Category Archives: Art

Outdoor Design Practices For A Changing World | 513 | Nature, Technology & Design Through the Eyes and Work of 7 Exceptional Creative Design Professionals

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Crafting Exquisite Outdoor Spaces Designed to Withstand the Harshest and Taxing Environments and Looking Great As They Do and Developing them for the Greatest Possible Value. Social, Restorative Retreats and Blending them Seamlessly with Indoor Design.

The days of treating indoors and outdoors separately are over because clients have experienced a new level of performance through travel and hospitality. These higher demands are creating demand for material innovation, groundbreaking creative thought and thinking differently about design and architecture. From outdoor kitchens, ADU’s, transitional spaces that bridge one space to the next. How have these new demands changed the way creatives think about the work, reworked site plans, innovative expansion of ideas. This discussion will cover these ideas and more as they are explored in real time. Thank you Ganahl Lumber for your generous donation of space for this group to meet!

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

#Design #Architecture #OutdoorDesign #Decking #TimberTech

Sam Toole, Chief marketing Officer | The Azek Company: This is TimberTech, a composite product that takes the best characteristics from natural wood and uses technological advancements in manufacturing to incorporate recycled plastics to form and inner core that not only provides a superior performance compared to wood but also provides a use for these are recycled plastics and keeps them out of oceans and landfills.

Gemma Hartigan, Pro Channel Marketing Specialist | TimberTech: Using the research, manufacturing and best practices to assist professionals in the trade specify TimberTech products to create amazing spaces for their clients. Amazing spaces that utilize TimberTech in was that increase performance space while being sustainably responsible. Doing well and doing good while crafting stunning and performative spaces is the new meaning of luxury.

Pam Barthold | Pazzam Designs: Inside out can best describe Pam’s philosophical approach to interior and exterior spaces. Gone are the days when interior designers could afford to ignore the outside spaces as they have now become inextricable tied to the overall residential design approach. @PazzamDesigns

Juan Ospina | Hoffman Ospina Landscape Architects: How international exposure at a young age informs his creative approach to outdoor spaces. Using that exposure to art, culture and history to create a meaningful outdoor experience. Using those memories to craft and create complex site evaluation and drawing out best use of spaces. @HoffmanOspina

Stephen F Jones | SF Jones Architects: Bringing Outside In and specifying the appropriate materials to accommodate changes in environmental behavior. Social spaces are now one of the most highly sought out spaces and the design community is addressing this demand in new and unique ways through application of specialized spaces using modern materials designed to perform and protect against environmental destructive forces. @SFJonesArchitects

John Fledman | Ecocentrix Landscape Architecture: Exceptionalism in Exterior Landscape Projects. The roles have changed in much the same way tastes for indoor outdoor living have. Creatives are providing clients with exceptional spaces inside and out to speak to not only client desires but by pushing the boundaries of deign and landscape architecture. @Ecocentrix.Landscape

Anna Hoffman | Hoffman Ospina Landscape Architects: Taming the Wild Outdoors. Anna shares her thoughts regarding taming the outdoor spaces while still allowing for living on the edge in a well design and individually crafted space. That ‘touch of wild’ puts an extra level of demand on products and materials used. It has become more important than ever to focus on materiality suited for more extreme conditions. @HoffmanOspina

Anthony Laney | Laney LA: Passion and emotion are key principles applied to the firms work. It is a part of the company culture, owned and applied to all the firm’s projects. That passion and emotion provide clients with unique outdoor spaces that rival the indoor design regardless of size. Because many of the firm’s projects are on the coast, this requires matching that emotion with materials that can stand up to and thrive in adverse conditions. @LaneyLAInc

Lauire Haefele | Haefele Design: An outdoor space requires thoughtful consideration regarding both form and function. The ideas of how outdoor spaces are being used also requires a more thoughtful approach considering that the level of use and application has changed due to a significantly higher level of functionality and purpose. This purpose is expanding the homes from living spaces indoors to that of the outdoors in much the same way. All while requiring a lasting approach to materiality. Laurie share some of her ideas and projects that utilize this approach masterfully.

