Bringing back Esparto

Attention all lovers of interior décor and design, esparto is due for a come-back.  

Because the age-old craft of working this wonderful material is timeless. Because we believe in the beauty of the ‘imperfect’ and hand made pieces that help create unique ambiences that are completely in sync with nature. Because ‘Green’ design is about more than a pretty object it’s a way of experiencing and being in the world.

Esparto is the very definition of durability

The translation of the Latin term for Esparto, Stipa tenacissima means strength and resistance. And that’s exactly what we’re after: materials that grow in the wild that don’t fade with the passing of time. Our crafts people have been living and working esparto for generations, knowing hands that are agile at crafting exquisite pieces. That’s the reason why we at Let’s Pause are expert at creating organic collections using this material. We know when to harvest it, when the leaves are easily manipulated, adding strength and comfort through the weave; making it beautiful and bringing its essence to terraces and porches around the world.

Age-old techniques for contemporary furniture

This is what we do; learning from times gone by in order to create contemporary, natural, bohemian and exquisite designs. Different techniques used in a contemporary way with natural materials.

Plait weave technique

This technique features a braided fabric of long untreated esparto strips that are then woven together with a large wooden style needle. No knots, only inter-woven leaves. Working together.

The result is a beautiful texture that is honest and resistant. Perfect for curtains, rugs, baskets or stylish embellishment for mirrors. The imperfect weave creates a subtle lighting when used for lampshades, projecting a warm light, welcoming and cosy like an ancestral memory.

Because it’s a natural fibre, woven by hand, unhurried, it evokes a greater feeling of wellbeing, a sensation of comfort that comes from both the ergonomic design as well as the raw material itself.

The beauty of esparto evolves with time, just as Mother Nature does. Its colour will change from green to ochre, taking on a fluid patina, year after year, lending realness to wherever its homes. Making spaces where one can loose oneself and wind down.

Woven-strap technique

An age-old craft technique for spinning and weaving esparto. The esparto is left in water for a few days to soften then its tips are pounded with a mallet over flint or hard rocks to convert the rigid natural layer of the leaf into a more workable thread. Then finally it’s spun manually into a living cord for weaving.

Woven into a grid or in macramé, either way its versatility provides the perfect base for designing original and practical pieces of furniture, with an added extra of natural colour tones for creating organic feeling and eco-friendly ambiences.  

Knitted-wicker technique

This technique was used in times gone by for making coffins: the traditional storage baskets used in olive oil mills to press the olive paste. It involves weaving groups of between 8 and 9 esparto leaves in a spiral fashion, twisting the bunch closely together, one over the other. 

This typical circular weave turns out to be the best material for producing rugs, baskets and lamps; stylish details that lend a rustic quality, without overdoing it.

The knitted weave can also be produced in Spirals. Another variation integrates voids between the weave and provides suggestive light patterns.

For its craftsmanship and getting back to our roots.

For its sustainability.

For its design potential and evolving beauty.

For its power to create spaces of wellbeing and connection to the natural world. 

Bringing back Esparto!

At Let’s Pause we can provide a customised design service.

Let’s Pause. Let’s Bring Back Esparto. 

Natural Handmade Furniture