Meditations on Can Lis
Meditations on Can Lis
To know Can Lis is to uncover a love story — one that transcends the mere notion of a house and instead embodies a vision, a family, and a life lived with deep intention.
Standing on the edge of Mallorca’s rugged coastline, this architectural sanctuary reveals itself gradually, as if offering its secrets only to those who truly take the time to observe. From its sunlit courtyards to the rhythmic shadows that dance across its stone walls, every aspect of Can Lis speaks to a profound dialogue between nature and the human experience.
With its refined simplicity, honest craftsmanship, and deep connection to materiality, the Vist Dining Chair embodies the essence of this collection — a love letter to Can Lis.
The Can Lis Collection by Ferm Living
Can Lis is more than a dwelling; it is a testament to a life well lived. It invites us to slow down, to be present, and to appreciate the beauty of simplicity. It stands as a reminder that true design is not an imposition but an ongoing dialogue that enriches the way we inhabit our spaces. The Can Lis Collection crafts a story of meditation, tactility, and quiet sophistication, perfect for contemporary living spaces that seek both function and poetry. Much like Can Lis, which balances Danish rationality with the elemental textures of Mallorcan craft, the collection interweaves material expressiveness with Scandinavian minimalism.
This season’s forms and materials take cues from Can Lis’ surroundings, where rugged coastlines, shifting light, and tactile surfaces establish a profound sense of place. Its furniture and objects reflect a sculptural quality, responding to the textures and geometries of the house’s unique architecture. Meanwhile, a material palette composed of FSC™-certified Douglas fir and oak, glass, stone, and patinated finishes grounds the designs.
Ferm Living: Our Story
Founded in 2006, Ferm Living is a Danish design brand with a global outlook and passion for quality design. With responsibility at the forefront, we create collections of furniture, accessories, lighting, and kids’ products that make you feel truly at home.
We believe that life is full of contrasts. As we navigate expectations and dreams in search of meaning and comfort, we long for a balanced life with room to be ourselves. A place where we can realise the true value of things and feel at home. Driven by a love for authentic design and a commitment to responsible choices, we craft honest products and calm environments that help you balance life’s contrasts.
From our home in Copenhagen, we collaborate with artisans around the world, fusing our Scandinavian mindset with global skills and traditions.
Our collections are defined by soft forms, rich textures, and curious details, allowing you to create composed atmospheres with a touch of the unexpected. From materials and processes to production and delivery, we challenge ourselves to help shape a sustainable future, making it easier for you to make responsible choices. We create collections of furniture, accessories and lighting, so you can create space to feel comfortably you.
Pictured here, the Ferm Living Design Team embarked on an in-depth creative process to develop the Can Lis Collection.
Vist Dining Chair
The first impression of Can Lis is defined by the vast, monolithic blocks of marés sandstone quarried from the nearby Salinas, which form its temple-like exterior. Situated among the rocks of the seaside cliffs, the home’s design expresses a profound dialogue with its environment. This connection is realized not only through its architectural form but also through its materiality, where the deliberate choice of local materials anchors the building within the island’s landscape and cultural heritage. Amid the sand-textured stone blocks, various other materials also serve as markers of Mallorca’s character. Madera Norte, a warmhued Mallorcan pine, has been used throughout the house to create a series of doors, shutters, tables, benches, chairs, and more. This distinctive material, at times modest yet striking, offers visual warmth and contrast to the austerity of its stone structure.
Inspired by the millwork featured in the home, the Vist Dining Chair is crafted from FSC™-certified Douglas fir, a material similarly appreciated for its refined simplicity. The chair embodies a light yet sturdy expression rooted in solid, unadorned honesty. Planks of wood and joinery intersect to create a design that seamlessly integrates into the aesthetic narrative and ethos of Can Lis. Process sketches from the
Ferm Living Design Team reveal the journey of form, material, and inspiration behind the Can Lis Collection.
Vist Dining Chair
The Vist Dining Chair is a considered exploration of FSC™-certified Douglas fir, emphasising the material’s natural beauty and inherent strength.
