An interest in minerals prompted an artistic venture for José Miguel Schnaider, that matches unconventional aesthetics with a blend of natural elements. At Sten Studio, Schnaider creates furniture and lighting from a mineral base, grounding unique, soulful objects with the intent to honor material substances. Schnaider’s award-winning lamp “Hotai,” derives its name from the Japanese word for “complement.” The lamp’s varying components – wood, quartz, and light – complement each other in an unusual, beautiful structure. This mix of organic ingredients in the embodiment of something strange and enchanting is the objective of this week’s Maker Monday, José Miguel Schnaider.
Schnaider’s lamp “Hotai” won the 2020 People’s Choice Award in the Professional category of the L A M P Competition.
Andrew Joseph: What is the last book you read?
José Miguel Schnaider: It will sound like a cliché, but was simply amazing; it was “30 things you do when you turn 30”. I do not remember how I found it through Amazon, but it made sense to me to read it as I was turning 30 last August. It was an entertaining read, and more than that it was one of the most beautiful experiences I had this year. The book consists of 30 essays written by renowned people in different fields. The book covers topics such as passion and purpose, self-love and community. It has an edition for every 5 years, so whoever is starting their 50s – it could be interesting to see what the book has to say for you. [I’m] sure I will do it when the time comes.
AJ: If you weren’t a designer, you’d be a ….?
JMS: Music producer. One of my passions is electronic music. I would love to understand how they manage to create and put together all the different sounds to make them work into music. Music produces states of mind and feelings; being able to make that is unbelievable and extremely powerful.
AJ: What are three words to describe where you live?
JMS: Intense, cultured and amazing: Mexico City.
AJ: What’s the weirdest thing a client has ever asked you?
JMS: I have a pretty good friend and client who really believes in the power of crystals and minerals. He got the Transformation coffee table from the Abyssal Astronomy collection. Before installing it in his project, the three slabs of obsidian went through a cleaning ritual 13 times by a xaman to assure that all the energy contained in the crystal was positive for the space. After that, she comes once a month to clean all the minerals I work with because at the end you never know, and it is nice for me to think that besides their natural beauty, they can be amulets for the house.
Hotai’s unusual structure gives it the appearance of something unfinished, a purposeful choice by Schnaider to represent imbalance and disorder in the natural world.
AJ: What was your first job?
JMS: When I was 13, I became an ice skating instructor for little kids. I loved it because for me, it was cool to do in the afternoon before meeting my friends on Fridays.
AJ: Are you a pet person? Why either way? Dogs or cats?
JMS: Yes, I am more into dogs. I have a 5 year’s old Siberian Husky called Rita. I can say that I have been the luckiest because she is the best and the most loving. She has her bed next to mine, and my favorite thing to do first thing when I wake up is to lay on her bed for some time to pet her and give her love. Also, I love when I come back in the evenings, and she howls to me, welcoming me home.
AJ: What are your beauty secrets?
JMS: To laugh, that keeps me young and energetic and always in a good mood.
AJ: How would you define your work in three words?
JMS: Easy, sophisticated and nerdy.
AJ: What might the design world look like in 10 years?
JMS: It is difficult to predict that even 5 years from now, but surely with tons of NFTs, crypto land, and a new whole digital life. It is scary and exciting to imagine that we might be closer to being connected to machines or even to being immersed into a more digital world.
Schnaider’s passion for minerals guides his other work, including Abyssal Astronomy, a collection of obsidian coffee tables, and Configurable Geometry, a diverse side table collection offering clients their choice of mineral.
AJ: If you had one more hour in the day what would you do with it?
JMS: I would read. Unfortunately, with the projects I have, the traffic of the city, and all the social scenes in Mexico City I never have time to read. Everything is changing so fast nowadays that we must keep learning and reading to keep track of the new trends. Knowledge is power and by reading you can get it – if I had one more hour I would invest it on that.
AJ: Best advice you’d give your teenage self?
JMS: Take it easy, accept yourself as you are, and don’t get upset if the plan you had changes. 15 years ago, I would have never thought of myself as the person I am right now. Back in the day, I wanted to build a career in the hospitality industry; also, I never thought about coming out of the closet or even getting a tattoo. Teenagers should be proud of their beliefs and not be scared if their parents or society won’t accept them. It took me years to understand that.
AJ: How do you define beauty?
JMS: Beauty is pretty subjective, but could be anything. For me it is what makes you feel good and what you vibe and connect with. Beautiful and ugly don’t exist, it is a matter of perceptions, and that is the nice thing about it.
AJ: What do you find yourself daydreaming about most these days?
JMS: Right now all I can think of is finishing my thesis project for my Master’s Degree. I finished the program this past June, and I have not been able to work on the project since. It has been very difficult for me to find time to work on it. I dream of having a 10 day break to focus just on that. If I am lucky I will be able to finish it and finally get the degree.
About The Maker | Before founding Sten Studio, Jose Schnaider did not have a background in art and design. He studied Hospitality Management and right after finishing his bachelor’s degree, he started working in his sister’s company MineraliA, a brand dedicated to commercializing minerals, fossils, crystals and semi-precious stones. There, Jose developed a new part of the brand focusing on home decor and accessories, having his first approach in the design field. Later, he worked in RGR Gallery where he had a new understanding of art and new ways to explore different materials. By being passionate about rocks, he wanted to continue making designs using the stones as essence for his work and he created Sten Studio. The studio has presented twice (2019 and 2020) in the design fair Zona MACO in Mexico City, also with the lamp Hotai, the studio won the 2020 People’s Choice Award in the Professional category of L A M P, a competition partnered with Design Milk. The studio made his international debut in the 2021 edition of WantedDesign Manhattan.
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