OUR STORY
Carapau is a 100% Portuguese home deco brand founded in 2017.
Create contemporary and high-quality products with focus on sustainable design, color and reinvention of traditional Portuguese materials.
It was created and designed by Rita Faria and Tiago Couto, two Portuguese graphic designers who decided create a project in parallel with their graphic design studio, combined their passion for animals and the wild world with the interest that they always had in their country's traditions and craftsmanship.
Carapau create handcrafted home products with high-quality and ecological traditional Portuguese raw-materials which combine ancient erudition with a contemporary design.
All products are designed and handmade with care in their studio, in Porto, northern of Portugal. They handcraft every single product.
Tiago has roots in the highest mountain of Portugal, Serra da Estrela, where burel is made, the woolen fabric they use to produce their animals.
Rita has roots in the northern region of Portugal, Minho, where the other fabric used for making their animals, linen, has a long tradition.
HAPPY MEMORIES
“It is critical – and it lives in the Carapau DNA – that all our designs are rooted in happy memories. All our designs have a story. Every Carapau figurine should make you smile. They were created so that fond memories can be created and shared with loved ones.”
SUSTAINABILITY
OUR DEDICATION TO CRAFTSMANSHIP AND RESPONSIBLE SOURCING GUARANTEES TIMELESS PIECES THAT RESPECT BOTH TRADITION AND NATURE.
We imagine timeless pieces made from durable materials that promote environmental consciousness.
All our pieces are made of wool and linen, natural, durable and resistant materials.
They are renewable, recyclable, biodegradable and breathable.
With Carapau, we want to support an intelligent production, reasoned and respectful of earth and tradition. Therefore, we strive to imagining timeless pieces, made from durable and high quality materials. Products made to last and to be passed on.
Through our production process, we strive to reduce waste and polluting residues. All our items are made without chemicals, with reduced water consumption. We minimize our CO2 footprint as much as possible and our waste is 100% recyclable.
Our linen is hand-printed by us with manual screen print. Our inks do not contain ozone-depleting chemicals such as CFC’s and HCFC’s, aromatic hydrocarbons or any volatile solvents.
ALL THE FABRICS WE USE HAS A TRADITION AND HISTORY BEHIND
FROM WOOL TO BUREL
Burel is a traditional Portuguese artisanal fabric that is 100% wool. It is one of the most resistant fabric in the world. It is a strong, tight, wear-resistent, water-repellent and fire-retardant fabric. This characteristics come from the way in which it is made. When the shepherds send the wool to the factory, it arrives washed of dust and natural fat. The bales enter a machine which opens the fibres and mixes the colours while softening them. Once this process is over, it is set aside in a room to rest for a few hours before the carding process begins. On the factory where is made the burel we use, exist three cards on Belgian machines that are over 100 years old, which were initially operated with steam, went on to naphtha, and only later were they adapted to electricity. The cards will blend the fibres to achieve a uniform colour and texture. The fibres are then tamed and positioned in the same direction, to form the veil in small strips, straightening the fibres to create a wick. The wick is not yarn, as it does not yet have the necessary endurance. The rolls of wick are placed in the spinning mill to twist and stretch, and shape the yarn to the desired thickness. The straws that come out of the cardboard spinning are transfered, to spools (on the winder), and some of these spools are transferred to reels (in the reel box). The looms are equipped with bobbins and spools to be transformed into xerga. The xerga, when it leaves the loom, is weighed, and measured, and then goes to quality control where our skimmers sweep the fabric with their eyes to cut the knots and any thread that may have ended up with a different thickness. Finishing is made up of several processes that will stabilise the fabric, varying according to the type of desired fabric. The so-called miracle of the textile industry that transforms xerga into the final fabric, with the softness, colour, and endurance that we see in this fabric. The fabric is tramped on the tamper, moistened with hot water, which causes it to shrink by around 30% to 40%, to felt, and gain the desired density. Burel was originally created by the highland people to protect themselves from the rain, snow and cold winds of the mountains, used to make cloaks and other cloths, mainly workwear for farmers and shepherds. BUREL FEATURES 100% wool | fire resistant | with high impermeability (water resistant) | thermal and acoustic insulation | hygroscopic | anti-electrostatic | abrasion resistance | tough | flexible | natural | agro-product | don’t give off fluff
LINEN
O linho é um tecido natural feito a partir das fibras da planta do linho, conhecida pela sua combinação única de qualidades. Linen, a fabric deeply intertwined with tradition and heritage, holds a special place in the cultural and economic history of the North of Portugal. This region, known for its verdant landscapes and rolling hills, has long been a center for the cultivation of flax and the production of linen, a craft passed down through generations. The production of linen in Northern Portugal dates back centuries, rooted in the rural communities where flax cultivation was an integral part of life. Flax plants thrived in the fertile soils and temperate climate of the region, providing a reliable source of raw material. In the past, linen was a staple in Portuguese households, used to create everything from garments to home textiles like tablecloths and bed linens. Its durability and breathability made it a prized material, especially in the hot Mediterranean summers. O processo de transformação do linho em linho é trabalhoso e requer habilidade artesanal. No Norte de Portugal, os métodos tradicionais ainda se conservam em algumas comunidades, reflectindo um profundo respeito pelo ofício. O ciclo inicia-se com o cultivo do linho, seguido da colheita e maceração – processo em que os talos são mergulhados para separar as fibras. Depois de as fibras serem extraídas, são fiadas em fios e tecidas em tecido. LINEN FEATURES Durability | Breathability | Moisture Absorption | Hypoallergenic | Sustainability
SOCIAL BUSINESSES
WE CARE ABOUT WILDLIFE
We are in the midst of a conservation crisis that is occurring around the globe resulting in the catastrophic loss of countless of species and the accelerated destruction of wild landscapes.
The more we learned, the more we were inspired to do something about it. We believe social businesses can help change the world.
We decided to make a commitment to help wildlife conservation. With every Carapau animal purchase we donate 1% to wildlife conservation organisations.
In 2025 we will support Friends of the Koala organisation.
EDUCATIONAL LABELS
Each animal has an educational label with an illustration of the animal, a short text about it and its conservation status in the wild.
Environmental education is a cornerstone of addressing today’s environmental challenges. It not only informs and inspires individuals but also lays the groundwork for collective action toward a healthier, more sustainable planet.
Environmental education cultivates a deeper connection to nature. People who understand and appreciate the natural world are more likely to protect it, creating a positive cycle of care and preservation.