Legendary Conversations: Why It’s Worth it

Legendary Conversations from LaCienega Design Quarter’s Legends 2019 | 9 | Why It’s Worth It

I’m Josh Cooperman, host and publisher of Convo By Design. This is another episode of Legendary Conversations featuring the stories, events and intimate chats with legends of design. I am bringing you chats, conversations and keynotes from the magnificent showrooms of the LaCienega Design Quarter. This one is really fun, it was hosted by Hammer & Spear, featured moderator, Tony Freund, Editorial Director at 1st Dibs and showcased designers Jamie Bush, Nate Berkus and Verre Grenney.

Jamie, Tony, Nate and Veere talk about collectable treasures, their place in design and how luxury collectables or entire collections can enhance the overall design.

This is “Why It’s Worth It” from the Hammer & Spear Showroom during Legends 2019.

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!st Dibs

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Jamie Bush

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Nate Berkus

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Veere Grenen

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This was another Legendary Conversation from LCDQ’s Legends 2019. Thank you for listening to this episode of Convo By Design’s Legendary Conversations. If not already, please subscribe to the show anywhere you find your favorite podcasts. You can also check out videos from some of your favorite conversations on our YouTube channel as well as the Convo By Design Instagram feed. Search Convo X Design with an “x”. Thank you Tamar Mashegian, LCDQ President and longtime friend of the show, Patrick Dragonette, Special thanks to the amazing LCDQ showroom owners and managers and of course you because without you listening, there is no Convo By Design. Until next week, keep creating.

She Brings the South to SoCal | 239 | Genevieve Trousdale

Genevieve Trousdale is the founder and principal designer at Circa Genevieve, her Los Angeles based design firm. I had not yet met Genevieve before this chat, but I was aware of her work. Genevieve was born and raised in Louisiana and her southern roots are always present in her work and her philosophy behind the work. 

When I host these conversations, While I do  a lot of research, I don’t come in with a list of questions. I like to go into these conversations with a strong understanding of the work but I also like to focus on the replies to questions and shift the conversations based on that. My conversation with Genevieve took a really interesting turn. Genevieve received mentorship working under two world-class designers, Timothy Corrigan and Michael Berman. I think you will find this part of the interview captivating. She details how this changed the course of her career trajectory. This led to a follow-up conversation with both Michael and Timothy. All there will be joining me for a keynote panel at the WestEdge Design Fair in October to talk about this very topic.

This is Circa Genevieve’s, Genevieve Trousdale recorded LIVE in the Living Kitchen Studio A request before we get going. If not already, please subscribe to the show so every episode is sent as soon as they are published. You can find a subscription button everywhere you find your favorite podcasts.

Treasure Hunting for Unique Antiquities and Glorious Plants | 238 | Stephen Block

Stephen Block is the owner of Inner Gardens, he is an exterior landscape designer, antiques dealer and a practitioner of wabi-sabi. What is wabi-sabi you may ask. It’s the practice of finding the art in imperfection. It’s way more than that actually, but that is a basic explanation and I will let Stephen explain it further. 

I spent a day with Stephen at the Inner Gardens showroom in Culver City. It is an oasis, literally and figuratively. You walk in off busy Fairfax or busier LaCienega and the world seems to stand still as you enter a calm serene environment surrounded by pottery, foliage, trees and amazing objects at every turn.

It takes a master of landscapes to do this, especially as the concrete jungle grows around you, literally, from one week to the next. Stephen and I talked about a lot. I broke the conversation down into segments so you can hear Block’s story, directly from him. This is Stephen Block.

So this is how Stephen got started. More now on his philosophy on design. Important to note that Stephen has a firm understanding of what he is looking for in his own design, I think this makes him a tremendous asset to others who might not be so sure. Clients and designers alike. This is Stephen Block explaining that philosophy.

From finding perfection in an imperfect career comes an a love for finding art in the imperfections around us. Stephen discusses his love for wabi-sari and how he applies it to life and work. I love this and I hope you do too.

So there you go. Now you know Stephen Block of Inner Gardens. Go meet him and talk to him about wabi-sabi and let him show you around the Inner Gardens showroom. That is a wrap on this episode of Convo By Design, thank you Stephen for the time, thank you Snyder Diamond and SubZero Wolf for your continued support and of course, thank you for listening because if not for you, there would be know Convo By Design. Until next week, keep creating.

LEGENDARY Conversations From the LaCienega Design Quarter |8 | Rules Are Meant to Be Broken

I’m Josh Cooperman, host and publisher of Convo By Design. This is another episode of Legendary Conversations featuring the stories, events and intimate chats with legends of design. I am bringing you chats, conversations and keynotes from the magnificent showrooms of the LaCienega Design Quarter. This one is really fun, it was hosted by Circa Lighting. It’s called Breaking The Rules and features Mary McDonald, Suzanne Kasler and Thomas O’Brien. It was moderated by House Beautiful Editor-in-Cheif, Joanna Salta, who stated, and I think she was correct in her assertion that she might be the first panelist to moderate a Legends panel in overalls. And she crushed it with both the look and the conversation.

This is “Breaking The Rules” from the Circa Showroom during Legends 2019. 

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Mary McDonald

Twitter @MaryMcDonaldINC

House Beautiful

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Thomas O’Brien

Instagram: @AEROStudios

Suzanne Kasler

Instagram: @SuzanneKaslerLEGENDARY Conversations From the LaCiene

Surprise and Delight from Descanso Gardens | 236 | Pasadena Showcase House 2019

This is a look back at the 2019 Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts. A phenomenal accomplishment this year. The project reimagined the Boddy House located inside Descanso Gardens. It is a big property. One of the things that always surprises me is how  the designers can come in, apply their creative vision and somehow, it all seems to work cohesively with the work of all the other designers. This year is no exception to that phenomenon. Okay, I am keeping my commentary brief here because we have over 16 amazing designers to speak with. I am not going to try and put every designer on one episode because that would be completely exhausting for you. I am going to put this out in four parts with four designers each.

This episode features; Nicolette Akiko, Robert Frank, Stephanie Hatten and Louise O’Malley.

As has been my process for the past year or so, I have video and imagery to compliment the podcast. Listen to the episode and hear how the designers crafted their spaces. They share the stories behind the designs, then make your way over to the Convo By Design YouTube channel and see their work for yourself. My hope is that this will give you an experience that is a close as possible to actually being there, but you can’t because the 2019 Pasadena Showcase House is now closed. I hope you enjoy the tour.

World Class Design with Monika Haefelfinger | 235 | XTEN Architecture

Monika Haefelfinger is the president of XTEN Architecture. She is Swiss born, daughter of an architect, alum of USC and Columbia and holds a Master of Science degree in Advanced Architectural Design. I absolutely loved my chat with Monika and I hope you do as well. This journey you and I take each week together allows us to explore all avenues of design and architecture. I always learn something from these and this. Monika and I talk about Swiss/ California compare and contrast, diversity in design and some of her remarkable projects.

Thank you for listening to Convo By Design. Please subscribe to the podcast and receive every episode as soon as it’s published, for free, delivered directly to your mobile device. You can also find the show everywhere you already get your favorite podcasts.