Aukko Dining Table
On the westerly side of Can Lis lies a secluded courtyard, quietly tucked behind the dining room and framed by four stone walls. Distinct halfcircle cutouts in the walls capture glimpses of the ocean, creating a framework of architecture from which to view the natural landscape. These apertures not only provide visual connections to the sea but also reinforce the home’s masterful approach to framing and sequencing views, enhancing the experience through considered interventions. At the heart of this courtyard stands a fixed, stone-and-ceramic half-moon table, occupying the area like a ritualistic platform and lending a temple-like quality to the space.
The Aukko Dining Table draws inspiration from the interplay of built forms by layering sheets of wood to create the illusion of solidity. The gaps within the table echo architectural details, with gapped walls that reveal intricate joinery, offering a reward to those who venture to take a closer look. Crafted from FSC™-certified Douglas fir, it nods to the Madera Norte pine used throughout Can Lis, creating a connection to the site’s material language.
A sketch of the interior of the Aukko Dining Table reveals a series of interlocking wooden forms, a design detail that recurs throughout the collection.
The Phase Series
Upon entering Can Lis, visitors encounter an indoor-outdoor foyer that faces directly toward the sea. In this sheltered space, removed from the sun’s glare, a profound silence envelops the surroundings, guiding the observer’s gaze naturally toward the horizon. This humble transitional area serves as a pivotal junction within the home, separating the kitchen and main courtyard to the right from the living quarters to the left. One of its most distinctive features is a large mosaic of black-and-white ceramic tiles depicting a crescent moon aperture alongside a series of triangulated forms evocative of the phases of the moon.
Primarily employed to accent seating and work surfaces throughout the house, this motif introduces an element of boldness to an otherwise simplistic material palette. It provides a sense of whimsy that contrasts with Can Lis’ grounded and meditative qualities, perhaps offering insight into another dimension of the home.
The Phase Mobile offers a playful reimagining of this motif. It allows the symbol to be brought into the domestic setting, serving as both a memento of Can Lis and a gesture of play. Similarly, the Phase Building Blocks, a set of children’s building toys, extend this sense of engagement and creativity. Crafted from two contrasting finishes of FSC™-certified wood, these blocks invite users to engage with the motif in new ways, further celebrating the dialogue between structure and playfulness that characterises Can Lis.
Similarly, the Phase Building Blocks are designed to embody the moon motif, inviting users to engage with the symbols and details that define Can Lis in a new, unexpected way.
Phase Building Blocks
The whimsical geometric forms of the Phase Mobile reference the moon-shaped details embedded within Can Lis, reflecting a nuanced approach to ornamentation.
Phase Mobile
Crescent moon cutouts are carved into the stone walls that enclose Can Lis, framing dynamic vistas of the sea beyond and establishing a dialogue between architecture and landscape.
The Vuelo Series
A sketch of a bird serves as a foundational motif for a series of pieces in the collection. This sketch functioned as an informal inspiration that would later inform the configuration of the pavilions that define Can Lis. Gestural lines translate into the built form, acting as a reminder of the importance of the creative process.
The Vuelo Series translates these sketches into a simplified, flowing pattern that mirrors the spatial fluidity and openness of Can Lis. Composed of textiles and ceramics, the series captures the bird’s likeness in flight. Whether draped across a surface or integrated into daily rituals, the Vuelo Series offers a tactile connection to the house’s enduring spirit, inviting a sense of continuity and reflection.
Vuelo Tea Towel
The Vuelo Series showcases a pattern derived from a gestural line drawing of a bird. This design captures an intuitive approach to form and movement, translating expressive lines into a tactile language.
features overlapping sketches of birds, creating a dynamic composition that captures a sense of freedom and fluidity.
The Vuelo Cushion
Vuelo Cushion
Crafted from glazed ceramic, the Vuelo Mug and Cup feature tactile surfaces that contrast with the fluidity of the sketch motif, transforming gestural line work into refined, functional objects.
