As everyone knows, I am a fan of furniture made from concrete, especially when the designer manages to take the material and create something that feels as light and open as furniture made from things like plastic. Austin Texas-based designer and architect Efrain E. Velez, has managed to do just that with the OLithas collection.

All Photographs:  Alisa Marrow

Velez concept was to take the idea of using stone-like slabs and make them appear as light as waves. I think that this collection more than exemplifies that idea. Each piece consists of a high-grade finish concrete, that is formed into thin sheets. The underside of each is ribbed to add strength, lighten the visual appearance, and provide a structural mount for the thin stainless steel legs that support both the table and the benches. I absolutely love the refined finish of the concrete, and I am thinking that because it is concrete it can be stained to any color, which would expand the range of the product line.

According to Velez,the name came from two sources. The Greek word “Lithos” which means (Stone), and the Spanish words “Ola”, (wave) and “Olita” (tiny wave).