Durstone has been used as the defining material in a new interior concept at Casa Decor 2026, where Impar Design reinterpreted the traditional 19th-century fumoir through a contemporary lens.
© Casa Decor
Titled The Journey of Smoke, the installation was created for Impar Grupo and presented within the 61st edition of Casa Decor, hosted at the Palace of the Marquis of los Vélez and Count of Niebla in Madrid.
The project drew inspiration from historical fumoir lounges and tobacco drying houses, where filtered light, dense atmosphere and slow social rituals shaped the spatial experience. Rather than recreate the past directly, the designers translated those references into a modern lounge environment centred on pause, conversation and sensory immersion.
At the heart of the scheme is Durstone's Imagine porcelain collection in black and white with a glossy finish. The material was applied across both flooring and built-in perimeter seating, creating a continuous visual system that organises the room.
According to the designers, the porcelain plays more than a decorative role. Instead, it acts as an architectural tool that structures movement, perception and atmosphere throughout the installation.
The floor uses a bold black-and-white geometric composition that introduces rhythm and depth. Its glazed finish enhances natural and artificial light, producing reflections that animate the surface and intensify the sense of movement within the room.
Built-in benches clad in the same porcelain continue the geometry across vertical and horizontal planes, removing traditional hierarchies between floor, wall and furniture. This approach creates a more immersive spatial reading and strengthens continuity throughout the lounge.
The monochrome ceramic base is contrasted with terracotta-toned textiles, balancing cooler reflective surfaces with warmth and softness. Filtered light passing through lattice elements casts moving shadows across the porcelain, further emphasising the interplay of pattern and material.
Vegetation, textile layering and integrated audiovisual elements complete the environment, which was conceived as a contemporary social retreat rooted in memory and atmosphere.
Durstone said the project demonstrates the broader potential of porcelain in interior architecture. Rather than simply covering surfaces, the material is used to connect spaces, define functions and shape user experience.
For the wider interiors market, the installation reflects growing interest in surfaces that combine durability with expressive design value, particularly in hospitality, retail and experiential residential settings.
At Casa Decor 2026, The Journey of Smoke showed how historical references and modern material technology can be combined to create emotionally resonant contemporary interiors.
More information:
Durstone
www.durstone.es