Susanne Csongor | 512 | Individual Reflections on Design, Making it Personal & Why Dogs are the Best

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I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design. The episode today features, Susanne Csonger of SLC Interiors. Susanne has spent decades honing her craft and taking the lessons learned and reinvesting that knowledge back into her design company. Usually, only discussions talk about the capital reinvested into the company. Susanne has adopted a unique approach that takes from personal experiences and lessons learned along the way to personalize her approach both personally and professionally. So, you might ask, what’s so unique about that?

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’ll tell you. First, great question, one that I pondered myself. The answer is simple, but not easy. Susanne has taken lessons from personal experience to self-reflect, understand what is important to her and apply that philosophy to the work product and design ethos. From this conversation, I took away an understanding that Suzanne doesn’t just read the trades, go to shows and look online to capture tends and adapt them to her firm’s stylistic approach to design. Many successful designers do just that. And that works for them. But Suzanne is more of an artisan in her approach. One whose focus is on the shared experience of well-designed spaces. We discuss a number of other issues as well affecting design firms today like AI, social media, media attribution and regional differentiation. By the way, that last one is going to be a very big issue in the coming years as designers who expended from their traditional areas of work.

Thank you Susanne for a wonderful chat. Thank you to my partner sponsors ThermaSol, TimberTech, Pacific Sale and Monogram for you constant and consistent support of both Convo By Design and the industry. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to listen to the show. This thing of ours is amazing. 11 years strong and I could not do this without you. Please keep those emails coming, Convo By Design at Outlook.com. Reach out on Instagram as well. Tell me if there is a designer you would like to learn more about and we’ll see if we can make that happen. Thank you for listening, downloading and subscribing. Until the next episode, be well, and take today first. -CXD

The 2024 Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts | 511 | Perspectives: One of America’s Favorite Design Happenings

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I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with a return to one of my favorite design house destinations, the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts. Pasadena Showcase is an institution going on 60 years with a reputation for exquisite design, playful and fun ideas in fun and unexpected spaces and some of the best design talent around. Competing and collaborating to see who can be the showstopper but always for the betterment of the whole project.

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

This was so much fun. I haven’t had the opportunity to reconnect with the organization since 2020. I remember heading out to Pasadena and meeting with the designers outside by the pool instead of in their spaces. What a weird time. But this year, we gathered at Design Hardware in Los Angeles for a round table discussion about the project house this year. I was joined by:

Margaret Lalikian | Margaret Lalikian Design and Decor

Rachel Scheff | Rachel Scheff Design Studio

Rebecca Hansen | Rebecca J Hansen

Ashleigh Miranda | AYM Interiors

Shari Tipich |Shari Tipich Decorative Design & Artistry

Steven Cordrey | Cordrey Collection

If you’ve been listening for a while, you know how I feel about design houses and showcases. They are the equivalent to the auto show for gear heads. You get the chance to see what can be done with the right creative force and opportunity to showcase it without the usual boundaries of ownership. I am a fan of Pasadena because I am very familiar with them, I appreciate how they operate and I feel like the designers do as well. Again, this is a round table conversation and you are jumping right into the deep end of design house creations from the 2024 Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts. We’ll get to that, right after this.

What an amazing group! Loved this, hopefully you did as well. Thank you to all of the amazing creatives who shared of themselves and their work. Check the show notes to see their work and this remarkable house. Thank you to everyone at the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts for being so wonderful to work with! Thank you to my incredible partner sponsors, ThermaSol, Design Hardware, TimberTech, Pacific Sales and Monogram for your partnership and support for the design trade. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to listen, download and share this show. It means the world to me. Thank you for your email guest submissions and show ideas. Thank you for following and interacting on Instagram. This support and engagement inspires me to work even harder to find amazing voices and stories behind design. Until next week, be well, and take today first. – CXD

Soie de Lune | 510 | Daniel Marcus & Jonathan Michaud on Modern Textiles and Respecting the Ancient Artistry

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I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design. Today, you are going to hear from Daniel Marcus – CEO and Jonathan Michaud – Head of Design of Soie de Lune. Like everything in life, this podcast has changed over the years, I have changed over the years, the business of design and those who contribute have changed which is why I love to begin with the origin stories of the guests who join me for these conversations. You’ll hear why.

