Crafting Heritage: Éditions Levantine’s Journey of Storytelling Through Design
people • DESIGNERS
Éditions Levantine invites us on a rich journey where memory, material, and meaning converge. Born from a deep bond between friends and their shared cultural roots, the studio is reimagining Levantine heritage through contemporary design. In this conversation, the founders reflect on their creative philosophy, their emotive connection to craft and storytelling, and the symbolic layers behind their most intimate works. From board games reinterpreted as heirlooms to sculptures that echo childhood sounds, each detail opens a window into a region—and identity—in flux. Discover how Éditions Levantine crafts furniture with a soul, where cultural memory meets modern design.
WEBSITE: editionslevantine.com INSTAGRAM: @editions.levantine
Words: designeers
APRIL 2025
DESIGNEERS
A studio’s name always tells a story about its identity. What does Editions Levantine represent, and what’s the story behind this name?
Editions Levantine
Éditions Levantine is a design studio dedicated to creating curated furniture while celebrating the rich Levantine heritage. The starting point was friendship: four people bound by a shared birthplace, heritage, and stories. Yet from this common ground emerged four distinct experiences and visions of the world. In our search for collective creative growth, we questioned how the Levant shaped us, how it wove multiple identities into each of us, and found that the thread of connection was still- the Levant.
DESIGNEERS
Your project has a strong connection to Levantine culture. How do you reinterpret this heritage in your designs?
Editions Levantine
Éditions Levantine represents our collective journey of rediscovering our identity as storytellers of the Levant. It is a platform where we explore our multicultural narrative and define our signature Neo-Levantine aesthetic—a design philosophy rooted in Levantine heritage and reinterpreted through contemporary form.
The Neo-Levantine aesthetic is a visual interpretation of our environment, drawing from the rich tapestry of nature, wildlife, architecture, and narratives that define our surroundings. At its core, it symbolises warmth, communal spirit, and stories told through design while challenging the preconceived notion of what “Orientalist” design represents. Our process is driven by a fragmentation of the multilayered web of cultures and influences that shape the region.
DESIGNEERS
Your creations have a deep bond with craftsmanship. How do you collaborate with artisans, and what is the most fascinating aspect of this dialogue?
Editions Levantine
At Éditions Levantine, we are committed to promoting Levantine craftsmanship through our own interpretation. This is an integral component that shapes our rapport with our artisans. We look for a shared sensibility, and since every piece that we create has its unique universe and codes, our artisans value the nuances that bring the designs to life. Every visit to the workshop has a learning curve, and we hold space for new discoveries. We have come to harvest mutual trust with our artisans through our shared initiative to learn and guide.
DESIGNEERS
Is there a project that you consider particularly significant in your journey? What makes it special?
Editions Levantine
Our journey has been marked by many projects that organically shaped the discourse of our collective. One that particularly comes to the forefront is a reimagined board game, Barjees, that we will launch next week. It is a game designed for women, traditionally gifted as a wedding present and most commonly played during family gatherings, as told by one of our founders whose grandmother received it for her wedding. What makes this game special is the weave it sows between tradition, community and design. We reimagined the traditional fabric material into a wooden board with an inlaid composition of graphic motifs that create the Éditions Levantine aesthetic. Our intention is to breathe a new life into an almost forgotten game while building new channels for community and exchange. It is an opportunity for women to connect, share, laugh and celebrate our communal heritage.
“Emotive design is at the heart of our philosophy. We believe that furniture is more than just functional; it’s a reflection of our memories, experiences, and emotions.”
Editions Levantine
DESIGNEERS
Your objects seem to evoke stories and memories. Is there a hidden detail or element in one of your pieces that tells something unexpected?
Editions Levantine
Storytelling is at the heart of our creative process. Every piece and pattern reflects a story, a memory, or a sound. Take the Bulbul wooden bird sculpture for example. It pays tribute to the vibrant fauna of the Levant. Inspired by the bulbul bird, known for its distinctive song, this piece features intricate wood marquetry using our Sayif motif. The idea began with a spontaneous conversation about childhood sounds. One of our founders reminisced about growing up with the bulbul’s song at home, making this sculpture not just a tribute to the Levant but also an intimate piece of her memories.
DESIGNEERS
Creative inspiration is always evolving. Where do you find it today, and what is stimulating you at the moment?
