OM Editions founders Orianna and Patricia Morrison explain how the pandemic reshaped our sense of style—and home.
Design has always served as a reflection of contemporary lifestyle. Pioneering design movements cemented trends in urban design and city planning, pointing to shifts in lifestyles and the ways in which the home has taken on new significance in modern society.
At the height of the coronavirus pandemic in the early 2020s, design also experienced a renaissance as individuals reconsidered and reconfigured their homes. Relegated to the home by shelter-in-place mandates and pervasive fear of contagion, the pandemic ushered silver linings for those willing to embrace a positive outlook: they were able to turn inwards and refocus attention on cultivating a sense of home.
There also existed, for some, the privilege of a return to conscientious living. Individuals were spending more time confined indoors with friends and family in their immediate co-habitation “units” and were therefore finding new ways to coexist, to collaborate, and to create. OM Editions, a mother-daughter design duo founded in 2020, found inspiration in exactly this. Combining their unique professional experiences across the real estate, interior design, and art gallery sectors, the founders behind OM Editions sought to reinvigorate design. They moved from mass production to limited editions, from synthetics to renewable materials, and from big to intimate.
Our mission is to create a more harmonious world, one home at a time.
For OM Editions founders Orianna and Patricia Morrison, this return to the essence of design imbues a sense of balance and mindfulness to their work—principles that distinguish their role in the market. Reflecting an ethos of the home as a sacred refuge, the Miami-based design duo have together embarked on a mission to advocate for harmony through interior design.
Though founded with a global ethos, the OM Editions team in 2022 announced their move to the Miami-market, often described as a homecoming for two women who have deep roots in the South Florida market. We spoke with the founders on the occasion of their return to South Florida in time to ring in an exciting new year for the duo. Here is what the designers had to share about their unique vision.
Tell us about OM Editions in your own words. What inspired you to launch a limited edition “collectible” furniture collection?
For us, OM Editions is a burst of creation and design, as well as of alliances and bonding. It is where our love for art and design comes to life and materializes. Our mission is to create a more harmonious world, one home at a time.
At OM Editions, less is more. We believe in timeless quality and a limited production process instead of unnecessary mass produced quantities. Hence, we make sure that each limited-edition design of our collection is an investment in the collective future of our planet. Each piece is custom made—mostly handmade—by renowned artisans using durable materials which allow them to endure, live, remain, or subsist in time. We trust the origin of the materials that we have chosen as well as the uniqueness of their lines and shapes. We trust the blend of the materials and the unifying trend of this Edition 01. Producing a reduced number of designs creates a sensation of scarcity that makes the buyer enjoy that one-of-a-kind piece that will only be on the market for a limited time.
OM Editions was established in Miami during the peak of the Covid 19 pandemic. This allowed us to reevaluate the impact, the mission, and the vision of what our furniture design studio should represent.
Limited-edition furniture is considered a refined piece of art for the home and the trend of collecting these types of limited pieces has increased, especially because the relationship we have with our homes changed radically after the pandemic. Spending more time at home implies a greater need to create a more comfortable space, directly related to ourselves and our lifestyle.
What is the shift that you saw in your community during the pandemic that prompted you to create a new design collection? What was the “need”?
We observed a shift in decor trends, catalyzed by the community’s desire to reinvigorate their homes with quality, collectible, sustainable, and harmonious design that cultivated a sense of sanctuary and balance in their homes.
OM Editions was established in Miami during the peak of the Covid 19 pandemic. This allowed us to reevaluate the impact, the mission, and the vision of what our furniture design studio should represent. We created OM Editions so people could have a virtual platform filled with a select collection of home décor pieces. Our business model is a multifaceted concept driven by strict modalities of the industry of contemporary design. Our selection includes our own line of artistically designed pieces in limited-editions, sorted by series and models, as well as a selection of decorative art objects resulting from exclusive synergies with international artists, renowned and emerging.
You are a mother-daughter design team. Why did you choose to go into business together? Is this your primary business focus now or do you contribute to other professions or companies?
We always wanted to start a business together. We used to talk about finding a way of consolidating efforts and, somehow, we knew that we would do it, sooner or later. Orianna also does art consulting on the side but this will eventually be an added service at OM Editions.
What aspects of your respective professional histories informed or influenced the direction taken by OM Editions?
Orianna comes from the world of art curatorship and advising, she has worked at internationally renowned galleries such as Galerie Perrotin, Thaddaeus Ropac, as well as at the New York based studio of the famous Mexican artist Bosco Sodi. She completed her university degree at the Parsons School of Design in New York and her master’s degree in Art Business at the Sotheby’s Institute or Art in London.
Patricia comes from a background in real estate, high-end design, and fine art craftsmanship. She has worked with renowned designers and developers in Miami. She has a solid portfolio of satisfied clients who deeply appreciate her creative management, innovative capacity and her handling of the business.
How do you complement each other professionally? What expertise do you each bring to the table? What is the delegation of labor?
Orianna brings her creativity, art experience and world-wide connections to the table. She has the ability to connect with individuals in the field at a different level. She does anything related to creative direction and artist liaison at OM.
Patricia brings her expertise of designing the interior and architecture as well as her real estate background. She designs the collections at OM Editions and works hand in hand with the artisans to produce the pieces. She also brings her excellent communications skills and business mastery to the table.
OM Editions was the genesis of fusing together our talents and life-long passions. We form a one-of-a-kind, powerful partnership.
You describe your influences as both art- and design-oriented. Can you name some historical sources you are inspired by and describe why they are so resonant for your work?
Our Edition 01 collection is inspired by the philosophy of cultivating inner balance in our minds as well as in our homes as embodied in the artworks of James Turrell and Carlos Cruz-Diez and in the architecture of Oscar Niemeyer. Its unifying trend is shape: we go from curved to lineal, and from classic to timeless. The eight pieces were designed with the purpose of giving people a sense of balance.
Other sources of inspiration include the landscapes of Roberto Burle-Marx, wire sculptures of Ruth Asawa, the sensory encounters of Olafur Eliasson and the world of Pierre Paulin’s interiors.
Specifically, the Plexi Paraban is a tribute to the artist Carlos Cruz-Diez. This piece is a celebration of the autonomous reality of color whilst capturing the ever-changing interaction of the natural light around us. It invokes a cosmic balance of the light reflected on the high-quality molten acrylic plexiglass that adapts to the interior space, scattering the sun rays causing a prismatic effect around it. It is the perfect piece for dividing spaces in an office or home. It is a versatile piece useful for subtly introducing a gradient of colors—or partially darken—any space, resulting in a delightful combination of light and shadow that is playful and profound at the same time.
Do you have a favorite piece in the Edition 01 collection? Please respond (you may contribute two separate or one answer) with your favorite furniture item and why.
If we have to decide for ourselves, our favorites would be the WaveWoo series because we are in love with the wooden wavy base, the colorful reflection of the PlexiParaban when the light hits it, the GlobeWoo for its minimalism, and the Gothic Armoire for its architectural influence. Each piece in the collection is welcoming and comfortable, in a perfect state of hygge.
Where can we find your pieces? Do you have any future news about the company we should keep in mind?
Our Edition 01 collection, and the exclusive variety of homeware objects that we have selected from collaborating artists, can be purchased on our online platform.
We have had presentations in Miami and Madrid and will soon be popping up in cities like Paris and New York to offer more options for our clients to discover our collections. Stay tuned and join us in this process of expansion and recognition.
The company was founded in Europe, and many of your artisans and production line are located there. Why did you choose to base your operations in Miami?
OM Editions was founded in Miami. The production of our furniture currently takes place in Europe. Miami is where we grew up, it’s home.