While the word “functionality” refers to the purpose for which a design is developed, interior architect and furniture designer — Roman Plyus —  has reinvented the traditional concept of furniture practicality to rather shape a silent dialogue within a space when views intersect to bring harmony, beauty and a presence of fun for endless interpretations. Defining the correlation between functionality and art is not as unsound as one might think. 

For most of us 2020 will be reminisced as a year of personal reflection and self discovery. For some that may have meant cultivating your culinary skills or finally planting that garden you have always wanted, but for others it served as an opportunity to look inwards and ask, “Is this where I envisioned my life to be at this time? Is this really what I want to do?” Experiencing this uncertain perspective early in life, Roman Plyus began his journey in 2012 where he spent a year living in India on a path of self-contemplation. What originated as a venture to find answers and purpose resulted in a destination he did not even know he was looking for. “My guru advised me to pay attention to interior design. So I did,” shares Plyus. “For the next eight years I was engaged in souvenirs, made three-dimensional visualizations for other interior designers and constantly trained to make my own interior concepts. It was not until the end of 2019, I made my first restaurant design, which in a matter of days flew around all of the world's magazines. From that moment on, I understood what the design should be, so that a large number of people would like it,” relays Plyus. A passion handcrafted out of a desire to evoke emotions of inherent beauty and unobtrusive convenience, this innovative artist decided to transition his focus to furniture design launching his first ever furniture brand at the start of this year.

Headquartered in Moscow, Russia, Plyus works alongside gallerist and furniture expert, Kristina Krasnyanskaya, developing collectable designs that envelops and elicits a sense of idyllic calmness. “I call our philosophy ‘Caring Design.’” shares Plyus, “a caring design that does not waste precious brain energy on thinking, but immediately slips to the pleasure centers. I came to this path in design during the first wave of the pandemic, when I was left at home alone. This gave me the idea that it would be nice to fill the house with objects that are both functional and art, at the same time endowed with a large number of positive emotions, which they imperceptibly share with the user.” This playful approach to design, both classical and modern in its minimalism, creates a story, a character if you will, to an oftentimes underutilized interior canvas. “I jokingly call this ‘Flinstone’ style furniture because of its simple shapes, ease of perception and the presence of fun in the design,” laughs Plyus. “When the times and the styles are woven together in the dance it looks really amazing.” 

His visual abstractions, articulated with layers of classical architecture and geometric furniture designs offer a narrative implicit to all audiences. “I think that design is now becoming an increasingly universal language. A good design should be understood by a large circle of people from different parts of the world, as well as it should be timeless,” expresses the designer.  Striking inspiration by anything and everything around him, “our collection includes items inspired by paintings from great artists like Salvador Dali, Henri Matisse; there are chairs inspired by legendary cars like Shelby Cobra, Porshe 911; there are items inspired by 60s TV cameras, Russian ballet, films by Ridley Scott and the Alien universe; and of course furniture inspired by the furniture of legendary designers of the 20th century: Vladimir Kagan, Pierre Jeanneret and others.” Introducing this un-ornamented perspective to design has quickly left an unforeseen imprint on the viewer, offering a visual tale of carefree nuances that, for a moment, allow you to escape the pressures and responsibilities of day-to-day life. “A big surprise was the results of my work in this direction and the feedback that I receive daily from people from all over the world. These are incredible emotions that are difficult to describe in words: catharsis and happiness that I finally got it,” beams the interior architect. “But to be honest, I still can't believe that this happened, it seems that I'm in a dream and soon it will all suddenly stop.”

As time moves forward and our ever altering personal tastes change with the different stages of our lives, as does the desire to modernize and reinvent our homes. As knowing where to begin can pose a challenge, this insightful master interiorist shares with us his go-to tip when renovating a space. “Keep the balance in the proportions,” notes Plyus. “This is one of the positive notes that customization brings to the interiors. It is difficult to rebuild the house, but to customize the furniture for the room to fit the size of your room. Scale and proportion are the key to a harmonious space.” As refreshing our home can oftentimes originate from an urge to update our wardrobe, this bares the question — does personal style influence interior style? “Rather on the contrary,” contests Plyus, “since I spend most of my time at the computer and work, furniture and interiors begin to affect all other areas of life. I have a small dream in the future to try myself in the design of clothing or jewelry. So maybe one day we'll see my personal vision of fashion.” 

As for now, we can anticipate from Roman Plyus a full-fledged brand launch with access to a large number of markets and a lot of gripping new releases. As we embark on our own journey to self-contemplation armed with the knowledge of cultivating your own sacred space, Plyus leaves us with these parting words — “Good health to you and your loved ones, well-being in the family, success in work and a couple of chairs from Roman Plyus. Thank you all for your support and feedback. This all motivates us very much and makes us get better every day!”