The Erena Series
An old photograph of Can Lis shows its occupants enjoying an informal meal, seated around a set of chairs repurposed as tables. In this scene, the monumentality of the house recedes, giving way to the experiences and memories that animate its stone walls. The essence of Can Lis is embodied not only in its architecture but in the everyday rituals that unfold within it.
The Erena Series seeks to capture the warmth and conviviality of that moment, offering a functional ceramic dinnerware set that becomes a canvas for new experiences and shared memories. Its distinctive triangulated shapes draw inspiration from the house’s Catalan chimneys, which are characteristic of traditional Mallorcan villages. Much like an archaeologist uncovering layers of a site, these details connect dining to a broader cultural and historical narrative. In this way, the Erena Series become more than mere tableware; it serves as a conduit for experience, grounding everyday moments in a dialogue between past and present.
The collection of tableware is designed to evoke warmth and connection, drawing inspiration from the communal spirit of shared meals and the tactile qualities of crafted materials.
Sketches of the series’ distinctive triangulated shapes highlight their inspiration from Can Lis’ Catalan chimneys, a defining feature often found in traditional Mallorcan homes.
Erena Serving Platter
Erena
Erena
Muro Vase
As one studies the walls of Can Lis, a distinct pattern of stonework begins to emerge, revealing rhythms of both symmetry and asymmetry. This pattern reflects a tapestry of both technical and aesthetic decisions that shaped its construction. Adaptations made during the process, shaped by the engagement of local Mallorcan labour and materials, introduced subtle irregularities to the site’s grout lines and joints. This subversion of perfection invites a deeper engagement with the architecture, emphasising its organic relationship to process and place.
The Muro Vase explores the hypothetical concept of casting recycled glass directly into the cavities of a building. A mould created from unhewn brickwork preserves a familiar sense of irregularity in both form and texture, ensuring each piece remains unique. In its fragile, light, translucent, and colourful state, the glass stands in stark contrast to the stone from which it is derived. Yet, it reinterprets the raw materiality of its origin, embodying its essence in an entirely unexpected way.
Irregular, unhewn brickwork and crafted details reveal a building with a rich legacy, reflecting layers of history, craftsmanship, and adaptation over time.
The Deya Series
The ceramic tiles within Can Lis, sourced from local producers, challenge expectations of the space and provide a vibrant counterpoint to the sober, muted tones of the structure. They also serve as a canvas for some of the most distinctive design details within the house, particularly the use of bullnose-edge tiles, characterised by their rounded edges that soften transitions and create a seamless, tactile connection between surfaces. This technique lends a friendly, soft form to the interventions, while the precise cutting of the tiles into geometric patterns adds layers of intrigue.
Designed as a pair of outdoor tables, the Deya Side Table and Deya Coffee Table express a convergence of elements found throughout the site, reinterpreted into unified expressions. These fibre concrete tables embody the boldest application of colour within the range, harmonising monolithic forms with segmented details to create a composition that is both playful and functional. The result is a practical yet imaginative reinterpretation, ensuring that the essence of Can Lis is not only preserved but also reimagined in a contemporary context.
The geometric Deya Series features circular tables with radial divisions, creating balanced and structured compositions.
The Deya Side Table and Coffee Table take inspiration from the rounded, bullnoseedge tiles that feature throughout the home.
Luver Portable Lamp
To move through the rooms of Can Lis is to experience an interplay between the indoors and the outdoors. The building’s design is passively integrated into its natural surroundings while actively framing the landscape from within. Each threshold is carefully considered, and the transitions between shelter and openness, intimacy and vastness, become central to experiencing the space.
The Luver Portable Lamp was conceived as a portable luminaire, designed to accompany you throughout the site and beyond while symbolically transporting the essence of Can Lis’s natural environment. Fashioned from Douglas fir, its design subtly references the louvred windows and doors found throughout the house, characterised by a series of angled slats that allow for controlled airflow and light filtration. The lamp’s form and function celebrate the spirit of exploration, serving as a tool to honour the interplay of light, space, and discovery.
