Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Age: 26
Occupation: Industrial designer
Instagram: @studiobermudez
Hometown: Cuernavaca, Mexico
Studio location: Mexico City
Describe what you make: I design furniture, interiors, and utilitarian objects with an emotional sense, achieved by materials and subtle forms. My philosophy is to create a special bond between the product and user.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: A bench called Interlude during my exchange in Nybro, Sweden. Also, my ceramic carafe, Nomu, was one of my favorite experiences. I will always be grateful for these projects because they helped me discover my passion for design. Also, the beautiful people I met during the construction and development of each piece taught me to follow my passion and believe in myself.
Describe the problem your work solves: My work aims to uplift space and give people comfort. Whether a furniture piece or candelabra, my purpose remains the same—to impart emotion through materials. I’m always looking for the best artisans, carpenters, and blacksmiths to express this within my work. Without them, my designs can’t be conceived.
Describe the project you’re working on now: I’m collaborating with artisans in Oaxaca to design a mezcal bottle. They have a full sense of how clay works. I love working side-by-side with them—we always get better results. We’re also designing a furniture collection for a sushi restaurant.
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: Designing a collection of wooden dolls, inspired by endangered animal species, with my colleague Vrokka. We’re giving part of the profits to different ONGs from Mexico and Colombia to help preserve these beautiful animals. Stay tuned!
What you absolutely must have in your studio: Chill music—lo-fi, alternative, and classic. I’m not productive otherwise. Coffee and snacks are my best friends. Plants help me feel more connected with nature. And, of course, the samples in my material library help me visualize the proportions and materiality of each piece.
What you do when you’re not working: Going to the gym and running in Mexico City’s parks helps me relax and keep physically and mentally healthy. I also go to museums alone to enrich my mind and help my creativity flow. I love traveling around the world and within Mexico to find new inspiration. But I can find happiness at a coffee shop around the corner from my studio.
Sources of creative envy (dead or alive): A friend of mine recommended a book that I will never forget: In Praise of Shadows by Junichiro Tanizaki, which talks about how seeing the beauty of objects. From that point, I’ve designed each object with the philosophy of “aging” and try to give them the respect they deserve. Designing a simple object to be at once aesthetically pleasing and functional can be difficult. Danish designer Chris Halstrøm crafts beautiful objects with slight complementary details. I admire the great Hans Wegner’s mastery of complex joinery and Danish brand Frama, which follows Tanizaki’s approach.
The distraction you want to eliminate: Toxic people. And spending too much time on my phone.
Concrete or marble? Marble. I’ve already used concrete. Time to give this natural material a chance!
High-rise or townhouse? Definitely townhouse. Nothing like being in my childhood home.
Remember or forget? Forget the past, live in the present.
Aliens or ghosts? Aliens. I love their style.
Dark or light? Light. Golden hour to be precise.
