Ivo Stamenov - OTTO

Passionate designer and wood lover.


My days, my work, my life

My days are colorful.

Many people are coming in my workshop and everyone brings different emotions.

This, of course, reflects on me.

And it helps me a lot!

It turns out that yesterday I sketched on a sheet a jewelry chest, today – a toy or a lamp.

Constantly  I have new ideas that can not wait to go “live”.

So do not be surprised when between lamps or chests of drawers for jewelry, in which I’m in love, appears a toy for a child – just a little kid is under my skin this day.

And now let’s try to get serious:

My name is Ivo Stamenov and I work with wood.

It all started when my daughter was a little kid. I ventured into making different wooden toys for her, which she actually liked a lot.

Over the years this became more of a job than hobby for me, and turned to be more and more fascinating and exciting thing to do.
Drawing inspiration from the old masters’ precision, I started looking for the finer details and using different types of wood. Mahogany, walnut, cherry, apple, pear, plum, beech, oak, boxwood. Every wood material is different and very beautiful in its own unique manner.

While hand-working with a piece of wood, one can feel its warmth and smoothness. It somehow feels like silk, but made of wood. It gives you the cozy feeling of something simple yet exquisite.
It was not hard to imagine that fine woods were suitable for more than good children’s toys.
Thus came the idea of making tiny jewelry chests. I wanted them to be as fine and beautiful as the jewels themselves.

Each of the jewelry chests I make are polished with natural oils and waxes. I do not use varnish.
To add to the little furniture’s uniqueness, I also use handles designed after my own projects, tiny signs and other decorations cast from suitable metal. They are specially tailored for the various models.

And the lamps?
They have a very special place in my heart – each of my lamps tells a story.