Felix Muhrhofer

Furniture maker

©Elisa Seydel Felix vor Muster

A self-taught master of stones

Felix is entirely self-taught
He makes interior design pieces out of terrazzo
The infinite possibilities of terrazzo fascinate him

Felix Muhrhofer’s terrazzo pieces are no strangers to interior design lovers around the globe. His designs range from kitchen countertops to side tables and bar counters, bringing out the beauty of an often-overlooked mundane material – stones. This passion was sparked after Felix’s brother found a book featuring old terrazzo recipes. They tested it by making a floor in the apartment that they shared. Soon after, Felix designed and made his first kitchen. "The floor still exists today and is still beautiful." In 2001, he opened his first workshop in a garage after completing a degree in industrial and interior design in his hometown of Vienna at the University of Applied Arts and at the ELISAVA in Barcelona. Today, in a former farmhouse, he works with metal and wood, and casts and grinds terrazzo.

Where

Interview

©Elisa Seydel Felix vor Muster

©Elisa Seydel Felix vor Muster

Why did you choose to work with stones?: I immediately recognised the infinite possibilities of terrazzo as a material and was fascinated. The idea of working with a material that is lying around everywhere and whose beauty you can just peel out inspired me.
What is your working process?: After meticulous and lengthy preparation comes the most important moment of the production: the casting. During this most creative part of the production, the final appearance of the piece is partly determined at random. This process-dependent work means that the thrill is never lost.
What are your most memorable moments with this craft?: The strongest moments are those when a new design is completed for the first time and thus a long process comes to an end. Being able to admire the finished piece in a beautiful setting in the workshop is always a memorable moment.
Can you describe your workshop?: For the past year I have been working in a hundred-year-old farmhouse near Vienna. Piece by piece, I am restoring all the parts from the stable to the barn, creating a living and working space with a connection to nature.

Felix Muhrhofer is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2000 and he started teaching in 2020