If you close your eyes and think of the 1950s, you probably see a famous scene. It’s Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn in the movie Roman Holiday, zipping through the sun-drenched streets of Italy on a Vespa.
In that moment, the world fell in love. But it wasn't just about a movie star or a scooter. It was about what that scooter stood for: freedom，movement，and a new beginning. After the heavy darkness of the 1940s, the world had changed. People didn't need giant, gas-guzzling cars or heavy, gold-plated chandeliers. They needed to breathe. They needed to move. Most of all, they needed to see.
The "Faro" in the Shadows
At the exact same time the first Vespas were rolling off the line in Italy, a different kind of miracle was happening in a small cobblestone alley in Barcelona.
While the "Vespa" (the Wasp) was giving people wings on the road, a man named Carlos Martín was giving them a way to reclaim their homes. He didn't have a movie studio behind him—he had a workbench, a few copper wires, and a shelf full of batteries.
This was the birth of Faro Barcelona, and Carlos was quickly becoming known as the "Battery King."
The Legend of the Battery King
In the cobblestone heart of Barcelona, they still talk about the man who sold "the magic."
His name was Carlos Martín, the founder of the family business we now call Faro. But in the 1940s, he didn't have a gleaming showroom or a global team. He had a tiny workbench, a few copper wires, and a city that was struggling to find its light.
The Legend of the "Copper Pocket"
Post-war Barcelona was a place of shadows. Electricity was shaky, and the big factories were slow to recover. If your family’s only lamp broke, or your radio went silent, you didn't call a service center—you walked to the corner shop and looked for Carlos.
The local legend says Carlos kept a handful of small copper parts in his pocket at all times. He would walk through the neighborhood, and people would stop him to talk about a flickering light or a dead battery.
He wouldn’t just give them a replacement; he would sit on their front stoop, pull out a tiny screwdriver, and show them how to fix it themselves.
He believed that "Light belongs to the people, not just the rich." He treated every repair like he was restoring a family heirloom.
That "Pocket Wisdom" is where the brand’s soul was born. It’s why Faro still makes things that are "Simple but Ingenious"—they want you to feel the same pride in your home that Carlos felt in his neighborhood.
The "Faro" (The Lighthouse) Promise
By 1951, the business was officially named LOREFAR. But everyone just started calling it "Faro," which is the Spanish word for Lighthouse.
The founder wasn't interested in "hype." He was obsessed with how things worked. He watched his neighbors struggle with dim rooms and clunky, hard-to-fix appliances. He decided that if his name was going to be on a product, it had to be Practical, Durable, and Easy to Use.
While other companies were starting to use cheap, thin metals to save money, Carlos insisted on heavy, durable materials. He wanted his lamps to be the last ones a family ever had to buy.
As the years passed, his sons and grandsons took over. They saw the world changing. They saw "modern" design becoming cold and expensive. But they remembered the battery shop. They remembered that a light’s first job is to help people live better.
They stayed true to a single goal: To turn "Good Design" from a luxury into something everyone could actually afford.
From the Workbench to the World
The company evolved, but the "Workbench Pride" never left. In 2003, when Xavi Martín took the lead, he brought in a new idea: Democratic Design.
He wanted the same beauty found in the expensive mansions of Milan to be available for a regular family in Ohio or Barcelona. He didn't want "exclusive" luxury—he wanted "inclusive" quality.
Today, Faro collaborates with world-class designers, but the rule is always the same: If Carlos wouldn't have fixed it on a front stoop, we don't build it.
The "Hook" Story: One of their most famous lamps, called the HOOK, is made entirely from recycled plastic bottle caps. It’s a tribute to those early days of using what you have to create something beautiful.
The Solar Legacy: Their massive warehouse in Spain doesn't just store lights; it generates them. The roof is covered in solar panels, turning the Mediterranean sun into the very power that runs their machines.
At FlyAchilles, we have the same bloodline of ideas.
Just like Carlos Martín and his pocket full of copper parts, we believe that design isn't about "showing off." It’s about solving problems for real people.
1. Long-Term Thinking (Doing it Right)
Faro didn't become a global name by chasing trends or making "fast fashion" for your house. They grew step-by-step for 70 years. At FlyAchilles, we follow that same Long-Term path. We don't believe in short-term hype. We believe in building a brand that your kids will still trust twenty years from now. If it’s not built to last, it’s not worth your money.
2. Design for the Many, Not the Few
Remember the Vespa? It was built so everyone could travel. Faro was built so everyone could have light. We share that mission of "Reachable Design." We want to take the high-end engineering—the kind you usually only see in five-star hotels—and put it in your living room. Good design shouldn't be a "luxury" for the 1%. It should be the standard for every home.
3. Real Responsibility
When Faro covered their roof in solar panels, they weren't trying to win a marketing award. They were being pragmatic. They were using the sun to build the lights. At FlyAchilles, we look for that same Real Execution. We care about where things come from and how they are made. We believe that being responsible is the only way to stay in business for another 70 years.
The Workbench Spirit
Faro treats every lamp like a family heirloom. At FlyAchilles, we treat every customer like the neighbor who stopped Carlos on his front porch.
We aren't a faceless store. We are the modern version of that "Battery King" spirit.
Whether it is a lamp made from recycled bottle caps or a fan that runs on the smartest engineering in Europe, we bring you products that work better, look better, and act more responsibly.
We don't just sell lights. Like the "Faro" lighthouse, we are here to help you find your way home.
