Casa Vogue 2020
It's been just a year since designer Rafael Oliva and administrator Marcelo Germano opened Home Lab Design , dedicated to creating furniture and objects with a minimalist aesthetic , prioritizing durability and investing in artisanal processes . Behind the creation, Rafael, a product design graduate from FAAP, completed several internships, including with the Campana Brothers. Having graduated and with a wealth of experience in the design world, he decided to launch his own brand to "develop products that could explore a more collaborative and accessible approach, democratizing Brazilian designer furniture with smart, functional, and contemporary products."
In addition to promoting a union between industrial and artisanal styles , with a focus on Brazilian materials and production techniques, Rafael believes in the importance of making the customer feel part of the final piece. "That's why we offer a wide range of customization options for all products. This creates a sense of ownership, allowing each customer to have a unique product in their home that they helped create," he explains.
Next, Rafael talks to Casa Vogue about his creative process, Home Lab Design and the importance of design in today's society.
What was your training and trajectory in design like?
I graduated in Product Design from FAAP and attended the University of Plymouth. During my studies, I completed several internships: lighting design, packaging design, worked at Philips Brazil, and finally interned with the Campana Brothers. This last experience was truly incredible; I was able to participate in the studio's creation process, prototype development, and also had the pleasure of being part of the Campana Institute, which fosters creativity among young people in the Moinho Community, in central São Paulo. Humberto, Fernando, and the rest of the studio staff are incredible people who have taught me so much!
I believe that all my professional experiences were extremely relevant so that I could mature and learn enough to put my brand on the market and do everything the way I believe.
What motivated the creation of Home Lab Design?
As a designer, I felt a desire to develop products that could explore a more collaborative and accessible approach, democratizing Brazilian designer furniture with smart, functional, and contemporary products.
Home Lab was born from an unpretentious conversation with administrator Marcelo about how it would be possible to structure a studio in such a way that we could combine the industrial with the artisanal to serve clients in terms of customization, as well as deadline, price, quality and quantity.
What is Marcelo's role in the studio?
Every idealistic artist needs someone to keep them grounded. Marcelo is a business administrator with experience in the furniture industry, and he helps me keep Home Lab financially stable and viable. We don't make excessive profits on our products, so we need to balance our accounts carefully to ensure our prosperity, as well as that of our partners and suppliers. We love seeing the artisans, small producers, and large industries that serve us grow and become enthusiastic alongside Home Lab.
As a managing partner, he's responsible for coordinating the company's entire logistical and financial operations. It's bureaucracy we artists don't want to deal with. He's also one of my best friends, so we're always helping each other out with whatever comes our way.
What is your relationship with NGOs and small artisans like? How important is this movement for Home Lab Design?
In my designs, I always try to find ways to utilize artisanal labor or NGOs that produce unique work. We started with Adere, an NGO that works with young people and adults with intellectual disabilities, developing marquetry tabletops. We'll soon launch a full line using only salvaged wood with no commercial value—a craftsman in rural Paraná will transform it into coffee and dining table bases.
I believe that a product carries with it the story of its creation and of all the people involved in its manufacture. Our audience is very demanding and increasingly engaged with social issues. Therefore, in addition to seeking new materials and techniques to add to our products, we are careful to employ and fairly pay people with truly specialized labor.
An example of this is the Hi Chair, which even has a solid wood backrest and a unique locking system, something only an experienced carpenter can create. Therefore, even if the product itself doesn't contain recycled or discarded materials, we can be sure that the people behind it are masters of their craft and are being treated accordingly.
How would you define your creative process, the identity of your pieces?
I always begin my process by understanding the current needs and how they might change in the near future. Then I begin exploring the materials and the best way to integrate them, whether using the smallest possible quantity or moving on to new materials and how to integrate them into the production line to achieve quality, deadlines, fair pricing, and exclusivity. It's important that every creation has its own story, bringing the product to life and bringing that story to each customer's home.
It's also very important to us that the customer feels part of the creation, which is why we offer a wide range of customization options for all products. This creates a sense of ownership, allowing each customer to have a unique product in their home that they helped create.
Are you involved in the process from design to finalization of the product?
Absolutely! It's crucial that the designer participates in every step of the process, from the initial research of materials and suppliers to design, production, and pricing. Being present throughout every step is essential to ensuring the product turns out exactly as I desire, within our standards of quality, design, and fair pricing. All of this is thanks to our highly skilled partners and collaborators who help us keep the wheels turning.
How do you usually create and draw? What elements from the world outside of design inspire you?
I developed the habit of drawing in the wee hours of the morning, when the world stops and nothing else is happening. Through the internet, I have the ease of consuming art and design every day; this is essential for filling my brain with references and inspiration that can manifest in the next product. I like to draw inspiration from both older designers like Sergio Rodrigues, Joaquim Tenreiro, and Jorge Zalszupin, as well as more contemporary ones like Muuto and Irmãos Campana.
What do you think is the fundamental role of design? And how do you see this profession today, with so many new demands and at the same time a need to pause and consider what's truly necessary? How can product design go beyond the object itself?
For me, the fundamental role of design is to always strive to improve people's lives. My professors in England always talked about Human-Centered Design and how the human being was the most important component. But considering the customer who will purchase our product is only the beginning. A good designer considers the workers who will produce it, the transportation, the loaders, the packaging, and the environment (which can be gradually protected throughout all these production stages).
Sustainability and conscious design go far beyond the materials used in the product. I take the time to design the furniture precisely to ensure it will make a difference for everyone involved. A product must have a reason to exist before it can be launched, not just aesthetics. We transform the entire production chain into something beneficial: from supplier to customer.
What are the studio's latest pieces?
We recently launched the Nonna Pouffe and the Luiza Chair, both products designed to play with color and extremely durable. We must always remember that durability also means sustainability. And to achieve this, it's important that the design be timeless, standing the test of time and being passed down from generation to generation.
In the coming weeks, you'll be able to see some important releases from the studio. I can tell you that we'll be bringing back some very unusual and customizable material straight from the 1940s.