| Provoking Decorative Work Made of Salt Cellars and Pizza Cutters by Elia Felices Posted: 15 Feb 2011 06:43 AM PST We recently received Elia Felices‘s latest project, which we are delighted to share with you: “Using culinary equipment, Elia Felices has created a mural of Andalusian fans in three dimensions as a tribute to Victoria, the legendary beer of Malaga, in chef Dani García's Mil Milagros restaurant in Marbella (Málaga, Spain). This decorative work by Elia Felices is a tribute to Victoria, a beer which has been produced in Malaga since 1928. It can be seen in the restaurant Mil Milagros, run by Dani Garcia, who has been awarded 2 stars in the Michelin Guide. It is a composition of collage and painting which divides the space into triangles. The starting point is an 1920's image of an Andalusian woman, a flamenco dancer, taking us back to 1928, the year of Victoria's launch. The figure is positioned between four fans which are 3 meters high. The pattern has been designed using real objects that give the structure its form. The central section is made of silver salt cellars, pizza cutters and pasta moulds, and from here emerge the rolled-up place mats of different colours and sizes that spread out to create an arc, with a colour scheme that refers both to the brand of beer and the Mil Milagros restaurant itself. They end in a series of white ceramic plates. ” 
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| Interview: Life of an Interior Designer in Romania with Ștefan Lazăr Posted: 14 Feb 2011 09:48 AM PST Lazăr Ștefan is a Romanian designer and owner of EZZO Design, a Timisoara based studio. The interview below might give you a few answers about starting out as a designer, as well as the ups and downs that come with the job. We are certain you will find Ștefan’s experience captivating and inspiring . 
- Freshome: Tell us a few things about Ezzo Design and the man behind this studio, Lazar Stefan. Let’s find out the story that started Ezzo Design ( how did you decided to begin, how did you come up with the idea, what inspired you to start this business and so on )
- Lazăr Ștefan: Passion is my beginning, my development and hopefully I'll end just like that. Naturally, this chain started with the first ring: „Stefan Lazar". „When I started making „ambiental design" I had a few dim ideas about what this field means. I had never met an interior designer up to that moment and even some time after I had decided to take up this business, it took a while until I met a real one. And, when I started meeting with such designers, it was all a queer experience. I'd look them up in magazines, find their contacts, call them and invite them for a chat at the brim of a cup of coffee. All this story started blindfolded. Every time I took a step forward I thought of the luck I had to have met people who trusted me and my powers and who allowed me to unwrap my inner self in this new job. Every work I made had been thus an opportunity to enhance my knowledge, absorbing new info like a sponge. I discovered I had resources I never knew I possessed and the rhythm I started doing things was very alert. I had the trump down my sleeve and I played it without having the slightest clue that it was a great card. Everything that I had won, I reinvested in information, I peeked at every ceiling and touched every background I came across, I traveled the world with a different perspective constantly feeling the need to quench the fire of my passion. From starters , I searched for a name as I didn't want to go through this alone, I knew I'd have colleagues and we would all have to get along under the same umbrella whose spikes we had pinned up."
- Freshome: What did you do before starting Ezzo Design ?
- Lazăr Ștefan: I grew up witnessing the actions in painters'studios in Pitesti (the city I was born in). I have studied for 12 years now domains which involve the use and creation of image. I first worked as a graphic designer and then as art manager for different companies, but something was definitely missing. I have always felt myself drawn to spaces and beauty. I can even claim I sometimes feel out of order. I'd rather have beauty instead of functionality which, honestly speaking, may make me seem I'm superficial. However I might score higher at some other important characteristics in the field.
- Freshome: Is it hard to be an interior designer in Romania ? How do people see you when they hear about your job ?
- Lazăr Ștefan: It's hard to be in any way and at any costs when you want to be proficient. Every day, there is the same hindrance, yourself. Once you have come to an agreement with yourself, it's easier to stand out and evolve. My honest opinion is that, in this domain, you cannot have a job description , every person is defined by one's own authenticity and skills for the job. We can say that jobs in Romania fall in the stereotype of doctors, teachers, engineers, „etc.", and when you are enrolled by default in „etc.", obviously people will ask questions about what you do for real. 90% of my clients are inquisitive from the beginning to reveal the mystery: what is that that you do?, What's your offer?, us the designers ask each other „What do you do?" Considering the myths around the entire concept of interior designer, Hollywood has done a great job in misleading the public opinion. People don't know what to expect when engaging with a designer and what is more is that not being gay might actually come in as a surprise.
- Freshome: Tell us 3 things that you’ve learned since you’ve started Ezzo Design.
- Lazăr Ștefan: Since my mood is creative and I have an artistic background, I had never known until then what Maths applied in the real life was. (I will now feign bashfulness and you will believe me.) 2. Verba volant, scripta manent. 3. Being an interior designer means responsibility in the first place followed up by creativity.
- Freshome: Tell us something unusual that happened since Ezzo Design started.
- Lazăr Ștefan: Let me think, global warming started long before ezzo, right, so no, not this, world crisis started at right about a year that ezzo stood up and started taking its first steps, but I'm not sure I'm to blame for this either… Nope, I cannot dot the i.
- Freshome: What is the most frustrating aspect of your job ? And the most rewarding one?
