Meet The Artist Reimagining Spain's Aged Cathedral Doors

Our most premium dining and living room spaces are always filled with beautiful items, acquired with thought and sensibility, and those who stay in Mallorca enjoy the presence of truly unique pieces that echo the island’s heritage too. We had the pleasure of speaking with Adrián about his craft and how he brings it to life with bespoke works for August.

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A Tale Of Craftsmanship

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Adrián's design and woodworking journey began 23 years ago, in 2021 when he arrived in Spain. "I started to work in one shop with antique furniture and there I learned a lot about wood, about different kinds of antique furniture, about different styles and designs," shares the artist.

At that time, Adrián was also studying, but his focus was not on furniture, but rather on shoe design. Though different at face value, there is crossover and both demand considered craftsmanship. "We have some very similar concepts. The first one is making something beautiful and the second one is making something practical that we can use, something functional."

Following those years, Adrián began a new hobby: building his own small pieces of furniture from old wood. He also started to restore some antique pieces.

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The Inception Of 'Studio De Rogatis'

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The combination of good wood, good taste and a job well done meant that his work soon took flight. Adrián's company was in its early years. Then following a move to Mallorca in 2021, Adrián began working out of his home which soon became a showroom for a growing community.

One year later, the first Studio De Rogatis store was opened in Consell, a small village in the centre of the island. The village itself is a hotspot for collectors and those looking to soak up Mallorca's history. "Every Sunday there is a market with antique furniture," shares Adrián who has a stand there as well as the shop that sits at the front of the market. 

It all started at Consell flea market; this is where August Collections' head of design, Karolina Wierzbicka first met Adrián, three years before the store, (called Art From Mallorca at the time) opened. “I loved the pieces he was making and repurposing historic doors and wood, we love giving things a second home and life,” shares Karolina.

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Bespoke Pieces

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They started collaborating very soon when Karolina called on Adrián’s expertise because a dining table that had just been delivered to a Pollença property turned out to be far too big for the space. “I drove down to his workshop and he showed me this piece of wood and said I can make this into the size you want!” Now, this unique piece lives in the Signature home in Pollença, part of the Cozzile Collection. Bringing rustic charm to Carrer de Sion's living room, its simple design is a masterpiece in its own right and elevates the modern, bohemian aesthetic of the space. Alongside the bespoke dining table, Karolina also asked for a coffee table that she spotted in the studio to be delivered.

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Heritage Design

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The next bespoke piece defines the dining room in our Premium home, named San Sebastia. “Having seen the quality and passion he puts into each piece I knew that on the next project, which was a Premium Collection home, it was my top priority to work with Adrián to get a bespoke 3m long table,” continues Karolina. This beautifully imposing piece is the first thing you see when you enter the Fortnalux Collection home. Built in 200-year-old oak, the rustic dining seats eight and is a canvas for other playful design elements like two contemporary pieces of art on the wall, and the woven rug with a red, check border.

The third dining table Adrián has crafted for August Collections lives in our Demi-Quartier Premium Collection home, in Pollença. Designed for flow and conviviality, the townhouse called Carrer de Miquel is a prime location for such an iconic piece. The table top is also made from 200-year-old oak and the legs are fashioned from antique Mallorcan beams that are made of pine.

All of the wood that Adrián buys comes from northern Spain where it was once used for building old homes. "It's our best," he says. It's an exclusive old oak that might otherwise go to waste, and it is pivotal to his exceptional furniture pieces. "The most important thing is the wood, the character of the wood. There are a lot of good carpenters and people who can make one really good table, but without good wood, it's impossible to have the same results," he shares humbly.

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Reimagining Spain's Cathedral Doors

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There is more to the artist's craft, and Adrián also builds incredible pieces from old cathedral doors that are otherwise destined for landfill. What started out as experimental design became a wonderful success when he was able to create a nice simple table from one very lovely, but still very aged door.

"Now we make a lot of tables with old doors, it's something typical for my company," says Adrián who favours making coffee tables in particular.

The restoration process is intricate as the doors are some 300 years old, often dating back to the 17th or 18th century. Adrián usually finds them in oak and chestnut, and sometimes walnut, but these are not easy to source. "Walnut is not typical for doors and really good doors are difficult to find."

They arrive in very poor condition and in need of an expert's attention. Naturally, it takes someone like Adrián to spot a piece's potential too. "Sometimes people think that is impossible to use again, but if it's good wood, like oak for example which has amazing quality, then inside the wood is in perfect condition. I don't know how to explain it, but for me, it's very easy to know. For example, this Sunday I bought a really nice table here from Mallorca, from the 17th century," says the artist. Made with olive wood, it's an island original with 400 years of history behind it and Adrián had a design vision for the piece. "It was in such bad condition but I could see it was possible to restore it. Now we are finishing it and it will be amazing."

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Mediterranean Inspiration

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With pieces in his two stores (the second opened in 2023 in Palma de Mallorca), and in his home which doubles as a showroom, there is much to share with discerning visitors. When it comes to bespoke pieces, clients might know what they want, but Adrián adds his own touch, advising on the wood type, of course, and placement. "I make it my own design," he says.

Adrián's work is rooted in his surroundings and it's the region and the people of Mallorca that fuel his craft. "With a lot of the things that we make, the design is typical Mediterranean because people here like this style." Then for further inspiration, the artist travels Europe, visiting design fairs and furniture markets, particularly when in search of something a little different or a new concept.