Paris Design

Laia and Cristóbal went to Maison&Objet — the annual design fair where we meet suppliers, discover new craftspeople, and see what's coming. Casa Buganvilla was featured at the Courant Sauvage stand. Good conversations, creativity flowing, and artisans still making things the slow way.

They also spent time at Paris Déco Off — smaller studios and showrooms scattered across the city. Less polished than the main fair, but in its own way pure and honest.

But the real discoveries happened outside the fair.

Walk this Way

40,700 steps in three days. About 27 kilometres, according to Laia's phone. Walking changes what you see.

At the Jardin des Plantes, the greenhouse was closed — but the building itself stopped them. Light and reflections on the glass exterior, even in winter. A reminder that light isn't a design concept. It's the first thing you feel.

The garden, even bare, gave us clear ideas about landscaping. How to make exterior spaces work through all seasons, not just in summer.

La Grande Mosquée was quieter. Sweets and green tea in the courtyard. Scale, rhythm, silence. We think about this constantly — not how a space looks, but how it makes you move. How it makes you breathe, and how it directly contributes to your wellbeing in a holistic way.

And then just walking the streets. Haussmann's Paris — proportion, order, continuity. Architecture thought of as a whole, not building by building. Shop windows, people creative in the way they dress, the way they move. You breathe creativity here without looking for it. But we also realize that is true in moments of awareness, wherever you may be.

Also worth a visit: Galerie Vivienne for coffee and architecture. The Bibliothèque de l'Institut national d'histoire de l'art if you want quiet. Place du Marché Saint-Honoré just to walk through.

The Latin Quarter

This part surprised them. Not the beauty — that's expected. It was the energy.

They stayed near Rue Mouffetard — a market street that's still local. Fruit vendors. Fish. Wine shops. Small family-run businesses where the owner knows your name. Life that exists whether or not anyone's watching.

Somehow it felt like Jávea.

That's what we mean when we talk about authenticity. Not rustic aesthetic. Not "Mediterranean charm" as a marketing exercise. Just real daily life. And it's a real asset — for the homes we build and for the experience our clients will find when they get here.

Where They Ate

Le Florentin (Saint-Honoré) — beautiful, authentic, better prices than you'd expect for the neighbourhood.

Breizh Café (Le Marais) — the best crêpes. We stand by that.

Candelaria (Le Marais) — taqueria with a hidden cocktail bar in the back. Exactly as good as that sounds.

Le Verre à Pied (near Rue Mouffetard) — the kind of bistro you'd never find unless someone tells you about it.

Also: Marché des Enfants Rouges for lunch. Galerie Vivienne for coffee.

This trip reminded us why we travel. Not to collect inspiration like souvenirs. But to see how other places answer the same question: how do you make a space feel human?

That's what we're building here.

What's Next

Back in Jávea. Construction begins on Casa Catalina on the 23rd — the first of three sisters. We'll share more as she takes shape.

If you want to see what we're working on, reach out. We'd love to show you.

— The Adelante Homes Team