Form | Function | Materiality

I don’t think someone will ever understand how important this table is for me.
It was the very first piece of furniture I’ve designed and prototyped. It’s my “one off”.

When I designed it I knew absolutely nothing about furniture making. The only important thing to me was to design and see it made. Honestly, I think I’m still the same, but anyway, that’s what really drives me to move on otherwise I'll get lost in translation.


Back in 2001 when this table was made I was totally inspired by stainless steel. I wanted to explore such amazing material in the domestic environment. Its industrial qualities and aesthetics gave me so many ideas to blend within the existing deco. Plus it’s perfect to use and abuse on strong colours on a background: purple, red, orange and very dark brown - all colours I was using at the time.


If you follow my blog regularly you probably have realized my furniture design is quite graphic, and this table once again proves it. But there are two details I want to enhance in here: its thickness and the holes on the top and legs – this is exactly what makes this table aesthetically so special to me.


Another thing I want to underline in here: sometimes it’s quite hard for a designer to bring it all in balance – form, function and materiality. Very often, maybe always, we have to compromise some of our aims. The key is indeed to stay focus and carry on (I’ve to remember myself this all the time though).


Some technical information:
5mm stainless steel sheets
Hollow structure
Dimensions: 500mm x 500mm x 500mm
Thickness: 50mm
The beauty of this table prototyping was when I didn’t want to compromise those holes both on the top and legs: bits of steel had to be solder on to give the aesthetics and design I was aiming for; otherwise it would be just a U table.


Now, there’s one very last thing I need to say: my inspiration came a lot from Ron Arad’s work. If you’re in London, check it at the Barbican Art Gallery. If you’re not, click here and here to see some photographs.

Click here to see a desk in stainless steel I’ve designed too. I’ve sold this one three years after I designed and prototype it, not resisting one of my clients asking me for over a year to sell it to her. This is another ‘one off’.

Design by Eliana Tomás | 2 – When did I become a professional designer?

Sometimes I wonder exactly when I became a designer, as my life and professional experience did not follow the traditional path: college – internship – junior – senior – etc.
I wonder as well what type of designer I am, meaning what my contribution is to the design world.

Answering my first question, I guess I became a designer when I accepted for the first time an invitation to design someone’s house (project included knocking walls down, changing plumbing and flooring and other little technical details). The reason I say invitation is because I didn’t have any degree or credential to do so: only energy and enthusiasm to succeed. My previous professional experience was in marketing, project management and architectural specification and tendering. Luckily or not, I always worked in the architectural and engineering field. So, after my first success in the interior and architectural design world I started to call myself a designer, despite the lack of documentation saying so. My degree in spatial design came after almost five years styling and designing (real) spaces, spaces within spaces and other spaces.

About my second question: what is my contribution to the design world? I am a designer who needs to know everything in the design and execution process but only enjoys the beginning and the end, in other words, I fly high when I’m researching and drawing the concept and finalize details. And to be even more precise, this includes not only interiors but furniture as well, because I believe they are two inseparable bodies. For many years I didn’t understand this. I felt I had to do everything otherwise I wouldn’t be a designer. All these years taught me that a good professional focus is her/his strengths and improves them, because there’s always space to be better and better – it never ends, actually.

These two answers came to me exactly when I went to John Maeda’s talk. He explained to all of us his raison d’être – what exactly he’s good at. The way he articulated his conclusion was so clear that I adapted it to my professional path and finally found my own raison d’être too.

Everything I’m saying might sound very simple and straight to the point, but it’s not, at least for me it wasn’t.
These are the kind of things no university, tutor or employer can ever tell you. They are a combination of moments we have to go through like introspection, victories, failures, nonsense, eureka moments, sometimes even inertia periods rather than moments. Though, there’s one tip I can give you to survive the process: one can only grow up if is aware of it.

Thank you for reading my blog. I’m the worst writer in the world, but I found out to write helps me to understand who I am.

Related articles
John Maeda @ The V&A Talking About Creative Leadership – Values Based in Art + Design.

Ron Arad @ The Barbican II.

Here’s a few more pictures on the Ron Arad: Restless exhibition at Barbican Art Gallery.

For design lovers this exhibition is a must see.

There's a good article on MARK Magazine about his architectural projects.

This is one of my favorite pieces of Ron Arad's work. The combination between scale, form and materials makes this object perfect.
The little boy is a great scale reference.

A Jean Prové chair protected by Arad.

I find amazing the way Arad plays with materiality and form. The paradox between the overwhelming form in a transparent fabric gives it a great balance.




One off – everyone wants a one off.





Arad designed this rug to Nanimarquina , my very favorite rug company. Poufs are by Moroso.

View from the above galleries.

“Ron Arad: Restless explores three decades of Arad’s work from his early post-punk approach of assembling products from readymade parts to his exclusive and highly polished sculptural objects. Featuring a dramatic exhibition design using the latest LED display technology, the exhibition also includes architectural designs and immediately recognizable mass produced pieces” – Barbican Art Gallery.

Scroll down for more photos.

Ron Arad @ The Barbican I.

Last Saturday I went to The Barbican in London with friends to see Ron Arad: Restless exhibition.

Ron Arad had a big impact on my early career as a designer. I was totally inspired and engaged with stainless steel. This exhibition brought me back the wish to talk about my early work and my aspirations as a designer, but I’ll leave the enthusiasm for another post towards the end of the week. Stay tuned.

