The atelier
Made in Istria, to measure
Atrij works with one workshop whose pieces we know and trust: the Lampisa atelier. Everything is drawn for the room it will stand in and built in Istria, in plywood rather than particleboard, so that it lasts for years and can be repaired when it needs to be.
What the atelier makes
Seating, tables, lighting, storage and textiles, gathered into collections for the living room, the dining room and the bedroom. Alongside the catalogue, the atelier builds pieces drawn for one particular room: a table to the exact length of a terrace, a bed for an awkward attic, storage that fills an alcove to the last centimetre.
Every piece is meant to stay. In the atelier's own words, replacement parts remain available, allowing your furniture to be repaired rather than replaced.
Plywood, not particleboard
Most furniture sold in retail parks is built from particleboard, also called chipboard: wood chips and glue pressed into a board, then covered in a thin foil or veneer. It is cheap, flat and perfectly adequate for a few dry years. It is not made for a house by the sea, for a rental villa that welcomes a new family every week, or for anyone who wants to keep a piece for a long time.
Lampisa builds with plywood, sometimes called multiplex, and never with particleboard. It is the structure and the main material of every piece. Finishes are chosen with you on top of it.
| — | Plywood (multiplex) | Particleboard (chipboard) |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Thin sheets of real wood veneer, glued in layers | Wood chips and glue, pressed into a board |
| How it is made | Each layer is laid across the one below, so the grain crosses | Chips are pressed together with no grain at all |
| In humidity | Far more resistant, with the right glue and protected edges | Swells when wet, and does not go back |
| Screws and fittings | Hold firmly, even after the piece is taken apart and rebuilt | Loosen over time and tear out after reassembly |
| Edges | Clean and strong; can be left visible as a detail | Crumble when knocked; must be hidden under edge tape |
| Weight for the same strength | Lighter | Heavier |
| Repair | Can be repaired, sanded and refinished | Usually replaced once damaged |
Plywood also moves far less than solid wood as the seasons change, which is why a door made from it still closes properly in August. It costs more than particleboard. It is also the reason a piece can be repaired years from now, rather than replaced after a few summers.
Plywood is the structure, never the shortcut.
How it works
- Conversation. In person or by video call. A photo of the room, a floor plan or a reference image is enough to start.
- Measuring and drawing. The atelier measures the space and proposes drawings, finishes and material samples.
- Render and quote. For larger projects, a 3D render of the room with its furniture, together with a clear price and lead time before anything is cut.
- Making. Built in the workshop in Istria, in plywood, finished as agreed.
- Delivery and installation. Delivered and installed in your house, packaging taken away.
For everyone, not only for villas
Made to measure does not mean made for millionaires. Because the pieces are built locally and sold directly, you pay for materials and craft rather than for a showroom and three layers of distribution. A single table is as welcome as a whole house.
Istria has thousands of beautifully built villas, an estimated seven thousand, and far too many of them are furnished as an afterthought. Spain and Italy raised that standard long ago. We would like Istria to do the same, one well-made room at a time.
If you already know the look you want, see how the atelier turns it into a plan: from moodboard to render.