• Combining
  • Craft /Art
discover
  • In the elder days of Art,
  • Builders wrought with greatest care
  • Each minute and unseen part;
  • For the Gods are everywhere.
  • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

    The Builders, 1850

  • We
  • Are

Lacquer Studios was established in 1995 by Pedro da Costa Felgueiras.

The studios specialise in Oriental and European lacquer, historic paint techniques and creates new original pieces emphasising these techniques. At the beginning of his career, Pedro built his reputation restoring objects for museums and private clients.

Halfway through his professional life, he has turned his attention to creating bespoke pieces, using the materials and methods that are part of the centuries-old traditions of paint craftsmen. He has researched widely in workshop manuals and treatises from the past, collected rare old pigments, and revived lost methods of paint application.

Well-known in the trade for his attention to detail and principled approach, Pedro is seen by many as a custodian of old techniques.

With this wealth of knowledge and painstaking dedication, he now uses the labour-intensive techniques of the past to produce modern pieces of singular beauty and integrity. These pieces are of the highest quality, and have been described as 'intimate and unique - a truly inspiring combination of craft and artistry.' For followers of his work, his pieces are seen not only as items of furniture but collectable works of art.

Press articles

  • The New York Times
  • How one man is recreating lost colors
See all articles

  • We
  • Do

  • Japanning
  • Nowadays people use the word lacquer for anything shiny, but the real thing is incredibly beautiful and deep, with a soft velvety finish.
  • Urushi
  • Urushi is the term generally used to describe Asian lacquer, this is the sap extracted from the various species of the Rhus and melanorrea trees. There is evidence that this technique was being used in China since Neolithic times, and the earliest source for its use in Japan dates from the Jomon period.
  • Historic paint
  • Contrary to most people’s perceptions about historic colours, they are far from being drab and dull. They are, in fact, very vibrant and intense when first mixed and applied. They have a depth and texture not found in modern paints, and their ability to age beautifully means they can imbue a modern interior with a deep ethos and beauty unlike the colour provided by modern paint companies.
  • &
  • also
  • Colour

    Consultancy

  • Interior

    Design

  • Private

    Commissioning

  • Historical

    Consultancy

A studio with a passion

for old traditional materials

& techniques.