Utzon-Can Lis Upholstery Fabric
Inspired by the currents and movements of the sea that surrounds Can Lis, flowing linework has been reimagined into a distinctive patterned fabric, embodying both its inspiration and the creative process. The Can Lis Upholstery Fabric draws upon a deep connection to nature and ability to translate its rhythms into architectural form. Expressive, raised lines are woven into a richly textured surface — an abstraction that echoes gestural line drawings and plein air interpretations.
Inspired by the undulating movements and rhythms of the sea, flowing linework has been reimagined into a distinctive patterned fabric.
In a typical building, a window primarily serves to bring in light and allow fresh air to circulate. However, its functional purpose can extend beyond utility when designed to visually frame the surrounding environment. At Can Lis, the wooden window frames are mounted on the exterior of the building, allowing for an uninterrupted line of sight to the outdoors. The supporting structure for the glass panes remains subtle, revealing itself only upon closer inspection. This effect is further enhanced by recessed, bay-like spaces surrounding the windows, which naturally guide the viewer’s gaze outward, emphasising the dramatic views of the cliffs and sea from the living room.
The Lancet Mirror draws inspiration from this concept of perspective and framing. Crafted from travertine and glass, it juxtaposes the raw texture of natural stone with the smooth reflectivity of glass, establishing a dialogue between materiality and function. Designed to function as both a standing and hanging mirror, it reflects not only the physical space but also the architectural philosophy of Can Lis.
The distinctive travertine frame of the Lancet Mirror echoes the aperture windows of Can Lis, capturing the home’s unique interplay of natural light and stone.
Newel Modular Candle Holders Set
The module of a single brick offers architects endless possibilities. Defined by its three dimensions—length, width, and height—a single unit can be arranged to form structures ranging from intricate high-rise facades to the simplicity of a rural wall. Whether used in elaborate configurations or straightforward linear assemblies, architects have long appreciated brick’s ability to adapt to varying scales and contexts, reinforcing a dialogue between tradition and innovation.
The Newel Modular Candle Holders Set pays homage to this versatility, consisting of six travertine blocks that can be arranged into a variety of shapes and forms. Its modular nature allows for expansion through additional sets, offering users the freedom to create unique configurations. Imagining the tablescape as a site, the modular design can create squares, circles, lines, or other forms, adapting to the perceived context of the table. At the same time, it maintains a blunt and honest simplicity that feels at home in the unadorned, almost primordial context of Can Lis.
The home’s deliberate choice of materials and natural textures, including its brickwork, anchors it within the island’s landscape and cultural heritage.
Composed of six modular travertine blocks, the Newel Candleholders Set reinterprets the tablescape as a site, offering endless possibilities for configurations and variations.
Boat
As a seaside dwelling, the inescapable presence of the ocean at Can Lis captivates one’s attention as profoundly as the architecture itself. Poised along the cliffside, the building is oriented to maximise views of the sea, reinforcing a deep connection to the water. Meanwhile, the architecture engages in a quiet dialogue with the landscape, allowing the rhythmic sounds of the waves and the shifting light to shape the atmosphere of the space.
Distilled down to two essential elements, these minimalistic FSC™-certified oak and MDF boats reflect not only a love for the sea but also a belief in the importance of craftsmanship, material honesty, and a deep respect for context.
Opty
Can Lis Collection
The Can Lis Collection pays homage to a home that transcended conventional boundaries, exploring the relationship between architecture and place.
Furniture
Our furniture collection embodies the essence of Danish design while drawing inspiration from Can Lis. Crafted from FSC™-certified Douglas fir, each piece balances simplicity and functionality, translating architectural principles into a trio of sculptural wooden forms.
Vist Dining Chair 1104271163
Aukko Dining Table 1104271164
Hooks:
Outdoor Furniture
Crafted from fiber concrete, these outdoor pieces reflect a thoughtful approach to material and surroundings. Designed to create a sense of warmth and belonging, the outdoor collection balances function with a deep connection to place, offering a tranquil retreat inspired by the spirit of Can Lis.
