I have told you a number of times why I started this podcast and how much I love these conversations. Following is one of my favorites for a number of reasons. I had the chance to sit with Anthony Poon, musician, artist, teacher, award-winning architect and IIDA interior designer. Poon received his Bachelor of Arts from Berkley and his Master of Architecture from Harvard.
So, we talk about architecture but we also discuss music and art, compare and contrast these disciplines and explore ways to incorporate new ideas into traditional applications using untraditional methods.
I loved this conversation and I hope you do too, but before we get into this conversation with Anthony, I want to thank you for listening and invite you to join in the conversation, you can find us @ConvoByDesign on twitter and @ConvoXDesign with an ‘X” on Facebook and Instagram. You can also find videos from these conversations on our YouTube channel, again search Convo By Design and you will find over 120 videos from some of your favorite guests. This is architect Anthony Poon.
This past weekend was the WestEdge Design Fair and once again, Troy Hanson and Megan Reilly have outdone themselves. I have been so fortunate to be associated with Troy and Megan at WestEdge. This is my favorite design event because it is really, as Troy and Megan have called it, “the anti-trade show”. Not that shows for the trade are bad, they are great. This one is presented differently and having worked with them for so many years, they try to give their attendees something new and different.
In that spirit, I wanted to do something unique as well and for Convo By Design, this was a huge endeavor. We were the presenting partners for the Programming Lounge and there were really two sides to this. The programming side and the design side. For the design, I turned to a trusted friend and incredible talent, Julia Wong of Julia Wong Designs. Julia did something fantastic with this space, not the least of which was collaborating with me to create a custom podcast desk that is completely mobile, dripping with luxury detail and designed for podcasters, YouTubers, home office communications as well as a great place for family based digital communications in a clean space with hidden wires and enough room for the whole family or team. It is also available for purchase with a ton of customized details. For more information, email the show convobydesign@outlook dot com and reference “Podcast Desk” in the subject line.
Okay, so this episode is special. It is a kickoff from the event and features the first conversation of the event featuring acclaimed designer Lori Dennis, Nicholas Gawith of Publicis.Sapient and Ivette Serrano of Lamps Plus. We talked about brand development for creatives. I wanted this group to cover the topic from the single designer to that of a global brand and this group delivered. After the stage segment ended, we broke up into groups and audience members became participants in a workshop with the panelists, it was special. Thank you to WestEdge Design Fair for allowing me the latitude to experiment, thank you to ASID Los Angeles for presenting this conversation and thank you to Lori, Nick and Ivette for their time and insights. And a huge thank you to you for listening as well as those that came to WestEdge Design Fair and participated in the events in the Programming Lounge presented by Convo By Design. I hope you enjoy this episode. If you do, please consider giving us a five star rating on iTunes or the platform where you find the show and make sure to check out the YouTube channel where you can see video from many of your favorite episodes… including this one.
This is Convo By Design with Dara Waxman, a set decorator whose work has appeared in films and TV but what is truly unique about Dara is here artistic endeavors in total. She has worked at multiple levels within the art department. Her skills include sketch up, illustration, carving, metalsmithing, goldsmithing, she crafts jewelry and comes from a family that was “in the business.” Dara and I talk about crafting for the winter during the summertime. Dara is so fun to talk to. You are going to hear about her da, he “made pictures”, You are also going to hear about working on horror movies and most importantly, about what it takes to make it in a business where “no” is not an option.
Thank you for taking the time to listen to Convo By Design. Remember that if you subscribe to the podcast, every new episode will be automatically downloaded to your smartphone or other device. You can also check out videos from many of the conversations you hear. A favor, while your there, please leave us a positive rating and review, it’s greatly appreciated. Enjoy this episode with Set Decorator, Dara Waxman.
Xander Noori and Keon Khajavi-Noori are Orange County, California’s dynamic duo of design. This all-in partnership is both personal and professional and as you listen to these two talk about how they met and how they work you will see that this partnership is built upon and thrives on contrast, conviction and perhaps a little conflict.
They each have their professional lane in which they try to remain and there is a great deal of respect each has for the other and each compensates for the other, sometimes grudgingly so. This was a truly fun conversation and I think you will find it especially interesting to hear not just about the design, but their product development and the never-ending desire to travel abroad to the industry’s most storied design focused events.
It’s October and in addition to all the things we love about Fall, one of our favorite design events is here and Convo By Design, Presented By Snyder Diamond is proud to be working with the WestEdge Design Fair again this year. Please make plans to attend this years event at Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar, October 18th through the 21st, and stop by the Convo By Design Programming Lounge designed by Julia Wong Designs. The goal was simple, provide compelling conversations for the trade and design enthusiasts. That’s it. So, this year, you will be hearing from remarkable professionals spanning multiple industries in an effort to offer new ideas and actionable concepts. Get your tickets and additional information at http://www.westedgedesignfair.com
This is Convo By Design with award winning set decorator, Victor Zolfo. Award winning…. Oscar winning for his work on Benjamin Button. I was really curious what that experience was like. How do you prepare yourself for the Academy Awards? Do you prepare a speech, or not? What if you win, what if you don’t…. I know, it’s an honor just being nominated. I’m sure that it is, but what if they don’t call your name? So, you get to hear it strait from someone who’s been there.
Zolfo has works on some truly memorable projects including The Avengers, The Social Network, Deepwater Horizon, Real Steel, Daredevil, Godzilla, and many many more but what is really interesting about this list is the diversity in his work. You have a range, yes in genres, but look at the diversity in time and feel. Victor’s job, his art is taking words from a page and crafting an environment so when you and I go see this movie, we believe that character but also that the character belongs in that space.
You are also going to hear Victor talk about films like Mr. & Mrs. Smith, the 2005 Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie film that was rumored to be the start of their relationship. This film was really interesting as well for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that a main character is the house itself… And the house is killed off in dramatic fashion. How does Zolfo manage the process knowing the a film isn’t shot sequentially. You are going to find out. This is Oscar winning set decorator, Victor Zolfo.
