Burnishing A Reputation in Experimental Ceramics, Lighting & Art Design | 506 | Ethan Streicher on Design and the Journey

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with an illuminating conversation about creativity, design and making things.

It’s that last part that I find so intriguing both Ethan Streicher of Streicher Goods. Anyone who has made something. I mean really made something as in a thing from a block of wood or multiple parts that were not designed to be put together knows that there is magic in crafting something from nothing. It’s what I imagine it feels like fro a designer or architect to take a space and turn it entirely into something else. Ethan Streicher is a maker of objects, an art director ceramicist and artist. 

Designer Resources

Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise.

Monogram – It’s the details that define Monogram

ThermaSol – Redefining the modern shower experience. Without steam, it’s just a bathroom.

Design Hardware – A stunning and vast collection of jewelry for the home!

 – Where service meets excellence

TimberTech – Real wood beauty without the upkeep

Ethan and I shared some time and swapped ideas about makers and making. I feel as thought the design industry in all disciplines woke up in the summer of 2020. The greatest take away from that time is in two parts; 1. Once something happens, it can happen again. and 2. When an occurrence takes place that affects the entire planet and every person on it at the same time, there will be fallout, changes, disruption upon disruption. That has what happened. Many have returned to what they perceive as normality. But we are still in the midst of vast changes in the way way think and the manner in which we live. If you want to see  what that looks like, turn to creators, makers, artists and writers. Put down the magazines and news, they can only tell you what was and perhaps what is. But not what will be. Look to the makers for that. 

Be skeptical. After all that is what guards against the dreaded trendy next big thing. 

Be curious. Without curiosity, there is no possibility of discovering that which might change your life in unimaginable ways.

Be free with honest and probing questions. Our society has changed the way it looks at questions. A question will open the door to understanding. If someone is offended by the question, it might be because they don’t know the answer.

Makers, thinkers, writers, artists, designers will show you the state of our world in ways others can’t, or won’t. Ethan and I explore what it means to be a creator in times like these. If you are a designer, decorator or set decorator, Ethan is a new source. You’re welcome.

There you go. Thank you Ethan for taking the time to talk and sharing your work. Thank you to my partner sponsors for your continued support of the show and the design community. It’s important to the health of our industry. If you are a designer interested in learning more about my partner sponsors like Pacific Sales, ThermaSol, TimberTech, Monogram and Design Hardware, as well as any guests or concepts you heard on the show, please check the show notes for more information. 

Please keep those emails coming. convobydesign@outlook.com and reach out on Instagram @ConvoXDesign, with and “x”. Thank you again for listening. Until next week, be well and take today first. – CXD

New & Now featuring SheSpoke and ASID-Los Angeles | 505 | A Day of Dropping Design Knowledge LIVE from Los Angeles

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with a ton to take in. When I moved to Tulsa in 2021, I thought that it would be a one year situation and then we would return to LA or figure out what was going to be the next destination. But something changed. Tulsa, Oklahoma is what the locals call, “Green Country.” And it is. Green. This part of the country is in what can only be described as the lower mid-west. It’s not the south. And one of the things that I noticed very soon after moving here was that life here is far less complicated than living in California.

Designer Resources

Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise.

Monogram – It’s the details that define Monogram

ThermaSol – Redefining the modern shower experience. Without steam, it’s just a bathroom.

Design Hardware – A stunning and vast collection of jewelry for the home!

 – Where service meets excellence

TimberTech – Real wood beauty without the upkeep

I am a native Angeleno. I have moved away, but always came back. I love California. But some things have changed over the past 20 years. They have changed drastically over the past 2 years. I made a trip to LA to visit my friends at Design Hardware who were hosting a day of media and interviews. During that trip, I had the opportunity gather with a number of designers and contractors to discuss changes in the design and architecture landscape.

In addition to Convo By Design, I produce Doctoring Up Design, the official podcast of Design Hardware. Design Hardware is a sponsor partner of Convo By Design and the partnership is a strong one, going on over 4 years. Part of this partnership is hosting and producing the podcast, as well as hosting and recording unique design and architecture events. One such event took place in February. There were two groups, one group of designers, in partnership with ASID-LA and another group of all female contractors. This is a very interesting project spearheaded by Joan Barton, founder of Dirty Girl Construction as well as SheSpoke, a platform dedicated to promoting the success of women in the industry. 

So today on the show, we will hear from a group of ASID-Los Angeles Chapter design professionals discussing new design ideas taking shape in Spring of 2024 . We will hear from an all female group if contractors answering the question, “why is it so difficult to build in California.” One hint, Title 24. 

That was incredible. An amazing group of ASID-LA designers that included designers;

The following conversation features;

Cheryl Vines | Mesa Design Group

Jaqueline Steinberg | Eve Mode Design @JackieSteinberg

Lenora Mahle | Mahle Design @LeonoraMahle

Mark Cutler | Cutler Schulze @CutlerSchulze

Juliette Schatan-van der Meijden | Curated by Juliette  @CuratedbyJuliette

Nicole Schulze | Cutler Schulze @CutlerSchulze

Philip Nielsen | Nielsen Dye @NielsenDye

For information on each of these designers and their firms as well as the great work being done by ASID-LA and the Doctoring Up Design podcast, check the show notes for links. Next, we are going to har from Joan Barton, Lauren Howley, Shannon Sheehan and Catie Casazza. SheSpoke and why is it so hard to build in California.

Not one, but two amazing groups today. These were only segments from each of the conversations. For the full episodes, go to the show notes and click on the links. Thank you to everyone who participated in this incredible day of networking and professional growth. Sometimes it feels like everything is broken and the fixes don’t come easy. But when you have amazing talent like this, the problems seem to almost solve themselves. We will be doing another event in LA shortly and i will report back with the findings. If you are a designer, architect, landscape architect who wants to participate OR, if you are a publicist with a client that you think might be a good fit, please drop me an email, convobydesign@outlook.com. You can also reach out on Instagram @ConvoXDesign with an “x”.

Thank you to my incredible partner sponsors; ThermaSol, Pacific Sales, Monogram, TimberTech and Design Hardware for your continued support of both the show and the design and architecture community. It’s important.

So, thank you again for listening and supporting the podcast. Until next week, be well and take today first. -CXD