“It might not be the most-visited edition, but without a doubt it will be remembered more than any other”, says Beatriz González from Roman Windows & Doors, one of the companies that participated in this year’s edition of Casa Decor.  This perfectly summarises the situation that Casa Decor 2020 has had to face.  This point of reference for interior design had to find a way to survive the effects of COVID-19. And that’s exactly what it did.

The stately building at Velázquez 21, chosen to host 67 different spaces, was forced to close its doors in the middle of March.  But that wasn’t the end of the story – far from it.  Casa Decor survived and decided to re-open its doors to in-person visits from June 8 to July 5.

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Everything didn’t come to halt just because it closed its doors, however.  The organisation decided to open the virtual doors and invite the public to visit the event online, as well as asking companies and designers to show off their latest ideas.

This included posts on social media, interviews on Instagram, a prize-giving ceremony online, and a virtual tour which, as we’ve already mentioned here at Connections by Finsa, allows you to visit the five floors of the house, where aristocratic style can be seen alongside innovative ideas, daring touches, sustainability, and new ways of communicating.

“The house has been more open than ever,” the organisation explains.  Now in its final days, “despite it being a difficult edition because we had to close just a few days after the inauguration, it was also an enriching experience from which we have emerged stronger than before.  The 2020 edition of Casa Decor won’t be forgotten any time soon”.

 

Online platforms for a sensory event

The need to put in-person visits on hold, even though they eventually started again, was the push behind finding new ways of connecting.  It changed how we communicate and how we consume.  Many companies such as Maisons du Monde, Kave Home, and La Redoute brought in online shops for both furniture and decoration.

 

Others chose to face the postponement of in-person events with articles about their products, photos, videos, landing pages, social media, and online presentations – a way of reaching their audience that already existed but which has become stronger during his time.  As the Dica design team explains, “the online world is the future and it’s here to stay”.

Despite the digital presence, the return to the in-person event has been a breath of fresh air for many participants.  “Casa Decor is a sensory experience.  It’s about seeing, touching, hearing, smelling, and feeling…until the music of the space surrounds you.  A computer screen can’t give you that,” says Beatriz González of the marketing team at Roman Windows & Doors.  The brand has strengthened its online communication with clients, but their personalised products – “[just like] a made-to-measure suit” – require in-person visits. So, for them, “both of these worlds must live side-by-side”.

 

Natural materials

Despite the circumstances, Casa Decor 2020 remains a point of reference for the worlds of interior design and lifestyle. It’s a showcase that sets trends in design and this time, the theme was sustainability.

This was the challenge that the participants accepted.  There are rooms designed for dreaming, like the bedroom “Wood Dreams!!!”, a space designed by Ángel Verdú for Roman Windows & Blinds which uses natural materials.  “The whole space is made of timber that comes from forests that have undergone re-forestation and the fabrics are 100% natural.  There is a hand-woven jute rug, the carpet is made of wool, the fabrics are made of mulberry silk and cotton, [and] the varnishes are eco-friendly,” explains Beatriz González.

The result is a relaxing bedroom that is like “a suite in a luxurious five-star hotel”.  It’s a space that, unlike their project which received the Best Project Prize in 2019, has been “designed for everyone to use”.

 

Kitchens that never go out of style

The kitchens, another big drawcard for Casa Decor, also incorporated sustainability.  They are kitchens, like the one in the Dica space, that can become the main room of the house, leaving behind the idea of an isolated kitchen.  They are spaces that don’t go out of style, where comfort exists alongside the most innovative design and in which durable products and design that is honest and respectful towards the environment really stand out.

You can still enjoy Casa Decor 2020 until Sunday, July 5, so go and take a look around if you’re in Madrid.