Interview with Eva Szumilas

I would like my projects and furniture to please people's eyes for a long time. I would like to be remembered. I would like to leave some legacy of myself, inheritance

That was my very deliberate and mature decision even though I was young. I was preparing for the exams for the Faculty of Architecture for more than a year, taking courses in drawing, sketches and paintings. I was determined to become an architect.

I design furniture under the brand name EVA SZUMILAS, I design interior spaces: residentials, hospitality and restaurants, and I create artistic installations which I wish to be able to create much more. These kinds of projects are a real challenge and mind opener. I love them.

Work hard, never give up, and design as much as possible. This is the only way to become good at design and achieve the goals.

Creativity. A lot of designers inspire themselves too much on other designers' work. That much that it becomes a bad copy. To be creative, unique and different these days, while we are surrounded by hundreds of design images daily is very difficult. Try to be unique, not trendy. Be different, be authentic in everything what you do in life, especially in design.

Good design has to be unique, timeless and functional.

I am very happy that finally collectible pieces are getting attention and well-deserved recognition in the art world. A beautiful piece of furniture not only pleases your eye, it has a function as well. It becomes a great investment.

A dream house for myself. With so many projects happening, I never have time to do something for myself.

My own house.

There is no secret recipe of success. There is hard work, sleepless nights, a lot of projects for free at the beginning of our career, we all had been there. But there is this unforgettable pleasure in creating and executing the project. The joy and feeling of overwhelming pride and satisfaction.

Antoni Gaudi, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Eileen Gray, Oscar Niemeyer, Tadao Ando, Ettore Sottsass, Jean Royere, Carlo and Tobia Scarpa, Philippe Starck, Anish Kapoor, and of course Zaha Hadid as one of only few women who achieved so much in architecture men's world.

I love dancing, I used to dance in a professional group for 8 years, if I hadn't become a designer, I would love to be a ballet dancer.

I was lucky to meet my mentor Gregory Gatserelia. When I moved to Beirut, I started to work with him and had a chance to learn from him. He is one of very few interior designers and architects who actually loves sharing his knowledge with people. He educated me in terms of design styles, artists, he is a genius in concepts creation. He showed me a good and bad designs. He was the first one who strongly believed in my design skills, creativity, he showed me the direction, and curated many of exhibitions which I participated in, for such I am so grateful to him.

The two artistic installations I did. One is an in Italian restaurant launched in Beirut Downtown in 2014, The idea behind the project was to make the most impressive, colorful and the biggest pizza oven ever done before. Inspired by and as a tribute to Antoni Gaudi architecture, the oven and the whole ceiling of the restaurant was covered by thousands of hand made and placed mosaic pieces, to look like a flame coming out of the oven. It is a beautifully joyful and striking central element of the white tiled restaurant. It was an extremely challenging project executed by a team of 15 people working nonstop for 35 consecutive days. And theother installation issteel tree sculpture named "THE TREE OF LIFE" which is the main feature of theAN lounge bar situated on the top of Nabu museum in Chekka Lebanon. Thesteel tree sculpturerepresents Lebanon, whose symbol after all is Cedar. Lebanon, which has been struggling recently from the economic crisis, worsened by the Beirut port explosion of last year. Lebanon, despite its difficult history, still attracts people like a magnet especially for a nightlife experience. Lebanon wounded but still full of hope. Thus the idea to create a sculpture made of steel, representing the resilience of Lebanon and its people against all adversities.

After living and working in Cyprus and Ireland, I moved to Beirut in 2010, where a few years later I established my design studio. We specialize in luxury furniture, art installations and interior designs. We have experience in both the private and public sector with construction of high end residential projects, corporate offices, but also designs for the hospitality and food sector industry.

Design is everything, the city we live in, a house we live in, a chair we sit on, a bed we sleep in. We are surrounded by design every single day, for this reason design is everything.

I like the most furniture design and art installations that give me freedom and push my creativity boundaries to the limit.

Every new piece becomes my favorite design that’s why I can’t wait for the next one to come.

My first item designed for the company was a floor lamp called 25. It was a lamp designed for a Christmas exhibition at SMO gallery in Beirut. The lamp turned out to be a big success, sold out and was published in few international magazines.

I love to work with brass, stainless steel, wood, stones and glass.

Creativity is a daily routine for me. My studio is growing, we are expanding to new international markets, we have a lot of projects we work on, there is so much work that I have to be creative every day to meet up with all deadlines.

