Cover Nathalie Kuepfer Henares sets an elegant table in
blue and white, accented with fresh blooms that
capture the serenity of the outdoors.
Nathalie Kuepfer Henares sets an elegant table in blue and white, accented with fresh blooms that capture the serenity of the outdoors.
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Nathalie Küpfer Henares is passionate about home, travel, and design—all three of which are married into the ethos of her brand, Portoro
For Nathalie Küpfer Henares, design often involves a healthy dose of sentimentality. Known for her luxurious brand, Portoro, Küpfer Henares specialises in designing wares for the home—the one place we often look to for comfort and nostalgia. "This quality over quantity mindset of mine revolves around how each object tells a story that is unique to yourself or to your family," she shares. "[In fact], the pieces I cherish the most were given by my parents and my French grandmother."
Read more: Magnetise Love and Luck: Crystals to Keep in Your Home to Attract Good Energy
In her own home—which she shares with husband Atom Henares—Küpfer Henares waxes poetic about her favourite piece of décor. "It’s a mortar and plaster sculpture by Roger Desserprit from the 70s," she reveals. "[It] calls to mind an embrace. It’s a unique piece: imposing and grand, yet one overlaid with protectiveness thanks to the intimacy of the embrace."
Listening to her describe the Desserprit piece reminds me that it is exactly her artistic eye and tender heart that make Küpfer Henares perfect for her role as a designer. "A designer’s true strength lies in the ability to constantly have an eye out for new inspirations," she shares. "There is beauty everywhere, but you need to be able to see it from certain perspectives to appreciate it."
Above An Italian lunch is served with exquisite objects from
the PORTORO Collection.
An Italian lunch is served with exquisite objects from the PORTORO Collection.
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Like most artists, Küpfer Henares finds inspiration in her many travels. With her multi-cultural background, this comes as no surprise. But with the current pandemic and lockdown restrictions, she has reverted to using precious memories as her muse. Portoro's upcoming Provence Collection, is in fact, reminiscent of some of her favourite childhood memories. "[The Provence Collection] is in Veri Peri – the shade of periwinkle that is Pantone’s Colour of the Year! But the colour has a personal hold on me: the beautiful soft lilac shade reminds me of the lavender fields I would run through when I spent time in Provence during my childhood."
But it's not just in her collections that Küpfer Henares' affinity for culture comes as an advantage. Her history of living around Asia and Europe—everywhere from Shanghai to Hamburg to Manila—has refined her taste and understanding of elegant craftsmanship. She often travels to Italy and Paris to meet with artisans there, and her multi-lingual abilities have made her a trustworthy partner for both craftsmen and clients here and abroad.
Above PORTORO helps their clients create elegant and timeless table
settings with their ready to use “deco boxes” and adding
custom sourced vintage silverware.
PORTORO helps their clients create elegant and timeless table settings with their ready to use “deco boxes” and adding custom sourced vintage silverware.
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"I like to get to know my clients over time in order to understand their personal likes, the interiors they aspire to, and the emotions or sentiments they want these interior to evoke," Küpfer Henares says. "I personally source vintage silverware and objects for clients I am very close to."
See also: Where to Buy Vintage Tableware
The designer, who aspires to pragmatism alongside beauty, knows that her creations aren't just for show—her objects are used by real families who make very deliberate choices about their wares. "We make it a point not to blindly follow trends," Küpfer Henares adds. "Instead, we take into consideration our clients' needs." This means understanding the lifestyle of someone who invests in Portoro. At the moment, Küpfer Henares has noticed an uptick in small, intimate dinners (much in line with the limitations of the pandemic); and as such her brand has pivoted towards purposeful design that's made for cheer. In fact for her upcoming summer collection, Küpfer Henares is releasing pieces with bursts of colour, one that she promises will make her clients both happy and grateful.
Above Nathalie Kuepfer Henareses’ living room features
one of her favorite sculptures: a Roger Desserprit
piece from the ‘70s that calls to mind an
embrace, but rendered in mortar and plaster. The
artist is French, but the piece was purchased in
Italy on one of the couple’s numerous trips.
Nathalie Kuepfer Henareses’ living room features one of her favorite sculptures: a Roger Desserprit piece from the ‘70s that calls to mind an embrace, but rendered in mortar and plaster. The artist is French, but the piece was purchased in Italy on one of the couple’s numerous trips.
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For those who are only beginning their exploration on home décor, Küpfer Henares shares two tips. The first: declutter. In much the same vein as "quality over quantity", Küpfer Henares encourages homeowners to devote space in a purposeful manner. Give space to your most beautiful items "so the eye can enjoy it more", she urges. "If you visit museums around the world, each painting is given its own space so as to enable the viewer to appreciate the beauty of the piece in its entirety without distractions to both the eye and the mind," she notes.
Another unconventional pro-tip? Explore hotels. "If it works in a hotel, it will work in your home," she claims. "Never be afraid to ask how things are made; go to showrooms and most of the brands, especially those in Italy, will take the time to show or tell you more about how each piece is produced."
Visit Portoro on their website or Instagram
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Credits
Photography: Studio Synthesis
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