Of all the spaces in his new Lisbon boutique, Mateo jewelry designer Matthew Harris says the one he adores the most is the area he calls the Portuguese room—a decadent yellow with crisp white ceilings and beautiful Azulejo tiles on the wall.
“We needed a Portuguese room, as I believe it is important to honor Portugal’s rich culture of design and art,” Harris says. “Our Lisbon flagship store is really the Mateo universe.… I believe Lisbon is the future.”
The store in the city’s trendy Praca do Principe Real is the home for Mateo’s men’s and women’s jewelry along with handbags, perfumes, and candles. Harris says he designed it to serve as a welcoming space—just like his own Lisbon home—as well as a place to enjoy Portuguese hospitality. The store, which opened in July, is Mateo’s first in Europe.
Furnished with 18th- and 19th-century Portuguese furniture, hand-painted tiles, antique chandeliers, and Brazilian furniture, each room in the store has its own vibe while staying true to the brand’s aesthetic of simplicity and minimalism.
“I want guests to feel like they came to visit me at home. Truly, that’s it,” Harris says. “We don’t want a store that intimidates and isolates.… It’s clean and simple yet warm and inviting while being visually stimulating.”
All of the furniture in the Mateo Lisbon store was sourced in the city. Harris says he centered on the São Bento antique district, which he describes as perfect for finding great vintage pieces. He narrowed on QuartoSala, a Lisbon furniture boutique where the owner helped Harris source pieces from Brazil.
The first room, which is called the Living Room, functions as a reception area. This space features white tones, which Harris says enhances the jewelry collections found there. It also is minimalistic, allowing the gold, silver, diamonds, and precious stones to take center stage.
The second space, known as the Salon, pays homage to Portugal. Harris says he wanted to re-create a traditional Portuguese manor house with its vintage furniture, warm paint colors, and yellow curtains reflecting the culture and tradition. The tile also tells a story, reflecting the Tagus river and Torre de Belém.
The final space is the Mezzanine, which is located on the top floor of the store. This area gives clients a view of Jardim França Borges, and it is filled with Mateo’s more sophisticated and contemporary jewelry pieces.
The self-taught jewelry designer, who was born and raised in Montego Bay, Jamaica, says he hopes clients and visitors will feel how much he loves Portugal and why he finds so much inspiration there.
“We started producing our handbag collection in the north of Portugal outside of Porto. This is when I fell in the love with the country,” Harris says.
“I always have dreamed of moving to Lisbon. COVID happened and I said, ‘It’s now or never.’ Lisbon has been home for the past four years. It was only inevitable to open a home for my collection as well.”
Top: Mateo opened its first European location in July in Portugal, a dream for jewelry designer and founder Matthew Harris (photos courtesy of Mateo).
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