Making A Go Of It: Ago Fo Fu
Michael Agorilla, is not one that you might assume was destined to be a designer. His parents, though creative, chose more pragmatic professions. His an accountant, his mother a nurse afforded him the freedom to explore his own heart and find his path. This path seems to be one of art, taste, and discipline. Whether seated behind a drum set, or in front of a kitchen stove, Agorilla is ever selective, observant and focusing on creating something unique. As an interior designer with Agofofu he is no different.
“I believe there is something in the air.” Michaels, describes the feeling when design is done right, “All the pieces add to a feeling that sits in the atmosphere, everything else is surface.” It must be viewed this way for a interior designer to be successful. Especially someone whose job is as intimate as dressing homes. Agofofu stands for something ago, referencing nostalgia of the past and form and function. He primarily works in new homes, dressing available properties with goods they can browse as they shop for a home. If they decide they want to keep the furniture in the house when they buy it, it is all the better.
When you think about buying a home, in many ways, you are buying a new life. Or at least the promise of what your new life could be. This is where that atmosphere becomes so important. When you walk in to a space, the look of it dictates so much about it and begins to frame your feelings and behaviors within it. Michael helps with this framing, and does so in a cost effective way. By sourcing reclaimed, vintage, and some new pieces Agofofu is able create a sophisticated aesthetic that is less harmful to the environment and your finances as well. It is a matter of identifying the character the individuals want to communicate and helping them send that message with the pieces in their home.
The model, of pop up retail is still not widely explored. Often times you find people walking into empty places or model homes that are furnished with what amounts to cardboard cut outs that resemble real furniture. This is not the case with Agofofu. The desired effect is that you feel welcome in a space, but can tell that great care was put into the selection of the items within it. Just as great care is taken for the guests who visit.
Michael is mild mannered and deliberate in his speech, and that carries over to his work as well. “I want the feeling of the fabric to be as important as the size and shape of the items.” , explains. Though calm, he has trouble sitting still. Always tweaking a placement here or there, even if only a few inches. The result may not be an arrangement that looks like the traditional idea of perfect, but is instead something else. A better word would be “appropriate”, the question he seems to ask is “Does this belong here?” Which is a deep concept in a certain way. The idea that everything in a home has a place of belonging, and not in a rigid way, but in a cohesive and fluid one that promotes ease and balance.
Looking to the future, Michael hopes to expand his concept into hotels and restaurants, creating fully shopable spaces out the places we already go. It would be as simple as recognizing the silverware or lighting fixtures on your phone and clicking the “buy” button.
Currently Agofofu has an open house at 4384 Lincoln Ave, in Highland Park. So if you are looking for a home, or somethings to fill it up with, stop by.
Michael Agorilla – Agofofu
