Meet Mikhail Glotov of Heaven furniture corporation

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mikhail Glotov.

Hi Mikhail, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Mikhail Glotov — Founder of HEAVEN

“I do not create furniture. I create a state of space.”

HEAVEN

My journey into furniture and design never began as a business plan or an attempt to “enter the industry.”
For me, it started much earlier — with the feeling of space, light, scale, and form.

I was born in the Magadan region — a place where nature leaves a profound mark on the way a person perceives the world. The North taught me to see what truly matters. There is nothing excessive there. Only light, shadow, material, and silence.
From childhood, I remembered not objects, but states of being: the way snow absorbs sound, the way the northern lights transform space, the way shadow falls across a surface.

Later, my family moved to Komsomolsk-on-Amur.
The Amur River became my true school of scale and inner depth. It was there that I first began to feel that an object could be more than just a function — it could become part of an environment and a mood. That form could exist as naturally as the flow of a river or the line of a shoreline.

After that came Saint Petersburg — the city that ultimately shaped my understanding of architecture, proportion, and the culture of space.
The white nights, stone, water, rhythm of facades, and silence of the courtyards — all of it taught me to perceive the emotional quality of geometry. I realized that form can resonate.

But my path is not only philosophy.
It is also nearly twenty years of real production experience.

I began with measurements, installations, and furniture assembly. I worked as an installer, constructor, production manager, and later as the general director of a furniture company in Russia.
Over the years, I went through virtually every stage of the furniture business: from hands-on work in the workshop to managing production, teams, logistics, and highly complex custom projects.

I worked simultaneously with architects, designers, installers, engineers, and clients. I trained employees, built production systems, introduced new technologies, and optimized factory operations.
For me, furniture is not simply an object. It is an entire system where an idea must travel the full path from thought to physical realization.

I have never separated design from production.
A beautiful sketch means nothing if it cannot be realized honestly — structurally, technologically, and materially.

A tremendous influence on my path has been my wife, Karina Sivkova.
In many ways, she showed me what furniture and design could truly be. Not merely production or interior objects, but a language capable of conveying atmosphere, emotion, and the feeling of space itself.

Karina is the person with whom I walk through life together.
She is my greatest muse, support system, and partner in all my endeavors.
Without her belief, energy, and constant support, much of what exists today simply would never have happened.

It is largely because of her that I began to see furniture not only as craftsmanship and production, but as a cultural and emotional statement.

Today, I live and work in the United States, where I continue to develop HEAVEN — a studio focused on architectural furniture and interior objects.

My work combines northern restraint, Far Eastern scale, the architectural philosophy of Saint Petersburg, and the freedom of American thinking.
I am interested in creating not simply furniture, but objects that influence space and the way a person feels within it.

When I create an object, I think not only about function.
I think about light. About shadow. About rhythm. About how the object will interact with air, architecture, and the human presence around it.

For me, furniture is a continuation of memory.
The memory of the places I have passed through.
Of the northern lights of Magadan.
Of the flow of the Amur River.
Of the white nights of Saint Petersburg.
And of the new energy of New York.

I do not invent form.
I remember it.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The path was definitely not smooth.
One of the greatest challenges for me has always been building a strong professional team. In furniture manufacturing, it is not enough to simply hire employees — people need to be trained, involved in the process, and guided toward a shared understanding of quality, detail, and responsibility. Finding the right specialists takes years and requires significant financial investment. Even a highly skilled employee still needs to be “grown” into your own vision, philosophy, and approach to work.

In the beginning, it is especially difficult to grow when all you have is the money you have earned yourself. You are constantly balancing the desire to expand, invest in equipment, people, and materials, while also trying to keep production stable. But I believe that growth is possible even under those conditions — if you have persistence and a clear understanding of why you are doing it.

Another challenge is the fear that no one will understand your ideas. Many creative people face this. But over time, I realized that it simply is not true. If you truly believe in what you do, and if you do it honestly and with complete dedication — people will feel it.

That is why my main advice is: do not be afraid.
Be bold. Create what you genuinely love. That is where something real is born.

We’ve been impressed with Heaven furniture corporation , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
HEAVEN is a New York–based furniture and architectural millwork studio focused on custom interiors, sculptural furniture, and highly detailed woodworking solutions. We collaborate with interior designers, architects, developers, and private clients to create custom kitchens, vanities, architectural cabinetry, wall systems, and furniture pieces that combine functionality with emotional and architectural depth.

What makes HEAVEN different is that we approach furniture not simply as a product, but as part of the atmosphere of a space. For us, design is not decoration — it is a way of shaping how a person feels inside an environment. Every object is created with careful attention to proportion, light, material, rhythm, and texture.

One of the things I am most proud of is that our work is grounded equally in design and production. We understand every stage of the process — from concept development and technical drawings to fabrication, finishing, logistics, and installation. This allows us to create highly customized projects while maintaining precision, reliability, and long-term quality.

We believe true craftsmanship lives in the details: in the joinery, proportions, materials, finishes, and discipline behind every decision. Our process combines modern technologies such as CNC manufacturing with traditional hand-finishing and artisan techniques.

More than anything, I want people to understand that HEAVEN is not just about furniture. It is about creating spaces with identity, atmosphere, and memory. Spaces that feel timeless, personal, and deeply connected to the people who live in them.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
For me, support and collaboration have always been an essential part of the journey.
Furniture and architectural work are never created in isolation. Every meaningful project is the result of trust, dialogue, and shared vision between people.

One of the most important people in my life and work is my wife, Karina Sivkova. Her influence on HEAVEN and on my creative direction has been profound. She helped me see furniture not only as construction or production, but as emotion, atmosphere, and cultural expression. Her support, perspective, and belief in what we are building together have shaped both me and the brand in countless ways.

I also deeply value collaboration with architects, interior designers, developers, engineers, and skilled craftsmen. I believe the strongest projects emerge when different disciplines and perspectives come together with mutual respect and a shared commitment to quality.

At HEAVEN, collaboration is not simply part of the process — it is part of the philosophy.
We work closely with our clients and partners from concept to completion, ensuring that every detail reflects both technical precision and emotional intention.

To me, true design is a dialogue between people, material, space, and memory.

Pricing:

• Custom Vanities — starting at $3,500
• Custom Kitchens — starting at $25,000
• Architectural Millwork Projects — pricing upon request

Contact Info:

• Website: https://heavendesign.co
• Instagram: @designwithfurniture
• Facebook: @HeavenByGlotov
• LinkedIn: Mikhail Glotov
• Youtube: @Design_In_Process
• Yelp: HEAVEN Brooklyn-2
• Other: Pinterest/ HEAVEN by Glotov

Image Credits
Design and creative direction by Mikhail Glotov and Karina Sivkova.