Established as a trend in fashion, circularity also reached decoration. From reconverting the function of a piece of furniture to its enhancement through recycling techniques, circular decoration is installed especially with the work of artisans capable of intervening on objects, the scale production of disused materials or the redesign achieved by architects. Those dedicated to this segment also understand circularity as emotional decoration, as the grandmother’s recovered furniture circulates between children and grandchildren, being inherited between generations that appreciate its value. Viva spoke with different specialists, for whom there is, perhaps, a common denominator: “People don’t know what they throw away.”
Gaetana Deco. Flor Vazzano is from Olavarría, province of Buenos Aires. He is 31 years old and has a father who has been an auctioneer for 38 years, who buys and sells furniture. Clearly, he grew up around furniture and moving, “without realizing that they would be my passion,” he says. His creative restlessness awakened his deep interest in giving old things second chances.
“How to transform a wardrobe into a crockery unit? The first thing is to see if it is possible; Once the evaluation is done, the mirrors and door panels can be removed, replacing them with glass. This is how you can see the interior. Shelves can be placed in the space where clothes were hung. In general, they ask that we respect natural wood, although some clients choose color. When it’s ready, I love taking photos and comparing them to the ones I took before work. This encourages people and they dare to give another use to a piece of furniture,” he says.
Vade Retro. Pilar Pérez Mulattieri and Carolina Manera are friends who restore from Rafaela, province of Santa Fe, in a workshop without commercial premises. Both have their professions outside of deco; Pilar is a dentist and Carolina is a plastic artist. The workshop is in the same house as Paula’s office, where they work by order, They transform wooden elements with protection and paint.
“90 percent of our furniture is from customers; When we go to auctions we buy them at a good price and recycle them. Rafaela was founded by Piedmontese; All those Italians who came brought their very high quality furniture and it was inherited by their family. They have great sentimental value and I think that is the fundamental reason why they ask for recycling. We receive a piece of furniture and it has a history: ‘it belonged to my dad when I was a boy.’ That trends point to the modern does not invalidate having an antique, quality piece of furniture. This is a privilege and allows a mix of styles, that decorative eclecticism that is always current,” says Pilar. Valuing that quality, which is a wooden, carved piece of furniture – not melamine – is wonderful for them. “Circular decoration is making furniture circulate between generations. They hire us to wash away the rusty luster and add value to that old piece. The quality of the furniture from before is unique,” he adds.
His firm restored the door carved by Domingo Ferri 101 years ago, of the Nuestra Señora del Pilar Parish, 35 km from Rafaela.
Flo Furniture Workshop. Florencia Tolosa is from Rosario, actress, interior designer and restaurateur. He has his own workshop and, in addition, a decoration house that opened recently. “My story with recycling does not have a specific beginning, sometimes I feel that it is something that has always been with me. At home, when I was little, decoration was important. Dad had a lot of love for antiques and I was always surrounded by beautiful objects. I think that Furniture and objects are accomplices of our history. We all have that piece of furniture that is special to each one.. My concept is that recycling means giving second and third chances to our furniture. It is not necessary to inherit from your great-grandmother for recycling to have meaning. The important thing is the place that piece will occupy in our home. I am excited to think with my clients about the transformations that can be made, how to recycle or restore it,” says Flor.
Hangar style. Four years ago, Agustín Soler bought a plane investing everything he had. “The idea of acquiring an airplane and turning it into furniture arose from a double passion: design and aviation. I was always fascinated by the world of airplanes, not only because of the technology behind them, but also because of the unique aesthetics of each part. I saw the opportunity to take items that usually have a waste destination, and give them a second life as luxury decoration pieces. This is how Estilo Hangar, my business, was born. Although there are not many parts left from that first purchase, we have formed an alliance with a company that helps us acquire fuselage parts from retired airplanes throughout the country. We make sure to only buy high-quality materials, which have been carefully extracted from the aircraft, so that each piece of furniture is durable and has that distinctive aeronautical character. We are passionate that each piece has its own story, that connects innovation with its past in the air,” says Agustín. Now it has its own place in the market; He makes custom furniture that he sells to Miami, Santiago de Chile, Punta del Este and Rio de Janeiro. It started with a studio of sixty square meters and today has a factory of more than a thousand square meters in Munro.