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

What is really fun about the following chat is that the loom really hasn’t changed all that much. The yarns have. But the loom has not. Textiles are magical. The materiality of a fine silk, the texture, colors and ability to create is one of the concepts that allows designers to create exceptional spaces that differentiate based on color, shape and pattern, for sure but also the experiential nature of the space that allows clients to add that additional senses of touch and smell. This conversation covers all of the above and more. One of the concepts explored is how this company is addressing the challenges of achieving balance between modern design requirements and and the artisanal nature of weaving. Love this and I think you will to. We’ll get to it, right after this.

Thank you Daniel and Jonathan for taking the time to join me for this. Thank you to my partner sponsors ThermaSol, Design Hardware, Pacific Sales, Monogram and TimberTech. Thank you for your considerable support of the design industry and those who comprise it.

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to listen to the show. This thing of ours is amazing. 11 years strong and I could not do this without you. Please keep those emails coming, Convo By Design at Outlook.com. Reach out on Instagram as well. Tell me if there is a designer you would like to learn more about and we’ll see if we can make that happen. Thank you for listening, downloading and subscribing. Until the next episode, be well, and take today first. -CXD

Susan Ferrier | 509 | Our May 2024 Design Icon Registry Inductee

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I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with another installment of the Design Icon Registry. The Icon Registry inductee for May 2024 is the incomparable, Susan Ferrier. Here is how Susan describes her work, “Our interiors are meant to be experienced, to take you beyond the expected and into the extraordinary. We design lush, romantic spaces that are at once bold and refined, imbued with drama and meaning.” I’m going to suggest you might want more of this. Well, here it comes.

If you have heard these segments before, you know, I don’t do contests and I most certainly don’t do lists. Lists are gimmicks designed to capture clicks. They are, click bait pure and simple. You cannot tell me that a list of 50, 75 or 100 designers and architects are the absolute best at what they do without providing context. Lists are created in the hopes that those who are being listed will promote the accolades and that attention will be driven back to the author of the list. And contests where creatives have to reach out to their base to get them to vote for them is just wrong in my opinion. Because, if someone is amazing at what they do… Celebrate that, no strings attached. And that is what we are going to do here. 

Now, the criteria… Each inductee has been a guest on Convo By Design. They have a body of work that is exceptional in their various disciplines and there is no justification required for their world class status. They give back to the industry, they are innovators, givers and make our industry better than they found it. This project is called the Convo By Design Icon Registry, because that is what this is, tantamount to a hall of fame, but more. What is an ICON? Described as an icon; A person or thing regarded as a representative symbol or as worthy of veneration. A registry is a well curated list. You can consider this a venerable who’s who in our industry with gifts to offer and a willingness to share. Pablo Picasso is credited with saying, “the meaning of life is to find your gift and the purpose of life is to give it away”. Now, I am not suggesting that those enshrined in the Icon Registry have all just been giving away their gifts. These are professionals of the highest order and part of being a professional is knowing your worth and understanding your value. Each of these individuals have appeared on Convo By Design, shared what they know for the betterment of others, and I am deeply appreciative for that. This is the most authentic way that I can express my gratitude for that. As deeply appreciative as I am for their sharing, I am equally grateful for your taking the time to share a few moments, an hour out of your busy schedule each week to listen to the show. Again, the most authentic way that I can express that gratitude is to give you an opportunity to hear them again. Every month, the last Thursday of the month, unless it’s a holiday week, in which case I will publish a week sooner, I will share a new inductee with you.

As stated, the May, 2024 inductee is Susan Ferrier. She appeared on Convo By Design during the pandemic and I instantly understood her philosophy. Pre-pandemic, there was a shiny sheen over design. There was a focus strictly on how the look. Then, when the world changed, the focus became centered on how it works and yes, it still had to have the look, and the performance but also the feels, all of them. Susan Ferrier, was already doing this. Designing lush, lavish, romantic spaces for not just what might look good in a magazine but would also elicit an emotional response. Susan’s portfolio is a compendium of collected works that blend elegant concepts with earthy and opulent materials alike. Her work is special, not just because I or others think so, yes, important that her client’s think so. But in my conversation with Susan, you are going to hear that she thinks so. This isn’t a job to her, it’s a calling. A series of passions curate and collected, then elegantly molded and pressed together to create an experience as much as a designed space. That is what’s so truly special about Susan Ferrier and why she is in the Convo By Design Icon Registry.

