collaborating on this complex, real-world commission served as a lightbulb moment. They realized they possessed the complementary skill sets, tools, and shared drive required to establish an independent atelier.

Return to Lisbon and the Birth of Further Ther

Seeking an environment that offered deeper connections to small-scale production, bespoke manufacturing, and raw, earthly materials, the duo migrated south to Lisbon, Tomás’s homeland. In 2019, they secured the multi-level building on Rua de São Bento. After living in the space residentially for five years to understand its natural light, acoustic flows, and architectural rhythm, they finalized its layout into the hybrid home-studio-showroom that defines Further Ther today.

Supporting Data & Materiality

Further Ther’s operational model relies heavily on Lisbon’s unique industrial ecosystem. Unlike many major European capitals where manufacturing has been heavily industrialized or outsourced, the Portuguese capital retains a dense network of hyper-local, specialized artisans.

• Geographic Proximity to Raw Materials: Within a 20-kilometer radius of Lisbon, Fernandes and Grzeskiewicz have direct access to an extraordinary geological palette, including three distinct varieties of native limestone, high-grade granite, and deep basalt.
• The "Father of Stone": Emphasizing the personal scale of local craftsmanship, the designers collaborate closely with a veteran stone supplier whom they affectionately refer to as the "father of stone." This decades-long relationship exemplifies the trust-based, collaborative manufacturing model that underpins the studio’s output.
• Spatial Dimensions: The hybrid building spans two distinct levels:
  • First Floor: Features an active ceramic studio with large windows opening directly onto the bustling street of Rua de São Bento, engaging passersby with the artisanal process.
  • Second Floor: Houses the family’s open-plan living, dining, and kitchen area, oriented toward a quiet, sunlit interior courtyard on its east side.
• Material Palette: The studio works primarily with four elemental mediums: unglazed and glazed ceramics, locally sourced stone, heavy timber (treated with traditional charring techniques), and structural metals like stainless steel.

Official Responses and Creator Insights

The philosophy of Further Ther is articulated directly through the reflections of its founders, who view their lifestyle and commercial enterprise as an inseparable whole.

Reflecting on their initial meeting and the ease of their collaboration, Tomás Fernandes notes:

"When we met, we found we were in sync. Despite the fact that we come from opposite ends of Europe and have different backgrounds, we realised that we shared an aesthetic vision and understood almost immediately how we could work together."

Explaining the distinct operational advantages of working in Portugal compared to Scandinavia, Natasza Grzeskiewicz observes:

"Because of the scale of the industry here, there is absolutely no problem creating one-off objects with a manufacturer, so it’s far easier to have a custom approach to your work."

Fernandes expands on the deep-rooted relationships they share with regional fabricators:

"Stone has been used here for many, many years, so we felt very drawn to work with it and its craftspeople… In Portugal, workmanship comes with friendship that is almost like family in a sense. We call our stone supplier our ‘father of stone.’ He’s taught us everything we know. He tells us what we should do, and then we sort of challenge him in return."

On the deliberate blurring of lines between retail, art gallery, and domestic sanctuary, Grzeskiewicz explains the experiential nature of the showroom:

"The intention was to show people how these pieces will live with them as we live with ours. By letting them move through the house and see the different textures, different materials, different ceramic forms, they are better able to grasp the feeling of Further Ther, rather than just the objects."

Addressing the tactile, anti-minimalist engagement required by their pieces, Grzeskiewicz adds:

"You have to be very mindful when you use our objects, and we like that."

Tomás Fernandes contextualizes this within the broader landscape of modern art and design:

"We live in a beautiful time where the worlds of art and design are really intersecting, so we don’t need to create objects that are entirely ergonomic or utilitarian… Our philosophy is ‘we are what we explore,’ which is really about how we interact with objects—because those interactions change us."

Implications for Contemporary Design

The success and operational model of Further Ther offer several profound implications for the future of independent design, retail architecture, and urban living:

1. The Death of the Sterile Showroom

Further Ther challenges the long-held retail convention that luxury and collectible design must be displayed in neutral, untouchable white-cube galleries. By embedding their showroom within their actual home, Fernandes and Grzeskiewicz prove that contemporary consumers are increasingly seeking authentic, experiential narratives. Buyers do not just want to purchase an isolated object; they want to witness its integration into daily life, observing how light hits a basalt countertop or how a linen sofa absorbs the patina of time.

2. Revitalizing Local Artisanal Ecosystems

In an era dominated by globalized, anonymous supply chains and digital dropshipping, Further Ther demonstrates the viability and superiority of hyper-local production networks. By maintaining familial, trust-based relationships with stonecutters, metalworkers, and ceramicists within a short radius of their studio, the duo champions a sustainable, slow-design movement. This model ensures that traditional craft knowledge is preserved, passed down, and dynamically challenged by contemporary aesthetic innovations.

3. Re-enchanting the Domestic Object

Much of contemporary industrial design strives for frictionless utility—objects that are so ergonomic, automated, and seamless that they fade into the background of human consciousness. Further Ther deliberately subverts this trend. By crafting heavy, texturally complex objects from stone, charred wood, and raw metal, they force the user to slow down. One cannot use a Further Ther object absentmindedly; one must engage with its weight, temperature, and fragility. In doing so, the studio suggests that our interactions with everyday items actively shape our mindfulness and our relationship with the material world.