Local Heroes
Luxurious comfort and unmatched
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Shops
A Vida Portuguesa
A Vida Portuguesa (Portuguese Life) was born out of an investigation by journalist Catarina Portas into old Portuguese products: those that we have known for decades, those that have kept their original packaging or are still inspired by it, those that are still made with an important dose of manufacturing.
In November 2004, we put these products together in themed boxes and launched the Uma Casa Portuguesa brand, which was reborn in May 2007 with a new name: A Vida Portuguesa (Desde Sempre).
Our best showcase are our branded shops, located in centuries-old, fully preserved commercial spaces; they amaze visitors and earn the praise of the Portuguese and international press. We also resell our exclusive products to various shops in Portugal and abroad.
Since the beginning, we have developed partnerships with various Portuguese brands to create exclusive AVP products: Ach. Brito e Confiança soaps, Bordalo Pinheiro swallows, Viarco pencils, Emílio Braga and Serrote notebooks. This is our most interesting and ambitious initiative: it involves researching, creating, developing, launching and publicising good brands, delicious products and praising Portuguese production.
We were born believing that Portuguese products have a future. The countless shops across the country that are now inspired by our concept and rediscovering or discovering old and new Portuguese brands are proof that we were right. Just as well, because expanding the market and ensuring the survival of these factories has always been our primary objective. However, nowhere are the products as many and as beautiful as in the A Vida Portuguesa shops, the originals.
As for the Intendente shop, in October 2013 the dream of expanding the range and number of suppliers of homeware was fulfilled. There are more than 6,000 references of Portuguese craftsmanship under the same 500m2 roof of the old Viúva Lamego factory in the renovated Intendente neighbourhood. And the “most beautiful shop in town” for Time Out Lisboa.
Cortiço & Netos
Cortiço & Netos is the name of the former family business, founded by Joaquim José Cortiço, which, between 1979 and 2013, was dedicated to collecting, storing and selling discontinued lines of ceramic tiles and sanitary ware.
Our collection includes original examples produced since the 60s. Almost all the factories that produced these products have closed down, but they are nonetheless an important milestone in the history of Portuguese industrial production. Thus, the products available at C&N are unique and a priceless testimony to our industrial heritage. Some examples of the manufacturers and brands that are part of our collection are: Aleluia, Amarona, Azupal, Carvalhinho, Celena, Ceres, Ceralco, Cesol, CIC, Coimbra, Constância, Decocer, Estaco, Gresval, Loiças de Sacavém, Lufapo, Poceram, Revigrés, Valadares and Viúva Lamego.
We are proud of our collection and recognize its historical and cultural value, which is why our commercial activity supports its conservation and dissemination. We also want to promote in-depth research into Portuguese industrial tiles.
Our material has also been used in projects by artists, designers and architects.
Photo Credit: Pedro Sadio Photography
Retrosaria Rosa Pomar
The Rosa Pomar knitting shop is located in Lisbon, at 50A Rua Maria Andrade, and has existed since 2008 as a dynamic centre, not only through direct sales to the public, but also by holding workshops and masterclasses, teaching Portuguese knitting and the history of wool, from sheep to thread, among other techniques and activities.
Rosa Pomar has a degree in History from Universidade Nova de Lisboa and a postgraduate qualification in Medieval History, having attended illustration courses at Ar. Co in Lisbon and the School of Visual Arts in New York. She is the author of one of the oldest Portuguese blogs, ervilhacorderosa.com, and of the book Malhas Portuguesas (2013), translated into English and Spanish – currently sold out in Portuguese and with a second edition in preparation. She is the author of several knitting patterns, some of which have been published internationally in leading magazines, especially in Scandinavia and Japan. She collaborates with other designers to create knitting costumes and is invited to conferences, fairs and events linked to the teaching of Portuguese knitting and the preservation of Portuguese wool.