Nature’s Inspiration: Inside the World of BuzziShroom

Just a few hours after stepping off the plane from LA, acclaimed designer Cory Grosser excitedly meets us at our Bladel manufactory in the Netherlands. He can’t wait to see the final iteration of BuzziShroom, which marks the designer’s foray into acoustic lighting. 

With Grosser's renowned expertise in merging form and function, BuzziShroom represents a bold departure from conventional design paradigms. Drawing inspiration from the natural beauty of mushrooms, Grosser has successfully infused BuzziShroom with a harmonious blend of organic aesthetics and practical utility.

Beyond that, the acoustic solution transcends the ordinary, transforming spaces into immersive environments that evoke a sense of natural wonder. With its sculptural presence and versatile lighting application, BuzziShroom redefines the boundaries of interior design, inviting individuals to connect with their surroundings in a truly transformative and inspirational way.

With an eye for detail and a passion for pushing boundaries, Grosser unveils the inspiration, challenges, and triumphs that flourished in the creation of BuzziShroom.

What inspired the concept of the BuzziShroom design?

BuzziShroom started from the idea of scale, so imagine a small table lamp but blown up to a larger scale. It’s also a bit like a sculpture of Claes Oldenburg where the scale of the object changes your perception. It’s really important for an acoustic project because, for an acoustic product to work properly, we need mass. The larger the volume, the more acoustic material we can put into that volume and the more performance we can get.

Can you elaborate on the design philosophy behind BuzziShroom?

Happy minimalism is a design idea about pure geometry and pure form but also optimism and happiness. Being from California, the sun is out quite a bit and I think there’s a certain energy with that. We try to have that come out in our design work, and I think it’s really interesting for a brand like BuzziSpace, which is a company about happiness and well-being. The cool thing about BuzziShroom is when you see it, you’ll probably smile. For me that’s success!

How did you balance aesthetics and functionality when designing BuzziShroom?

With the products that we design, we’d like them to be flexible. It’s great when you design a product that can go well in a home, office or restaurant; I think BuzziShroom can do all that. Perhaps for the hospitality sector, you can imagine it in a series of hotel rooms or hotel lobbies; really any space that has acoustical challenges.

But the cool thing with BuzziShroom is that it’s not a traditional wall or ceilingmounted acoustic product, but indeed it’s a lamp that can help solve acoustical problems. I believe BuzziShroom has a strong identity and character that people will really like.

What challenges did you encounter during the design and development process?

When you’re creating a new typology of product, there are always challenges because there’s not a lot of history. But in this case, I think we had to figure out how to achieve nice light quality in an upholstered product.

The team here at BuzziSpace has been great because they helped to make sure that not only is it a cool form and cool product, but it is also high performing and the quality of light is nice. Likewise, it’s still an upholstered product so the tailoring has to be done very well and I think we also spent a lot of time trying to get the sewing and the stitching and tailoring details just right. In the end, I think it’s come out well.