Brand leader and head designer of Luxxu, João Barros, meets me fresh from the Portuguese interior company’s 10-year anniversary celebrations. The mirror behind him reveals a dazzling chandelier hanging like a jewel in the Porto HQ. “It's been a decade of strong work, some ups, some downs,” he reflects. “Last week we spent two days with our clients, with our friends, with our partners, celebrating a decade of issues. Of victories. And now we are all around the world. It was one of our main goals, and we are super happy.”
Luxxu’s scope is indeed impressive. The company – originally a lighting brand – now includes plush and timeless furniture and upholstery. They’ve furbished high-end residences, from deluxe apartments and mountain retreats to penthouses, condos and bachelorette pads. Their client list namechecks Victoria’s Secret, Cartier and Playboy, and they have more recently extended their portfolio to Netflix and movie sets.
“Lots of big brands are part of our story,” explains Barros. “We have many movie pieces in our catalogue. The biggest was Tom and Jerry: The Movie. We sent more than 100 pieces for the movie, so you can see Luxxu throughout. And we have a new project for Warner Brothers launching around 2026 – but I can’t speak about that yet.”
But it isn’t the famous names which make Barros proudest. It’s those around him. “I completely trust in my team, and we really do everything with love, with mastery and total focus on the main goal of our clients. If they don’t like it, we will do it again, and again, and again. It's a team work. I've been a teacher. I know how to speak, but I know to listen. I don't say my team. I say our team.”
It was his ten years as a design teacher at Escola Profissional de Felgueiras that ignited his passion – to never stop, or settle. “I need to learn more. I learn every day with my clients, I'm always studying. I'm always learning, learning, learning. When I was 18 years old, I had to choose between being a musician or designer. I chose to be a designer. I went to a university, I studied, and then I started teaching in a design school. The first four years I was teaching industrial design, then I did another course and taught shoe design because I don't want to stop.”
Barros loves music. He’s professes to playing 123 instruments and owns a vast collection from all over the world. Could this musicality add flourishes to his design like signature pieces in an overture? “I'm a guy from the art universe,” he says, humbly.
It’s often said that the best musicians are mathematicians. “Design is mathematics. It's a science as well. You have to know how to mix and match the materials, the marbles, the woods, the textures. To know whether to choose a bright surface or a polished one. In the beginning, the number should be the correct one otherwise you are going to fail.”
One project that encompasses all parts of the Luxxu equation is an exquisite residence in the heart of Riyadh. “We could dream and I just loved it,” says Barros of the bottomless budget and cart blanche brief – a gift to any designer.
“We have lots of clients in Saudi, Qatar and Dubai, so I know which kind of ambiance is going to work or not in that market. Firstly, we had to mix and match the architecture with a very luxurious and contemporary style.”
The villa is a nod to Najdi architecture with a classic geometric façade. Barros gets the balance right; sees where less is more. “We knew we should use some classic tones, like the dark, deep reds on the pillows, on the walls, and the style and all the pieces could be very bright. But then you have to use beige, whites, cream colours and gold to let the space breathe and be very calm.”
The dining room is a centrepiece. The Waterfall suspension – still as popular today as it was at Luxxu’s inception – drips over a grand Apotheosis dining table, skirted by velvet and brass Charla Gold dining chairs. “We needed a huge masterpiece in the middle, but at the same time, something very neutral, not so strong in terms of visual volume. The suspension is big, but it is crystal and glass allowing the light to pass through. A floating piece.”
The sumptuous chairs have the illusion of being honed from solid gold. Barros reemployed his knowledge of the shoe industry to create a chair from leather that is easily mistaken for the precious metal. “The Charla dining chair is our bestseller. But, after 10 years, I decided to design the same chair, but with more luxury twists using my knowledge about shoe design and the shoe industry. Nobody could produce this in gold because of the shape of the back of the chair. It's very, very hard. I connected with some of my special contacts in the shoe design universe, asking for a gold leather that seemed like gold or a sheet of metal. This leather is produced for guys like Louboutin or Chanel or so I went to those suppliers of this very specific leather. We did it, and it works beautifully.”
Barros avoids the overall impression becoming ‘bling’. “There’s lots of gold, but at the same time, it's not too much because you have the natural tones on the floor, on the sideboards, on the ceiling and lots of natural light. There’s balance, it's perfect.”
Another striking feature is the rich red marble in the bedroom. It’s an example of cutting edge contemporary materials juxtaposed against mid-century architecture. “Rosso Levanto is a super trend of 2025/2026,” Barros explains, but these details blend seamlessly in the bedroom. “We use some neutral design pieces. If you look at the details, they are luxurious, but when you zoom out, everything breathes. We mix and match the classic style, the marbles, the crystal glass, the chandelier, and include soft designs, like the Charla II nightstand that fits well in that environment.”
The poker table seen in the opulent entertainment room is part of a new line for Luxxu. Barros saw a gap in his product offerings and decided it was important to design bespoke gaming tables for discerning, affluent clients who like to entertain at home. The trend is becoming more mainstream. “These kinds of people don’t go to a casino, but they want one inside the house just to play and have fun with friends,” says Barros.
So is there is anything still missing from the Luxxu portfolio? A grand piano honed from marble designed by the maestro himself. “Let's see if it's possible or not, but I do want to join my two worlds. Gold, marble, noble materials, and then music in the shape of a piano.” That would be something.