Design is intrinsic to life: it’s about finding solutions for our endeavours. From a young age, making things—drawing, dioramas, bricolage—was in my DNA; I was born with it. At 23, I started my own business by opening a Restaurant and Gallery. That space was my first true canvas. I learned what it meant to craft an environment, care for people, and understand the profound impact that a thoughtfully designed space has on the human spirit.
The Human factor.
Looking back at my academic path, I attended the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Lisbon. My major: Communication and Cultural sciences. It instilled in me a broad approach to culture and the understanding of semiotics and linguistics as foundational concepts for life. These concepts reinforced my predisposition towards meaningful design and decoding communication. Most importantly, I deepened my understanding of how people perceive their diverse contexts of living.
Design is alive.
It’s intrinsic to life, but never in a vacuum. It’s influenced by our tastes, experiences, and idiosyncrasies. When I am not designing, I adore the exploration of taste and gastronomy.
The cultural evolution of European cuisine with its Arabic, Asian and African amalgamation, especially for a Portuguese person, is enticing! Influenced by tourism, I find the current chapter of Portuguese cuisine fascinating.
Driven by a new wave of chefs, we are seeing a reinterpretation of traditional petiscos—creating a unique opportunity to share flavours in Signature restaurants. I feel I can contribute by applying my innate creative vision.. But beyond that, I love savouring these flavours. You might find me, with family—and my dog, Mori—discovering the endless and authentic wine repertoire, or culinary divinities. Food is a good way to get to know someone, how they love, and live.
My design is to be seen, and to be felt. The goal is to empower people to express themselves unapologetically. I absolutely love the feeling of being more alive by enabling real interactions.