One of the things that I really like about the way the show was curated is the lack of huge texts explaining the designer/artist work. A few caption naming each piece, but that’s about it. I like the way they "allow" viewers to “assess” each piece on their own.

"Everything influences everything. You're welcome to your interpretation" - RA @ Mark #24 magazine

"Happy Days" (It really reminds my primary school desk, and those were indeed happy days)

Work in progress.



This and the next chair are beautifully made. Layers and layers of quite thin tubes/wires. So much texture.







"Bodyguard"

I’ve so many photographs that I thought it would be better if I post a few today and a few more tomorrow, otherwise my article is going to be too long.

To read more about the exhibition, Dezeen has a nice article on it.

Kung Hei Fat Choi III.

Continuing our New Chinese Year celebrations, here’s more photos of my friend Isabel’s home, previously in Macau and now relocated in Portugal.

Bedroom. What kind of space is this?

What do you usually keep in there that normally you don’t keep elsewhere?
Who do you invite to come in?
What do you like to do in there that you don’t like that much to do elsewhere?
What’s the most secret thing you keep in there?
How big does a bedroom need to be to become perfect?
What do you first see in the morning when you wake up?
How do you style this space to be that special?

The green tone Isabel has chosen for her bedroom couldn’t be better: it reminds me bamboo, fields of bamboo. It embraces pretty well the dark furniture.

The bed headboard is (used to be) a screen. Perfect choice to give a new function to such beautiful object.

Beautiful asymmetric wardrobe design.

Isabel and I share many things in common and the attachment to object with history and stories to tell is one of them. Because of that I’m pretty sure someone very special gave this elephant to her.

I really like this little corner in the space. It’s as if in a different layer but well balanced.



I’m not sure where Isabel bought this chest of drawers, but it looks very much Portuguese: the style and the type of wood. Anyway, perfectly added in the space.

Keep scrolling down to see Isabel’s Living room and Hall.

Kung Hei Fat Choi II.

Here you have more photographs of my friend’s home.
Hope you like it and get all the inspiration to style your house for this new Chinese New Year.

I love this photograph. I think it’s so magazine style. Somehow I like the unbalanced light in it.
The painting is beautiful – it’s like a patchwork of stories.

This photo and the following 3 are the same space, but from different points of view.





What I find amazing about Isabel’s home is that the deco is extremely elaborated and colourful, yet relaxing. For any moment you feel overwhelmed with the oriental energy. I’m sure it’s the Feng Shui in balance.

What do you most like about Chinese style?
Colour? Design? Materials?

Kung Hei Fat Choi.

KUNG HEI FAT CHOI means Happy New Year in Cantonese – It should have been yesterday’s title, but my friend Isabel just told me that today. Apologies for the delay.

I had planned to post Isabel’s living room today and tomorrow her bedroom. But I have so many photographs showing so many beautiful details that I’ve decided to dedicate two days to her living room and towards the end of the week her bedroom and other little secret spaces. They’re too many and too good to not share with you all.

I love this view. Great painting: so many stories to tell.

This cabinet has the most interesting curiosities in it.
In the Chinese culture a cage (on top of the cabinet) is an object to exhibit in the streets. The same way we walk dogs to the park, they walk their birds. Therefore cages are precisely and beautifully made; even the little bowl to pour the bird’s water is made in porcelain.

On the right there's a cabinet pharmacy made in Korea. Each drawer corresponds to a different tea. How much perfect can this be?
I find amazing the level of detail in Asian’s furniture.

This rich yellow brings together so perfectly the deco, doesn’t it?

Hello Isabel. Thank you for sharing your home with all of us.
See you soon for a nice cup of tea.

Welcome Tiger’s New Chinese Year I.

When I was drafting my 2010 blog posts the first one coming to my mind was a special feature on the Chinese New Year as I knew I would have the perfect home to photograph. It belongs to one of my Portuguese best friends – Isabel da Mota.

Isabel lived in Macau for 15 years, among other countries. When she moved back to Portugal, she took with her every single piece of furniture and decoration she had collected in that energetic and colourful country.
Her home is one of the warmest, cosy and very welcoming I’ve ever been to. Everything is in the right space with the right colour and background. Nothing is over decorated because she knows how to do it in style.

Today I’ll post about her hall, a very important space in the house as it’s were we gather the first energy. And I can tell you this one has a very good Feng Shui.



The walls are covered with beautiful prints and photos telling interesting stories about somewhere in China.

Love this poster.



Detail everywhere.

The first frame from the top displays two envelops which married people give to single ones to wish a happy new year, as they believe the more you give the more you receive. Today this tradition has spread which means everyone gives the envelops to whom they care about to wish luck. In Cantonese they say KUNG HEI FAT CHOI LAI SI TAI LOI.

Hope you like it as much as I do.
Happy Metal Tiger’s New Year!

Next two days I'll post her living room and bedroom. Stay in touch.

Windows Design for Valentine’s Day.

Windows design was always a big passion to me. Well, it still is, but for now I just appreciate it. Back in Portugal, alongside with my interior design projects I always had what I used to call my little side projects. That included windows design.

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and I take the opportunity to post 2 photos of a windows design project I did back in 2003 – long time ago.

Happy Valentine’s Day.




My perspective on windows design – is like a TV commercial, but in a static version: tells a story in 30 seconds.