Thank you, Susan for making this world a more beautiful place than you found it. Congratulations on your addition to the Convo By Design Icon Registry. Thank you for listening and subscribing to the show. Thank you to my partner sponsors Design Hardware, ThermaSol, TimberTech and Pacific Sales. these are amazing partners all, they support the trade and I love sharing these amazing resources with you. Thanks again for listening, until next week, be well and take today first. – CXD

No Rules in the Universal Application of Design Products | 507 | Erin Minckley of Relativity Textiles

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I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design featuring a conversation with Erin Minckley of Relativity Textiles. An artist who started a textiles company from passion and love came a business and that is only the beginning.

From brand building to creating and sharing is how Erin crafted an idea to build a business. A business based on passion but also a business crafted to succeed in a very crowded, very competitive space. How? While we do get into the weeds a little bit about building a business, something I generally stay away from because Convo By Design is not a business of design show. There are more than enough of those and I never wanted to do that. It’s about the stories behind the work that I find so fascinating and Erin’s story is an interesting one. That story can’t be told without first exploring why she wanted to get into such a competitive space and how she does it differently. And she’s going to tell you all about it.

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

Thank you to Convo By Design partner sponsors, ThermaSol, TimberTech, Pacific Sales, Monogram and Design Hardware. And thank you for taking the time to listen, subscribe, download and share Convo By Design. Thank you to everyone who has made a show or guest suggestion, keep em coming, I love them as well as show ideas. I use many of them because I created this show for the design community in 2013 and who better to know what is working on the ground level but those who do it day in and day out. Please reach out via email, Convo By Design at outlook dot com and on Instagram @ConvoXDesign with and “X”. Thank you again to those subscribing to the show. By doing so, you receive every new episode the moment its published. You also receive The Design Messengers episodes on select Mondays that touch on new developments taking place in the industry, Drinking About Design on the occasional Friday where I get together with some amazing creatives over drinks, and The Convo By Design Icon Registry episodes on the last Thursday of each month where we enshrine exceptional creatives in our hall of fame. Until we meet again, be well, and take today first.

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

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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

The Design Messengers | 503 | An Extraordinary New Design Book from KAA Design Group, The PIRCH Saga Continues, An Architectural Pratt Fall and More!

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I received something in the mail recently that brought a huge smile to my face, and I think it will do the same for you.

You might have surmised that this means another BOOKLOOK and you would be correct. There are very few things that I enjoy more than receiving a surprise package. It’s the simple things in life, am I right?  I received a parcel that contained the latest monograph from KAA Architecture, of whom, I am an enormous fan. I love their work, yes but I also consider Grant Kirkpatrick and Duan Tran likeminded, ideological compatriots. Both Grant and Duan have been on the show. I have spent a great deal of time with both and I will share something with you about talent, creativity and the willingness to extend ones comfort zone. KAA Design Group is a firm based on creative adventure. Based on solid fundamental principles of design and a joyful willingness to express new ideas. And you can hear their joy when they speak about what they do.  

You now understand why I was giddy with excitement to flip through this weighty tome. Weighty it is and also jammed with both creative expression and fundamental expertise in the field of architectural design.

The book is entitled Residing with Nature. It contains an interview with Grant and Duan that is insightful and telling what is to come in the following pages. 

They open with one of my absolute favorite KAA Design projects. TREE HOUSE based in La Jolla, CA.  This home is an extraordinary example of masterful site planning. Dimension and topography are exquisite. The vegetation surrounds and infrastructure compliments the entire footprint of the site.  The structure itself, concrete, wood and glass with a stunning Oak planted at the rear of the home also welcomes you upon arrival due to the size, scope and scale of the 300 year old specimen. Side note. As a woodworker, I love turning oak. I love working with oak because it’s grain is spectacular, with distinct rings and you can see the uniqueness from the inside, but also from the exterior as each oak tree is distinctly different in the growth pattern, gnarly bark and leaf clusters. This tree obscures some parts of the structure yet opens willingly to others for a high level of interest. this is what exceptional architects see and understand before a single form is built. This residence is exceptional in every way. This book gives the reader a look inside the thought process that led to its creation in image and carefully selected text. I imagine the same care went into every line drawn.

