Meet Felicia Zwebner | Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Felicia Zwebner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Felicia, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I think risk taking is essential to change and growth. The idea is to not do anything impulsive, harsh or sudden, but rather take a thoughtful contemplative risk approach. That can be a challenge in and of itself: I would call that process Managed Risk.

Risk has taken a significant role in my life and career and still does.
From the very beginning when I decided to make a career change from the corporate business world to the design world, I was taking a risk. I knew I was taking a significant pay cut, but I also knew my happiness was important. Although I very much appreciate the skill set and business acumen I gained by being in the corporate world, my passion to be creative was being stifled. So I decided to take the plunge and established my own interior design firm.

Since then I have taken countless more risks, whether it is flying to foreign countries where I don’t speak the language to meet with and/or pitch potential suppliers, establishing a business in a foreign country, sourcing materials internationally, manufacturing in a number of different European countries, investing time, money, and creativity in proposals for new client projects, exhibiting at international trade shows, as well as investing and developing new product lines it requires managing the risks associated with that.

I remember in 2010 when I decided to launch my custom furniture line, it was a time of global crisis. Most furniture factories were gun shy and told me they thought I was insane for starting a furniture line then. However I felt the market could only get better. and realized interior design services were a luxury not a necessity which meant in an economic downturn clients would not be hiring. A renowned international realtor had seen my bespoke pieces I had designed and staged for real estate developers’ residential properties and suggested I formalize my collection of furnishings into a product line available to the public. I had a eureka moment realizing that having a commodity would be more lucrative – Overnight FZ Collection was born. Initially, I expected the furniture would be marketed and sold for the luxury residential market, but an architect firm who appreciated not just the beauty of my pieces but their quality and structural integrity thought bigger and introduced me to their client – Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. I flew down to Florida and not only did they become a client, but now (fourteen years later) I design and produce custom furniture, mirrors, and lighting for the majority of leading cruise lines and super yachts.

My most recent risk is a new product – custom rugs being produced by Stark carpet.
It is a collaboration of one of Hollywood’s great leading actors who was also a prolific artist, Anthony Quinn. I am taking his paintings and using it as inspiration to create my own interpretation in designing custom wool and silk rugs. This has been an exciting outlet for my creativity using new materials and learning about the custom rug process. This has added a whole new dimension to the creative process. We expect that this product line will be a natural compliment to the furniture and lighting products.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
What sets my business apart from others is that infact there are two businesses that can work symbiotically or independently. The interior design firm, Felicia Zwebner Design, and the custom product line, FZ Collection. I often tell young aspiring designers that it is important to be adaptive to change.
If someone had told me in 1996 when I took the first steps in officially establishing my interior design firm (nervous whether I would even have any residential clients) that one day I would be in prominent designer showhouses, on TV shows, and published in magazines I would have told them ” a girl could dream”. Fast forward to now being the main supplier of custom furnishings for the Ritz Carlton Luxury Cruise ships I would have never imagined that could happen.

It has not been an easy path..I have spent countless hours traveling at ungodly hours on overnight flights landing on airport tarmacs before the sun came up with wind gusting as I haul my carry-on luggage (that I have stuffed several weeks of clothing) down the rickety stairs. Although I am not a coffee drinker, I have learned to chug espresso in order to function as I travel from the morning until late evening visiting factories and overseeing production only to arrive back at my hotel so late that I have a protein bar for dinner followed by a quick shower so that I can still manage to address my U.S. client needs before passing out of sheer exhaustion.

In addition, to what I said earlier about the importance of being adaptive to change, I have also learned that it is important to have a positive attitude, a strong work ethic, strong communication skills, and to not allow rejection to bring one down.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would first hit the Miami Design District and visit Fendi Casa because I absolutely love their design aesthetic and appreciate the fine details on their furniture. Next we would walk around the various shops and be sure to stop at Dior to go to their roof top cafe which has a cozy Parisian vibe. After we would walk around looking at some of the great sculpture and installations (Louis Vuitton had a really creative one made out of shipping containers). For dinner we would go to Swan restaurant with their hidden garden which looks magical at night and as it gets later in the evening turns into a club like atmosphere with performers walking on stilts and wearing neon costumes.

The next day would be a lazy beach day, but first we would hit a Soul Cycle on the beach followed by a Blue Spirulina smoothie at Joe & The Juice across from Lowe’s. Next would be to go to the SLS and swim in their fun pool that has a giant rubber duck followed by a lunch al fresco at The Bazaar by Jose Andreas. For a grand night out on the town we would attend a live performance at the Faena Theater which was inspired by Europe’s historic opera houses decorated in an opulent interior of gold leaf and red velvet decor.

The following morning we would hit Wynwood to check out the Graffiti walls which are full of history and content about the artist that can all be easily read by scanning the QR code. Since we are in Wynwood we would grab brunch at Zak The Baker. They have the best avocado toast! Since I can’t seem to OD on art we would hit The Perez art museum next afterwards. Later on that evening we would hop on board a yacht for dinner and dancing as we watch the sun set around Miami.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Nikki Field of Sotheby’s International Realty who planted the idea in my head to launch a custom furniture line

Website: www.feliciazwebner.com, www.fzcollection.net

Instagram: @feliciazwebnerdesign, @fzcollection

Linkedin: FeliciaZwebner

Facebook: Felicia Zwebner Design, FZ Collection

Youtube: @youtu.be/GOhG51XFtp0