Deya Coffee Table
Deya Side Table
Made to Order Customization Concept
The Can Lis Upholstery Fabric is the latest addition to our Made to Order Customization Concept, offering a way to bring the essence of Can Lis into the home through thoughtfully crafted designs. This concept allows you to personalize your furniture by selecting from a curated range of premium fabrics and leathers, ensuring each piece is uniquely tailored to your space.
Catena Armrest L S400
Catena Center Module S100
Rico Lounge Chair
Lighting
The collection’s lighting honours Can Lis’ deep sensitivity to light, materiality, and atmosphere. Embracing Douglas fir for its warmth and authenticity, each piece reflects the natural harmony of the home.
Luver Portable Lamp 1104271033
Size Ø: 15 x H: 22 cm / Ø: 5.9 x H: 8.7 in
Material Solid Douglas fir shade with HDPE diffuser and iron base
Packsize 1
Net. weight 0.9 kg / 2 lb
Price
Rooted in craftsmanship and material integrity, the kitchen collection features unique shapes and unexpected textures. The series reflects the architectural details of Can Lis, translating its geometric forms and natural palette into a series of functional artworks for the table.
Erena Serving Platter - Ø35
Erena Serving Bowl - Ø32 1104270740
Erena Dinner Plate- Ø29 1104270739
Erena Bowl - Ø24 1104270738
Size Ø: 24 x H: 4 cm / Ø: 9.4 x H: 1.6 in
Material Stoneware with reactive matte glaze
Packsize 6
Net. weight 0.7 kg / 1.5 lb
Price
EUR 39 DKK 299 SEK 465 NOK 465 GBP 39 USD 55
Erena Side Plate - Ø22 1104270742
Erena Cloche - Ø19 1104270805
Size Ø: 22 x H: 2 cm / Ø: 8.7 x H: 0.8 in
Material Stoneware with reactive matte glaze
Packsize 6
Net. weight 0.5 kg / 1.1 lb
Price
EUR 29 DKK 229 SEK 359 NOK 359 GBP 29 USD 39
Size Ø: 19 x H: 12 cm / Ø: 7.5 x H: 4.7 in
Material Stoneware with reactive matte glaze
Packsize 4
Net. weight 0.4 kg / 0.9 lb
Price
EUR 55 DKK 399 SEK 625 NOK 625 GBP 49 USD 69
Vuelo Mug 1104270719 Vuelo Cup 1104270716 Vuelo Mug 1104270720
Vuelo Cup 1104270717
Vuelo Cup 1104270718
Vuelo Mug 1104270721
Textiles
The textile collection seamlessly weaves a bird motif into soft, durable fabrics that celebrate a deep connection to nature. Echoing the fluidity and movement of line drawings, each piece transforms this simple motif into a timeless design element for everyday living. Color Elm Green
Vuelo Cushion
Vuelo Cushion
Vuelo Tea Towel
/ 0.2 lb
Price
EUR 19 DKK 149 SEK 235 NOK 235 GBP 19 USD 25
Price
Vuelo Tea Towel
Color Elm Green/Coffee Size
Price
EUR 19 DKK 149 SEK 235 NOK 235 GBP 19 USD 25 Color Sugar Kelp/Off-white Size H:
Objects
This collection of home objects reflects an intersection of materiality and form. Inspired by details found within Can Lis, each piece harmonises sculptural expression with understated simplicity, creating a thoughtful dialogue between utility and aesthetics.
Phase Mobile 1104271092
Packsize
Phase Building Blocks 1104271084
Packsize
Price
Opty Boat - Set of 2 1104271085
Packsize 4
Price
EUR
Packsize 1
weight 15.2 kg / 33.5 lb Price
Ferm Living ApS
Kuglegaardsvej 1-5
1434 Copenhagen K
Denmark
fermliving.com
Phone +45 7022 7523
@fermliving
We extend our gratitude to the Utzon Center and their team for their collaboration in bringing this collection to life.
Ferm Living cannot be held responsible for any changes to the collection, prices, inaccuracies, errors or omissions pertaining to this book. All information is correct at time of print.
© Ferm Living, Copenhagen, March 2025
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the copyright owner(s) and the publisher of this book.