Meet Alex and Yadi- husband and wife macrame duo who have set up the bar way way WAY high!!! with their standing macrame designs. It is my pleasure to show you, not only their creations that are being now sold on West-Elm NATIONWIDE, but also little cornes of their gorgeous home! (Peeps, you will not only land flat face on the floor due to mayor home inspo, but also for their ever growing plant collection!)
1) Tell me a little bit about you two, and the origin of Yerbamala Designs designs.
We met in college a little over 20 years ago. We were students at Havana University in Cuba. Shortly after graduation, we migrated to the United States where we eventually started working for corporate America. There has always been a strong interest for the arts and all of its forms, especially visual arts and interior design and in September 2015 while still being part of the corporate world, we decided to launch Yerbamala Designs as a much needed creative outlet.
2) Why the name Yerbamala Designs?
The resilience found in plants, specifically weeds, has always inspired us not only to seek strength and be resourceful but to also find beauty and inspiration in unexpected places.
We combined two Spanish words Yerba + mala, which literally means “weeds” as in the wild plant that grows everywhere.
3) Has your upbringing and cultural background change a source of inspiration for your work?
Absolutely! While growing up in mid-seventies Cuba, macrame was part of the decor in many homes. There's certainly a lot of nostalgia and childhood images of humble courtyards filled with greenery. No wonder our first macrame pieces were plant hangers! We wanted to translate that feeling into our work, and it has evolved into a modern interpretation of the traditional macrame art that reflects our design aesthetic.
4) With macrame being so popular these days, what would you say are the marks of your work as fiber artists?
We consider our aesthetic to be halfway between “more is more” and “less is more”, as we feel comfortable creating macrame pieces following both trends. Clean lines, structure as well as attention to detail and a clean execution are a must in our work.
Miami, like Havana, are very vibrant cities. Our use of color reflects that.
Using environmentally sustainable high quality materials is a must for our brand. Our pieces are created using 100% recycled cotton cord.
5) How would you describe your home decor style, and how is it a reflection of both you Yadi and Alex.
We don't limit ourselves to a specific decor style, so I guess eclectic with a bias for Mid Century Modern. We both love hunting for a good thrifty find and many of our furniture and decor pieces comes with a "Flea market hunting" story behind it! We tend to combine old and new. Art and books are important to us, so we surround ourselves with work from friends and finds from our travels. Plant pots, specially handmade ceramics are one of our weakness. Along with our large collection of plants of course...Exercising self restrain around those is hopeless.
6) In your garden, cacti are predominately standing out from other type of plants, any particular preference as to why?
Cacti are resilient and a bliss to care for. We are always in awe of the clean lines and repetitive, almost graphic patterns found in these plants. Which are so in tune with what we strive to achieve in our designs. But we love all types of plants, nature is always a huge source of inspiration.
7) Any decor and garden advise?
Our golden rule is that your home should make YOU happy and reflect YOUR style. Rather than blindly follow trends, surround yourself with objects that mean something to you, that tell your story.
Same philosophy applies to your house plants - First thing to consider when choosing your green friends should be your lifestyle. Can you commit to a watering schedule? What is the natural light situation in your space? Do you travel for long periods of time? We get questions about plant care all the time which gave us the idea to include complimentary plant care consultations as part of our macrame workshops.
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