guajiro furniture collection is a contemporary take on cuban basketwork tradition

havana-based designers carilyn de la vega and carlos pérez design furniture collection based on guajiros, the hats of cuban peasants. the hats are typically used for protection under the sun and woven using one of cuba’s most popular handcraft traditions, basketwork. mostly practiced in rural areas, basket weaving is a family tradition passing from one generation to the next. this collection aims to encourage the continuation of the tradition and update it with a contemporary approach.

the four pieces of the guajiro collection are weaved by native craftsmen

 working with the craftsmen community of ‘el malecón sin agua’ that specializes in the weaving of guaniguigui, a woody plant that grows wild in the cuban forests, the designers gave native artisans an interesting opportunity to apply their inherited know-how into a new aesthetic. created with the support of the royal norwegian embassy in cuba, the collection comprises a low table, a sofa, a stool and a floor lamp. each product alludes to the peasant hat and tells a particular story. the low table is the axis of the collection and recreates a common anecdote: after a day of work, guajiros frequently arrive home and put their hats on the table as a metaphor of the beginning of their resting time. the table reinterprets this particular moment working as an energy reserve during the day and releasing this energy as light during the night.

the guajiro collection makes an allusion to the hats of cuban peasants

the guajiro low table has two areas, a tabletop surface and lampshade

the lampshade detail in the tabletop

the guajiro sofa alludes to the peasant hat shape

the lampshade detail of the tabletop

guajiro sofa

guajiro stool

guajiro floor lamp

cuban peasant hat

the basket weaving process

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: sofia lekka angelopoulou | designboom