Wender·Vista
Havana
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileCuba
on the north coast of Cuba, where the Malecón meets the sea

Havana

— — the colour the sun leaves on a wall after a century.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“Havana keeps its colour in the plaster. Pale ochre, sea-bleached blue, the pink that goes coral by late afternoon. The Malecón runs five miles along the seawall and the spray hits the buildings on the inland side. A 1956 Chevrolet idles at a corner in Habana Vieja. Somebody's grandmother leans on a balcony rail. The city was founded in 1519 and never quite settled. The light at five o'clock does the rest. from the studio

from the studio
Havana
— bring it home

Havana, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Havana

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Havana sits on the northwest coast of Cuba, on a deep natural harbour that drew Spanish ships from the early 1500s. The city was founded in 1519 by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar and grew into the most fortified port in the Americas. Today the metropolitan population is around 2.1 million, the largest in the Caribbean. Habana Vieja, the old colonial core, was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 for its dense layering of Spanish baroque and neoclassical architecture along streets like Obispo and Mercaderes.

— the colour

The signature is the wall paint. Lime washes mixed with mineral pigments — ochre, cobalt, terracotta, soft pink — go on saturated and weather slowly under salt spray off the Florida Straits. Restoration crews working under the Oficina del Historiador, the office founded by Eusebio Leal in 1938, match the original pigments block by block in Habana Vieja. Late-afternoon sun off the water raises the warm hues and cools the blues, which is why every photograph of the Malecón at five o'clock looks the same and looks different.

— informed by Oficina del Historiador
— the visit

U.S. travel to Cuba is allowed under twelve general licence categories and requires a Cuban tourist card, available through the airline. Most arrivals come through José Martí International Airport, about ten miles southwest of the centre. The dry season runs November through April; afternoon temperatures sit around 26°C and the trade wind off the Straits keeps the seawall comfortable. Cash is essential; U.S. credit cards still do not work on the island. The walking core of Habana Vieja is roughly one square mile and best covered on foot.

— where
Cuba · Havana, La Habana
— elevation
59 m · 194 ft
— position
23.1136° N · 82.3666° W
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
1 km N
Malecón
seawall promenade
1 km W
El Capitolio
capitol building
1 km E
Plaza de la Catedral
colonial square
2 km NE
Castillo del Morro
harbour fortress
N
Havana
Malecón
El Capitolio
Plaza de la Catedral
Castillo del Morro
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Havana — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

Havana was founded in 1519 by the Spanish conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar. Its deep natural harbour made it the staging point for Spanish treasure fleets and the most fortified port in the Americas by the 17th century.

The colours come from lime washes mixed with mineral pigments — ochre, cobalt, terracotta, pink. Restoration crews under the Oficina del Historiador match the original pigments wall by wall across Habana Vieja, the colonial core.

The Malecón is a five-mile seawall and esplanade running along Havana's north coast, built in stages from 1901. It functions as the city's living room — couples, fishermen, and musicians gather along it most evenings.

Yes. Habana Vieja and its system of colonial fortifications were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982, for the density and preservation of Spanish baroque and neoclassical architecture.

The dry season, November through April, is the easiest window. Afternoon temperatures average around 26°C and the trade wind off the Florida Straits keeps the seawall and old town comfortable to walk.

U.S. citizens can travel to Cuba under twelve general licence categories defined by OFAC, including Support for the Cuban People. A Cuban tourist card is required and is sold by airlines at the gate.

— about the piece in your home

It carries well for someone with ties to the island. The Malecón and the old town colours read instantly to anyone who has spent time there. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note from the studio is a thoughtful choice.

The warm ochres and sea blues sit naturally in Coastal-modern, Spanish Colonial revival, and Jewel-tone Maximalist rooms. It also lifts a neutral white-and-oak space without dominating it.

Yes. Saturated mineral colour layered over plaster textures is a defining note of the current warm-modern direction, alongside terracotta, unlacquered brass, and lime-washed walls.

A single Large sits well above a console. Above a standard sofa, a 4-tile Mural carries the room; for a long sectional or a stair landing, the 9-tile Mural is the right scale.

Yes. For a backsplash, shower wall, or any vertical install in a wet area, order the Dura Satin or Matte finish. The Glossy is for framed wall pieces in dry rooms.

A soft microfibre cloth and water is all it needs. The colour lives in the ceramic surface beneath a thin glossy finish, so it does not lift with normal cleaning.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is made in our Knoxville studio under Reid Wender's eye. We do not licence outside work and the Havana piece exists only in this atlas.

— if this one stayed with you

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