It was a casual conversation with Nikola in 2024. She mentioned: "It would be cool to exhibit our woven wall hangings at a trade show next year". Just a loose thought, no concrete plan. You know how it is - there's always a lot of work at the company, always something urgent, always a reason to say "maybe next year".

And that's exactly why I decided to do it.

I knew that if we waited for the "right moment", we'd never find it. The right time doesn't exist - you have to create it yourself. After contacting Ela and Nikola and getting initial approval for the idea, I simply did it - I registered us for the trade show.

After contacting the organizer, we had to choose a booth. Together with the team, we selected a space measuring 5 meters wide by 1 meter deep. It was a thoughtful choice - we figured that with this layout, our tapestries would look like an art gallery. A long exhibition line where each large wall art piece could shine, where visitors could walk along and contemplate each tapestry individually.

I was full of excitement. A bit scared - after all, these were our first trade show, first time in this role, first time before such a large audience presenting our handmade wall decor. But I'm an enthusiast and I tend to look at everything positively.

The Optimist Who Procrastinates

I have to admit something - I started working on the panels too late. I'm an optimist. I think positively. And because of that... I procrastinate everything until tomorrow. I thought to myself: "Hey, they're just panels, I'll make them pretty quickly, how long can it take?"

The worst part? The materials had been waiting for me for a month. Well, maybe except for paints - but I had everything to build the structure. Wood was lying there. Tools ready. I could have started earlier.

But I didn't.

Because there was always something to do. Some urgent order. Some client to serve. Some "more important" matter. And I'd look at those materials, thinking: "I'll start tomorrow. Definitely tomorrow."

Coffee - Team Preparation

However, there was one thing we started early. The coffee idea wasn't new - we had previously experimented with adding coffee to paint to create an organic texture, perfect for a Japandi or Wabi Sabi backdrop.

Knowing we'd need a considerable amount of coffee for this project, for 3 weeks everyone in the company collected coffee in jars. Every morning espresso, every cup - everything went into our supplies. It was teamwork at its best.

Industrial Workshop and "Save What You Can" Mode

Finally came the moment when I had to start. The entire project was created in our industrial workshop space - a place where creativity meets raw construction.

I worked in accelerated mode - or actually in "save what you can because the show is around the corner" mode. These were our first trade show, so the budget was limited. Everything had to be made by hand - from design, through construction, to assembly.

When I was building the structure by myself, I kept thinking: "What if all this collapses at the trade show?" Everything was mounted on a 22mm OSB board, to which I attached 14cm x 14cm timber. Then I covered everything with styrofoam and painted it.

In the workshop, the walls were unstable. They stood, but not perfectly. I worried. I tested. I adjusted. But still - slight wobbling.

Then we arrived at TAURON Arena and everything changed. On the arena floor, which was solid and level, the structure stood properly. It turned out the problem wasn't my construction, but the uneven floor in the workshop.

Color Evolution

Initially, we planned to make the panels in one color. Simple, elegant, monochromatic – typical for minimalist wall art presentation. But then we sat down with Nikola to review the design, and we both felt something was missing. The panels were nice, but... too safe.

We decided to introduce popular colors and create something more dynamic:

• Magnat Ceramic C10 Noble Crystal
• Magnat Passion African Heat
• Beckers It's Simple Box of Chocolates

Coffee in Action

As often happens when working with your own hands on a limited budget, small imperfections appeared. And this is where that coffee collected over 3 weeks proved crucial.

The paint and coffee mixture gave the panels a delicate texture that not only hid those minor flaws but turned them into advantages. The surface gained depth, character, a unique texture.

Long Nights

And here the reality of my optimism caught up with me. The nights got long. Very long. Sometimes I worked alone until midnight, then further, until 2 AM, finishing each panel. And the most frustrating part? The thought: "If I had started a week earlier, I'd be sleeping now."

But I didn't start earlier. Because I'm an optimist who believes everything will work out. And you know what? Somehow it did.

What If We Made a Woven Panel?

The panels were coming together. The three colors harmonized. The coffee structure added character. But even with all that, when I looked at the result, it seemed... just nice. Good. Solid.

But WOW enough for our first trade show?