Esthetics and functionality

The process of design makes me dream.

To see my pieces being executed with the highest standards and details I intended to have made me feel very happy and proud. I’m happy to see satisfied clients. That’s the biggest reward.

Timeless design is successful

Esthetics, functionality

Designers should be aware of eco-friendly design, to protect the environment and nature. to propose to the clients new alternative materials.

The future of design is digital unfortunately. Designed by computer algorithms and executed by computers and 3D printers. Human involvement is decreasing. My approach into design might be old fashioned but I strongly support human input into design, especially into production and execution of design pieces, limited edition and custom made, hand crafted furniture in particular, therefor I work with the best artisans and craftsmen, masters in brass, metal and aluminum casting, masters in straw and wood marquetry, masters in glassblowing, etc.

My last exhibition before the pandemic was in Rome, at Contemporary Cluster Gallery. And after the pandemic, I exhibited at Galerie Tanit, Beirut, Lebanon in November 2021. I’m planning to participate in a few international exhibitions next year.

I find inspiration everywhere, on the streets, in design magazines I check daily, Instagram and of course during travels. New places, people, and cultures are the biggest source of inspirations.

My style is inspired by the spirit of decorative art where the aim is beauty, aesthetics, purity, and most importantly elegance. Noble materials and advanced craftsmanship techniques are used to manufacture my pieces, a timeless, pure and discreet design style that is universally appreciated and enjoyed, and integrates harmoniously in any space.

I live in Beirut, Lebanon. Beirut became my second home 12 years ago, however I was born and spent 27 years of my life in Poland. And a few years in Cyprus and Ireland. All these places impacted and influenced my perception, sensibility and creativity. They made me see more and appreciate small details. In Lebanon the art and design scene is very strong. Craftsmanship is on the highest level, which I have decided to promote, explore and support and work with the best artisans and craftsmen in the region, masters in brass, metal and aluminum casting, masters in straw and wood marquetry, masters in glassblowing, etc.

I design for private collectors and clients, I collaborate with many architectural and interior design offices, international galleries, and developers.

Good designer needs to have defined style, people should be able to recognize the pieces and interiors designed by this particular designer. The good designer should bring knowledge, strong design skills, attention to details and quality of services.

The idea starts in my head followed by hand sketches and 3D models. When the shape is defined we proceed with very realistic perspectives, make small 3D printed models and check the structure with structural engineers in Solidworks.

Sideboards, dining tables, side tables, coffee tables and sofas.

I start my day visiting factories where I produce my furniture, I get to my office around 11am and try to have the meetings done before lunch time. Time after lunch I dedicate to design, brainstorming with the team, creating concepts, sketches, follow ups.

Be persistent in everything that you do in life. It’s not going to be easy but it will happen if you work hard.

Being a designer gives freedom. You can design and work wherever you want. The world is wide open. I don’t see any negative points of being a designer.

Less is more.

Imagination, creativity, self confidence, persistence.

I do hand sketches in my notebook or iPad. I use SketchUp and 3DMax for modeling. I check design magazines online and find inspirations on many Instagram accounts.

With so many projects happening at the same time, I had to develop a certain self discipline. Every day I dedicate 3-4 hours to the design process to be able to keep up with all deadlines.

Usually it takes me a week to design an object, during this week I should have the concept and renderings ready.

What is my style?

Every job and every office I worked for at the beginning of my career was an important experience and a good lesson. I don’t regret any of the decisions I’d taken in my life. However, the most creative, challenging and fulfilling experience was my job at Gatserelia Design office. This experience made me believe in myself and pushed me to open my own design studio.

Art and design collectors, people who appreciate personalized and customized projects, who search for artistic concepts.

I love furniture design and restaurants and residential interior design projects.

My plans are to expand to new markets and to participate in a few international fairs this year.

I develop most of the designs myself, I am behind all the concepts for furniture and interior projects. The team work starts when it comes to models, perspectives, engineering of the products, materials, detailing etc.

I'm finalizing the new collection of my furniture, which will be launched soon. We are working on few interior projects, villas in Syros Greece, villa in Cairo, Egypt and a restaurant in Beirut, Lebanon.

People can contact me by mail: info@evaszumilas.com or by telephone mentioned on our website www.evaszumilas.com and social media such as Instagram and Facebook.