Los Angeles, michaelfelix.com
The designer is creating cool, contemporary upholstery pieces that leverage the capabilities of his family’s mass-market factory outside L.A.

What is American design to you, and what excites you about it?
American design to me is constantly trying to be innovative, and I think it’s really competitive and exciting in that way. A “what will the kids think of next” kind of thing. At the same time, I feel like there is freedom to work outside of the box, and people will get or appreciate your work. The design scene itself is very friendly, which is really refreshing.

What are your plans and highlights for the upcoming year?
I’m excited about collaborations and working with new people. I’m also thinking about design outside of the design context, like how a table can be more than a table. I’m still working on that answer.

What inspires your work in general?
I really enjoy looking at assemblage and collage from the ’60s, and reading old issues of World of Interiors is like getting a history lesson. I also have a desire to be different, which I hope to achieve in my work.