Editions Levantine
Our designs aim to capture the essence of the Levant - its lively energy, rich history, and distinctive textures. This has been the well of inspiration that guides our creative process. Recently, we have been engaging in conversation about stones and their significance in Levantine culture. We are researching historic motifs and techniques and exploring new processes for implementation in our products.
DESIGNEERS
Contemporary design is becoming more narrative, aiming to tell a story beyond form. What do you want to communicate through your work?
Editions Levantine
Emotive design is at the heart of our philosophy. We believe that furniture is more than just functional; it’s a reflection of our memories, experiences, and emotions. For example, the Sahel mirrors are more than a graphic representation of the coast. They carry through their motifs the soothing sound of the waves washing ashore, the warmth of the sun on a summer day, and the nostalgic memory of youth. Our goal is to create pieces that are not only visually appealing but also embody furniture with a soul—carrying the warmth of home, belonging, and memory. We aim to offer a piece of the Levant to people, no matter where they are in the world.
DESIGNEERS
Your work moves between tradition and innovation. How do you balance these two elements?
Editions Levantine
Our work is deeply rooted in the Levant; it is the inspiration that fuels our platform. Every piece we design is an exploration of heritage, a bridge between tradition and innovation. We experiment with materials and techniques that once formed the foundation of Levantine craftsmanship, reinterpreting them for a contemporary audience. For us, the Levant is not just a place; it is an experience, a feeling, and a story waiting to be told. Through our designs, we illustrate the region as we see it, as we feel it, and as we know it. This philosophy extends to our work with heirloom family pieces, which we reimagine through our unique EL lens. By redesigning these treasured objects, we honour the traditions of our predecessors while giving them new life. In doing so, we ensure that the rich history of the Levant is not only preserved but continues to evolve.
DESIGNEERS
Looking towards the future, what can we expect from Editions Levantine? Are there new directions you would like to explore?
Editions Levantine
We are in the process of developing a dedicated lab department focused on exploring new materials and techniques. The Lab is an experimental space where we research, test, and refine materials that can be integrated into our designs. Furthermore, the Lab is a platform for expanding the possibilities/reach of our patterns and motifs, demonstrating how they can be applied beyond furniture. We aim to offer new tools and applications that allow space designers and architects to incorporate our aesthetic language into diverse spaces and structures.
DESIGNEERS
Can you walk us through the creative process behind one of your latest releases? What was the inspiration, and how did it evolve from concept to final design?
Editions Levantine
Our creative process is typically the same for our products. It unfolds through the exploration of intuitive graphic expressions, organic coincidence and sketches. We overlay thematic elements and ideas, translating them into an array of products. This process materializes through the creation of graphic patterns and motifs, which adorn our pieces, such as the Safar pattern (also known as the Voyage pattern), the Sayif motif (representing Summer), the La Mer motif (representing the sea), and the Oummi motif (symbolizing Mothers). These layered expressions are central to our Neo-Levantine aesthetic, a reflection of both collective memory and evolving cultural identity.
Our palette captures the essence of the Levant through an array of hues: the azure of the sea, the verdant green of pine trees, the delicate pink of terracotta patina, the warm sand tones of cement tiles, and the fiery orange of sunsets. This Colorama serves as an immediate link to the vibrant imagery of the Levant, evoking scenes like the kaleidoscopic stained glass, the airy patterns of claustra, and the gentle fade of eucalyptus leaves.
DESIGNEERS
If you could recommend one artsy hotel anywhere in the world, which one would it be and why?
Editions Levantine
Our answer is a bit biased. We can’t help but recommend one of Beirut’s iconic hotels, Albergo. The building is designed in true 1930s fashion with Ottoman influences, atop a traditional three-arched heritage house. The hotel offers the best of Beiruti hospitality and refined design. For us, it’s more than a hotel. It is a place of memories and the backdrop to countless meetings of strategy and design. It is a true haven of inspiration within the city.
DESIGNEERS
If you could imagine an ideal collaboration, who would you like to work with and why?
Editions Levantine
Many are the designers and brands that we would love to collaborate with. Jacquemus, for instance, as a brand, pays homage to the south of France and the Mediterranean Sea in their work. Through our designs and furniture, we share the same incentive, bringing the warmth of the sun, the coastal ambience and the Mediterranean spirit to life through sculptural forms. Through every design, Éditions Levantine continues to shape furniture with a soul that bridges the past and present.
Photo Credits: Francois Chahine
