In its December 2011 edition, The New York Spaces magazine features an article on Mondocollection, a new showroom in the Flatiron district of NYC. Mondocollection carries many Manulution’s products, including the award-winning Daisy Collection. Most products shown in the magazine are from Manulution: Daisy Table and Chairs,Quiet Chair.
“I have a simple test for any new pieces that we bring into the Mondo Collection,” says Mario Elcid, who launched the hip, Flatiron District home furnishings business with partner Hany Boutros this year. “I always ask myself, ‘Is it new and fresh?’ and ‘Will I still want to live with it two years from now?'” The most interesting home furnishings, says Elcid, are neither knockoffs of some earlier generation’s dusty idea nor so trend-conscious that they become clichéd and disposable in a matter of months. Unlike haute couture, quality furniture, lighting, rugs, and home accessories are investments that require a long-term vision.”
An architectural engineer by training, a modernist by nature, and a world traveler by choice, Elcid explores the globe with Boutros, a friend for 11 years, in search of pieces to bring home to their New York gallery.
Like a lot of successful creative and business enterprises, the idea for Mondo Collection developed from a personal need. “I had found a new apartment in New York and was shopping for myself, but everything I found was either out of my price range or ‘more of the same’,” Elcid explains. “But when I would travel to Europe and the Middle East- Italy or Lebanon or London or Portugal- I would discover new designers who were respected in their countries but unknown here. There were things I loved and wanted to live with.” Problem was, it wasn’t practical to get a container and arrange shipping for just a few items. Knowing others must feel the way he did, Elcid teamed with Boutros to shop the world with more than themselves in mind. “You should be able to get the best of everything in the world right here in New York,” says Elcid. “We are helping to make that happen.”