- Lazăr Ștefan: What is frustrating about my job is that most beneficiaries tend to quantify my work just compared to other jobs which, honestly, I don't think I share many things with, instead of looking at real results, aspects, time and money saving, feeling… I am often compared with architects, which is not necessarily a bad thing, let's say we share the same domain of activity, but my job has been constantly compared to jobs I don't find any similarities to.
- Freshome: How do you come up with ideas for a new project ?
- Lazăr Ștefan: Each and every project starts in the same way. I make an analysis of the requirements, I seek to improve the concept, I look for further information, I establish the image lines and then I start „knitting". The most spectacular solutions come out of projects I first start with difficulty or great challenges. The ideas just roll, and are mostly extracted from nature, the surrounding environment, routine objects or experiences I've lived throughout the unfolding of the project. A new project makes my whole life slave to it. Even leisure tend to take shapes of the current project. Socializing, meeting friends and clients will always happen in locations that incidentally have to do with what I'm working on at that point. One particular project stands witness to what I previously sais, as designing a house for a physically impaired person, I borrowed a wheelchair to better feel the environment and direct reactions.
- Freshome: How do you find new clients for your business ?
- Lazăr Ștefan: I don't look for my clients, I let them discover me, but I'm sure to leave clear tracks so their search is made easy. For example: : www.ezzo.ro
- Freshome: What is your motto or favorite quote ?
- Lazăr Ștefan: No poultry, no fox. I tell myself that every day because deep inside I'm a poultry incubator and I need to leave that behind.
- Freshome: Who is your design idol ?
- Lazăr Ștefan: Well, I could not mention only one. There are many and I have my deepest thoughts about their work. Karim Rashid is just as naughty as Picasso. Why be modest and expect eternal grace when life can give you moist eligible benefits. Zaha Hadid- is revolutionary for world architecture and increased appetite for a new type of shapes. Philippe Stark- I may compare the reaction to his works of art with the same shiver I get once meeting a lady I admire. The list can go on.
- Freshome: How is interior design as a business in Romania ?
- Lazăr Ștefan: As profitable as selling green groceries, except we have to convince our client we are the "healthy" way to go and trust us.
- Freshome: Did you got any unusual requests since you’ve started ?
- Lazăr Ștefan: I have no clue now, but somehow, I think it's normal for people to contract me for more unusual jobs. As designers, we are the ones who can bring to life particular thoughts, ideas in resonance to our clients' demand. All in all, I cannot name something particularly odd.
- Freshome: What are Ezzo Design plans for the future ?
- Lazăr Ștefan: A thriving development both personally and professionally. I yearn at creating and maintaining a high standard of values so that our hopes and our clients' outspoken and hidden necessities meet harmoniously.
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| Three Versatile and Creative Fireplaces from Flying Cavalries Posted: 14 Feb 2011 08:31 AM PST Hasan Agar from London based Flying Cavalries company has recently sent us pictures of three of their exceptional fireplaces designs: the incredible Magma fireplace, the contemporary Hillside Fireplace and the unique Aurora Fireplace. All three designs complement the dancing flames, creating a comfort zone and helping you escape from every day stress. Enjoy each of the designs and don’t forget to tell us which one you like most. 1. The Magma Fireplace Inspired by volcanoes, the Magma Fireplace conveys the powerful sentiment and a strong visual impact, accentuated by the playful flames of the fire. Designed to create a connection between the human and the earth, the fireplace uses a bold range of coloured layers carved into a wooden block. Designers describe the amazing Magma Fireplace: “Magma's colours go from red and melt into gray. The coloured layering that distinguish and make this fireplace special can be seen both from the top-view of the fireplace and from the side. You will be passionate about this sculptural object. It will not only be an astonishing decorative element in your home, but also a functional and stylish coffee table to use every day, and a smokeless ethanol based fireplace to keep you warm in the cold weather.” 
2. The Hillside Fireplace Inspired by the hillsides and borrowing their name, the Hillside Fireplace consists of two seamlessly integrated elements: an ergonomic sofa chair and a coffee table. Made from three natural materials – oak, natural stone, and glass – the versatile fireplace can be used as a compact, larger coffee table for entertaining or as a comfortable singular retreat in the shape of a relaxing sofa chair and fireplace. The transformable Hillside Fireplace is adjustable, adaptable, efficient, and compact, perfect for maximizing space in a contemporary manner. 
3. The Aurora Fireplace Inspired by the polar lights, the Aurora Fireplace gathers the natural occurrence of colourful light display in the sky under its sumptuous shapes. The sculptural object rests on 5 legs, symbolising the dance of the beam lights in the night sky. Designers from Flying Cavalries describe it as a “free-standing chimney-free fireplace which is composed from a natural stone surface, coloured transparent bearing legs, and a smokeless burner. The natural stone, which has been reshaped but sticks to the stone's natural form, combines with the fire burner to form a harmonious blend of hot and cold.” 
free-standing chimney-free fireplace which is composed from a natural stone surface, coloured transparent bearing legs, and a smokeless burner. The natural stone, which has been reshaped but sticks to the stone's natural form, combines with the fire burner to form a harmonious blend of hot and cold. Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! Click here to connect with Freshome on or on
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