When design makes room for itself at home

The design of objects and furniture for the home is gaining in popularity. With easier access to homeownership, Canadians are eager to invest in home design, for unique and beautiful creations that enhance their experience of everyday life. 

That’s good news for local designers who are winning recognition for their unique signature: their relationship with raw materials and their use of solid shapes and rich textures. That’s the case of Lubo Bézina, a Toronto designer of Slovak origin, who embodies the contemporary cross-cultural identity of the Canadian design object. We spoke with Mr. Bézina of LuboDesign.

What made you want to design furniture for the home?

I came into design and furniture-making almost by chance. After studying architectural theory, I decided to learn to build homes. I wanted to know how to create a building. After learning how to build frames and walls and how to paint, I developed an interest in more specific things. I began to design kitchens and from there it was only a matter of time before I was asked to make furniture. I loved it and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.

When you make furniture (especially tables but also small objects for the kitchen), you work with wood a lot. Why is that?

Wood is sensual. It’s pleasing to the eye. It’s warm to the touch. As a material, wood yields to tools like the burin and the chisel. And wood always surprises me with its grain and subtle shades of colour.

How would you characterize Canadian furniture design? Do you think it makes sense to talk about “Canadian furniture”?

That’s a tough question. In my case, I am a Canadian born in Slovakia inspired by Japanese design and I experiment with form based on my desires and impulses, as long as I find something satisfying in the process. I think Canada’s advantage in this particular area, but also more generally, is the diversity that surrounds us, offering us a whole other level of inspiration. Perhaps Canadian design is just a blend of this diversity. In any case, Canadian design is indeed more difficult to define than, say, Danish design.

What are people looking for most in home furnishings these days? And as a designer, do you have to go with the trends?

What I am seeing at the moment is an interest in specific types and colours of wood. Choices are always made on the basis of current trends. Right now, reclaimed wood is very popular.  But I’m not one to follow fashion. I’m just lucky that what I love happens to be trendy. I make the kind of furniture I do because it gives me pleasure — going along with trends is for hipsters!

What makes a great piece of furniture, in your view?

I think what makes a well-designed piece of furniture is when, for example, you are not even aware that you’re sitting on a chair because you are completely comfortable and content.

Is there anything frustrating in the design of objects for the home?

I don’t find anything frustrating in what I do. I suppose I could complain that I don’t make as much money with my work as I would like, but that’s true of many professions. I consider myself lucky to as I’ve been able to do what I love for so long. As a designer and a carpenter, I’ve had the opportunity to meet extraordinary people and I’ve also grown a great deal at a personal level as a result. That’s what stands out for me.