3. What is Marz Design?
Marz Designs is an Australian design studio that combines craftsmanship with functional design to create unique and contemporary designer lighting.
Established in 2010, Marz Designs reflects a passion for working with elemental materials and the marriage of craft practice with industrial process.
4. How has Byron influenced the formation of Marz Designs?
Opening Marz Designs as an independent practice in Byron Bay allowed Reynolds access to the many local artisans that now contribute their craft to products, as well as the opportunity to connect with a network of talented designers that now form the Marz Designs team. The success of our studio is contingent upon these relationships and the many hands that combine to make one light.
5. What makes handmade/hand-crafted so special?
The tactility and irregularity of handmade elements have always been very appealing to me, but "handmade" can be hard to manage when working in a commercial space. We must look at ways of producing handmade elements efficiently so they can be produced somewhat consistently at scale. For example, our Terra Collection employs a process called slip-casting, which allows ceramicists to produce multiples of an object at a time. They are still handmade, and the result is slightly imperfect, but the production method is a lot more efficient than producing one piece at a time.
6. How many hands does it actually take to make one light?
So many. For us, the design is not just about the final product; we're passionate about the process, the materials, and the concept, so it's a very collaborative process and the makers play such a pivotal role. We collaborate with an array of craftsmen and manufacturers from 3rd generation timber turners, engineers, lighting designers, machinists, glass blowers, and ceramicists. Our products are designed in the studio here and then we work closely with various makers to develop and produce the components. We then hand-assemble each fixture, package it, and send the finished pieces from our studio.
7. Why lighting? What led you to specialise in your brilliantly crafted lights?
I enjoy creating things that people can use and I see decorative lighting as functional art. There is a quote that I love by Alain Berteau, a Belgian designer “When you switch it off, you're not looking at a dead machine”.
8. Byron is a stunning location, does the landscape inspire any of your designs?
It varies but often a new material will inform the design because you must work within the limitations of the material's capability.
9. Do you have a favourite of all the creations you have made?
No specific product but the Terra collection is still a favourite because this range was a turning point for the business, and it really set Marz in motion. I worked for a period as an Interior Architect, and while working in the field, I observed a lot of commercial lighting products in the market but not a lot of simple everyday lighting with a soft, homely aesthetic. I developed the Terra range to fill this gap with handmade clay ceramic shades and combinations of hand-turned timber elements, to create a versatile selection of pendants, ceiling, and wall fixtures. This range remains the core collection for Marz.