{"id":5457,"date":"2021-10-21T15:19:21","date_gmt":"2021-10-21T15:19:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/living.chanintr.com\/?post_type=journal&#038;p=5457"},"modified":"2025-07-30T14:21:41","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T07:21:41","slug":"the-useful-the-well-made","status":"publish","type":"journal","link":"https:\/\/www.chanintr.com\/pages\/journal\/the-useful-the-well-made\/","title":{"rendered":"The Useful &#038; the Well-Made"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In the last almost-decade or so since Spain&#8217;s economic downturn, Madrid has rebounded with a new influx of hip, trendy restaurants, boutique shops and hotels, restoring the city to its former glory days. There is much to love about Madrid these days, and even more to explore. A city of contrasts, Madrid has imperial baroque architecture and post-industrial cityscapes, neighborhood mercados next to gourmet emporiums and century-old traditional artisans working across from new purveyors. A casual stroll along the cobbled streets alone reveals no shortage of small businesses, selling everything from espadrilles to handmade ceramics. Among the many hundreds of must-visit shops is Casa Gonz\u00e1lez &amp; Gonz\u00e1lez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A concept store in the uber-chic Salesas district, the tiny two-room storefront of Casa Gonz\u00e1lez &amp; Gonz\u00e1lez houses a thoughtful selection of \u201cthe useful\u201d and \u201cthe well-made.\u201d The shop is owned by two childhood friends who happen to share the same last name \u2014 Maria Rosa Amor Gonz\u00e1lez and Javier Carrasco Gonz\u00e1lez \u2014 hence the name on the sign above the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After spending their young adult years living all over Europe (Portugal, Italy and the United Kingdom), the two reconnected over coffee in Madrid. The coffee date led to a realization of common values and dreams, and that eventually led to the conception of Casa Gonz\u00e1lez &amp; Gonz\u00e1lez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"5433\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chanintr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/G_G45.jpg\" alt=\"G G45\" class=\"wp-image-5433\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.chanintr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/G_G45.jpg 683w, https:\/\/www.chanintr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/G_G45-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.chanintr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/G_G45-480x720.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">G G45<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"682\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"5432\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chanintr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/G_G43.jpg\" alt=\"G G43\" class=\"wp-image-5432\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.chanintr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/G_G43.jpg 682w, https:\/\/www.chanintr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/G_G43-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.chanintr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/G_G43-480x721.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">G G43<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur philosophy is to inspire and to bring to our customers simple and functional objects to have at home,\u201d Maria told <em>Chanintr Living Journal<\/em>. When Casa Gonz\u00e1lez &amp; Gonz\u00e1lez opened in 2017, Maria was still working as an art historian, while Javier was juggling his full-time career as a well-established interior designer \u2014 a job he still does happily to this day. The pair sought to transform daily routines into a more pleasant ritual: \u201cWe look for timeless and genuine products that accomplish a function and have a story behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In today\u2019s fast-moving world that is heavily influenced by tempo- rary trends, the duo endeavor to look back on the past, rescuing slow-making objects that are built to last. Customers can expect<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"682\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"5431\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chanintr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/G_G39.jpg\" alt=\"G G39\" class=\"wp-image-5431\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.chanintr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/G_G39.jpg 682w, https:\/\/www.chanintr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/G_G39-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.chanintr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/G_G39-480x721.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">G G39<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"682\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"5430\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chanintr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/G_G22.jpg\" alt=\"G G22\" class=\"wp-image-5430\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.chanintr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/G_G22.jpg 682w, https:\/\/www.chanintr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/G_G22-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.chanintr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/G_G22-480x721.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">G G22<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>to find everything from traditional enamelware and cookware to home accessories and tried-and-true cleaning products at Casa Gonz\u00e1lez &amp; Gonz\u00e1lez. All products are meticulously sourced from all over the globe: Europe, the United States, Japan and Korea, to name but a few countries of origin. But as eager as Maria was to share their product list with us, she was also quick to point out what customers won&#8217;t find inside the shop. She and Javier make a point of not stocking anything too pricey or overly sophisticated. Beyond that simple rule, they both also value function over aesthetics: \u201cNothing that only serves an aesthetically pleasing purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the years, Casa Gonz\u00e1lez &amp; Gonz\u00e1lez has become a go-to shopping destination for locals and those visiting Madrid. For the two friends, the shop has allowed them to share their passion with like-minded folks also seeking a sustainable and slower way of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/GONZALEZ-GONZALEZ.ES\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GONZALEZ-GONZALEZ.ES<br><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"20\" height=\"19\" class=\"wp-image-5286\" style=\"width: 20px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chanintr.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/instagram.png\" alt=\"\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/GONZALEZYGONZALEZSTORE\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GONZALEZYGONZALEZSTORE<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":5429,"template":"","filed_under":[],"class_list":["post-5457","journal","type-journal","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Useful &amp; 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