# Léa Mestres: Designing a Freer World Through Play The French designer challenges boundaries with imagination and humor. - **Source:** [design archives | designboom | architecture & design magazine](https://brifing.si/source/11868f8d-1e20-41ac-bc2d-8c5af32d721b) - **Published:** 2026-07-14 - **Topic:** [Design & UX](https://brifing.si/c/design) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/f3ce62e4-f7e1-4c4e-995b-1f0731d8c46b ## Designs That Push the Limits of Imagination Léa Mestres transforms lamps into landscapes and benches into dreamlike creatures, bringing humor and spontaneity to the design world. Her latest exhibition, 'Small Car, Big Windows,' features a collection inspired by journeys between Paris and Brittany. Works echoing Antoni Gaudí and René Magritte oscillate between memory and fantasy. ## Play as Resistance Mestres sees play as a form of resistance against the excessive seriousness of design culture. 'If I’m not enjoying the process, the result is never good,' she says, measuring success by the smiles she evokes. This approach offers a freer, lighter perspective on both design and life itself. ## Worlds Brought to Life Through Mosaic Her mosaics, crafted from hand-cut colored glass, depict expansive skies and grassy fields. Inspired by Gaudí and Niki de Saint Phalle, this technique allows her to create works that exist both indoors and outdoors. Each piece is a labor of love, slowly coming to life like a painted canvas. ## Where Function Meets Fiction Though her pieces appear sculptural, functionality remains key. Benches are for sitting; lamps illuminate. 'Functionality and sculpture are inseparable,' Mestres notes, merging the two with her unique touch. Each piece has a name and story, part of a larger, cohesive universe. ## Intuition and Imperfection Mestres shapes her work through intuition rather than rigid planning. 'When I have an idea, I obsess until it’s realized,' she admits. Her 'Craving for Crépi' series celebrates uneven textures and imperfect forms, embracing experimentation as a core methodology. ## Sailing Toward New Horizons Already looking beyond her latest exhibition, Mestres focuses on her next project. Her goal is to forge emotional connections through design, offering joy and a sense of freedom. For her, this is more than design—it’s a form of resistance and expression. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.designboom.com/design/play-form-resistance-lea-mestres-imagination-freer-world-interview/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._