Another exceptional example of the true essence of the work lies in the Tower Grove residence. An exceptional example of site management combined with extreme engineering that makes this an absolute masterpiece in architectural design.

Both examples noted and throughout this entire book, you will find example after example of the symbiotic relationship explored, detailed and executed in the work of KAA Design. The book is available now, published by Rizzoli. Check the show notes for links to KAA, Rizzoli and to buy this book. I think if you are a fan of architecture, extraordinary design vision and sustainable building, you will love this as much as I do. Grant, Duan, well done. Congratulations.

Next up, some house cleaning and scatter shooting. Starting with updates, listen to the podcast for everything you need to know.

SOURCE: Internet week of April23

https://www.retaildive.com/news/high-end-appliance-retailer-pirch-chapter-7-liquidation-lawsuits/713981/

https://www.dwell.com/article/chris-pratt-katherine-schwarzenegger-demolished-craig-ellwood-zimmerman-house-and-the-internet-is-furious-176c7c46-093eaa4e

https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/westedge-design-fair-brought-la-design-world-santa-monica

 

Lessons Learned After 11 Years and Five Hundred Episodes | 500 | Storytellers, Best Practices and Ideas to Make the Design and Architecture Industry Stronger

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I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design. Episode 500. Five Hundred!

In years past, I have stopped down to celebrate mile stones in a few different ways. Last year, we held a party at the Soho House studio in West Hollywood to celebrate 10 years of the show. Every hundredth episode, I would feature past guests. For this milestone, I wanted to do something a little bit different. Instead of talking about the past, I wanted to focus on the future, share a few past moments to galvanize the point and move on. With gratitude and love in my heart. I love this industry because of all the amazing people I have had the good fortune of meeting and hearing their stories. I am so fortunate to have been to some of the most amazing places and seen some incredible things that designers, architects, artists and makers can create. But the past 11 years have not been easy. It hasn’t been all fun and games. Our industry is one of the most diverse and rapidly changing from a business and operations standpoint. And I have some bad news for those hoping the changes will slow or stop. It’s not going to happen. But I don’t see that as bad news. I’m excited for the future. Before you can properly prepare for changes, you must be aware of what’s coming. Mark Twain is credited with the quote, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” 

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

To me, that means and for our conversation here, it means that if you look at how our industry is evolving, you will see marks and identifiers from the past reemerging in new and unique ways. Products being used differently, ideas being reimagined, and previously unthinkable technological advancements solving for past and new challenges. At the same time, there will be past issues that continue to rear their ugly heads. Things like: 

Tariffs and supply chain issues wreaking havoc with the financial structure of the business which affects us all directly. of course it also depends on which public officials are in office at any given time.

The issue of editorial credit, attribution, idea and IP theft and knock-offs – Why does that matter so much?

Tearing down landmarks and historical buildings – Who cares? This is a portion of my conversation form the1001 N Roxbury episode. If not familiar and you care about architectural preservation, you should be.

DEI – Policy and Practice –  In 2019 at the WestEdge Design Fair, I produced a panel about diversity in design featuring four creatives of color. It was not the first time I had conversations with creatives of color, different backgrounds, ideas or even who had differences in thought. I cast that program in June or July of 2019, it was held in October of 2019 and published in June of 2020. Shortly after the murder of George Floyd which ignited a powder keg in this country. It started a conversation about race, about equity and about fairness. Change is not a bad thing, without change, one becomes stagnant, societies cease to innovate and develop. It’s uncomfortable. I got a huge response to that episode. I have had many such conversations. 

But, something I have not shared with you was the DEI policy I have and have had in place since 2019. I believe in providing a space for new voices as well as the established. To be completely frank with you, that has, at times been a real challenge.