The idea of wool panels had been growing in our heads for quite some time. We thought it would be a good idea - a wool panel for weddings, with text, as a backdrop. But it was always "someday", "in the future", "when there's time". We never did it. We had no experience.

And now to think - make such a wool panel? Now? For the trade show? Without any experience in this area?

We weren't sure. Is it a good idea? Isn't it too late? How to even construct it to really give a WOW effect?

And then, a week before the trade show, we sat down with Nikola. The atmosphere was tense - final preparations, a to-do list as long as your arm. And suddenly this thought: this can't be something simple. We need something to catch attention.

"Maybe now? Maybe we finally make that wool panel we've been talking about so much?"

"A week before the trade show? We've never done this before..."

"Exactly. But we decided we'll do it somehow."

A crazy decision? Yes. Risky? Absolutely. Full of doubts? Definitely. Without experience? Also.

And then came another idea - what if we add lights to it? If we're already doing something bold and uncertain, let's go really bold. A woven wool panel with delicate LED lighting. Additional purchases (wool, lamps, LED strip). A week before the trade show. Without certainty that it would work.

The Result

And you know what? It worked. All the colors had a cohesive, amazing effect. And when we added LED lighting? The magic was complete. Light playing on different shades of wool and coffee texture created depth and drama.

While Nikola and I were fighting with construction and design concepts, the rest of the team wasn't idle. This wasn't a solo show – it was a collective effort to present our fiber art to the world.

Ela – the heart of our weaving operations – was working in the background, ensuring every tapestry was perfect. She spent hours preparing the gobelins, checking every knot, every weave. Later, she took over the meticulous task of preparing small gifts for visitors. Those little wooden tic-tac-toe games you might have seen? That was her doing.

Marcin – our wood artisan – stepped in when we needed him most. While I focused on the large walls, he made sure the smaller details were flawless. He prepared and secured the frames.

Daryna – an invaluable member of the team who was with us on the front lines. Not only did she help weave the beautiful pieces, but she was also the face of our booth. Together with Nikola and me, Daryna was there from morning till evening, talking to you and presenting our work with tireless energy.

It’s important to mention that while the three of us (Jakub, Nikola, Daryna) were the main "frontline" crew, we had amazing support on-site from Ela, Marcin, and Emma. This success belongs to all of us.

100% Handcrafted by Us

There is one thing I must emphasize, because in today's world of mass production, it matters more than ever. Everything you saw at our booth was our art, made in Poland, by us.

We don't take shortcuts. We design. We weave every centimeter of the tapestry on our looms. We build the wooden frames ourselves. We even built the booth walls you see in the photos (yes, even that!). And finally, we pack everything in custom wooden crates to ensure it reaches the client safely.

It takes hundreds of hours of work to build a good name. From the first idea, through the effort of weaving, to the final effect and logistics. But we do it because we believe that true luxury lies in the hands that create the object, not in the factory machine. We appreciate manual work because we know how much heart it requires.

Was It Worth It?

Long nights? Yes. Aching back from carrying heavy panels? Yes. Stress about construction stability? Definitely yes. Last-minute concept change? Absolutely yes. A month of procrastination? Well...

But when I saw those panels set up for the first time at the trade show, everything made sense. And people's reactions? That was priceless.

Lessons

This whole adventure taught me a few things: sometimes you need to trust your intuition, later ideas can be the best ones, rush mode can bring out creativity you didn't know you had, "mistakes" can become advantages, optimism is a good thing, but next time I'll start earlier.

Thank You

We thank everyone who visited our booth during the Home Design Trade Show in Kraków. Your interest, questions, and positive reactions were a huge motivation for us.

We are extremely grateful for such a positive response. Honestly, we didn't expect this much interest at our first trade show.

What's Next?

The Home Design Trade Show was an important step in our development. It showed us that the direction we've chosen - combining traditional craft with modern technology and design - makes sense and has its audience.

These were our first trade show of this type, but definitely not the last. The experience we gained, the contacts we made, and the visitors' reactions gave us wings.

Next trade show? We definitely need a longer wall. We want to be able to show more of our tapestries, present the full variety of our wall decor collection.

If you want to stay updated with our projects, visit lalestudio.com or follow us on Instagram @laleteam.