Inviting someone to come on the show now is pretty simple because if invited guests are not already familiar with the show, a simple search provides everything they would need to understand what I do. It was not the case back in the early years of the podcast. Most people to whom I reach out know the show and I cannot think of anyone I have invite that has declined. But there is a certain level of suspicion with some creatives of color who have been invited on the show. It took me a while to understand it. I think it is worth sharing. Ron Woodson, who was on that original panel in 2019 later said to me that after that episode was published, he began receiving numerous media requests to talk about that subject of race and inclusion in design. And, while he was a willing participant in the the conversation, he didn’t want that to be all people asked him about. I think it is fair to say there was, and still is the concern of tokenism and a patronizing approach to inclusion in the design industry. But I also think that having these conversations is important and I do long for the day when people don’t say things like here are the best Black designers or best asian designers or best female architects you need to know. There are just great designers and amazing architects you need to know. My reason for pointing this out is simple. I think that when you separate creatives by gender or race or sexual orientation, you minimize their contributions. I would like to see the conversation continue to evolve. 

This is a portion of my conversation in 2019 with Bridgid Coulter, Breegan Jane, Ron Woodson and Brian Pinkett

Showroom & Vendor Partnerships – The podcast was started with partnerships in mind. I wanted to be proud of the partners that I work with and share those partners with you. I stand by the partnerships on this show and when you hear me talking about them, you should know that I am working with them because I have done my due diligence and I know them, I trust them and I believe you can too. 

Design Hardware and Flooring in Los Angeles has been around since 1985. I have been working with Michele Solomons, Avi Balsam and the entire team for about 4 years and I have seen what they do for their customers. ThermaSol has been the title sponsor of Convo By Design for over 3 years. I have been to the factory, spoken with Mitch Altman, 3rd generation president, spoken with Murray Altman, 2nd generation president. I have seen their factory, watched them inspect every steam generator before it leaves the factory. They make the best steam generators in the wold. I believe that. Pacific Sales I have been to a number of their showrooms, I have personally seen their product selection and service to client in the design community. I have spoken with so many of their team members, most of those I spoke with have been there for over a decade! They know their product line, they know what designers do for a living and how to make sure their clients are happy. They serve up products like those from Monogram. If you are a design specifier, you know what Monogram has been doing and how remarkable their product line is. Same for TimberTech, theiy make an absolutely incredible outdoor decking product that is sustainable in nature, beautiful, easy to work with and long lasting. I mention this because we are living and working in a time when not all showroom partners have the same dedication to the design community. They shut their doors and leave designers and their clients in stressful and financially devastating situations. This business is a challenge and not all suppliers, vendors, manufacturers or even designers make it. Businesses close, that is part of life, but good parters and great partnerships are rare and that is why I am so thankful for these partnerships and why I am proud to share them with you. If you are not familiar with any of these, please check the show notes to links where you can learn more.

Lastly, there has been a major issue in media regarding attribution, credit and IP theft of all kinds. It is not unique to our industry, nor is it going to stop anytime soon. Most recently, there was a major kerfuffle surrounding a story in AD featuring Sofia Vergara’s home. The credit for design went to O’Hara Davies Gaetano, who was the last designer on the project, but not the first. That was Timothy Corrigan. There have also been others who it have reportedly worked on other portions of the project who too, went uncredited for their work. AD and all the industry media need to far better. Many years ago, 2017 actually, at the WestEdge Design Fair, I produced and moderated a panel featuring art rep Wendy Posner, designer and showroom owner Gary Gibson and IP attorney Emile Nicolaou with whom I worked at Playboy Radio. We talked about many of these very issues. This is what that sounded like….

So, there you go, Episode 500. Just a sample of the conversations we have had over the past 11 years. Real conversations, real issues and hopefully, real solutions to these complex topics in addition to sharing stories behind some of the greatest creatives working today. No celebrity fluff, no trendy fast-fashion dialogue, no frivolity. Real issues, real stories, real talent working on amazing projects and I could not be doing this without you. Thank you for listening to the show. Thank you to my incredible partner sponsors; ThermaSol, Design Hardware, Pacific Sales, Monogram and TimberTech for your continued support of both Convo By Design and the design community. 

Let’s keep the conversations going, you can email me with guest and show ideas, which I absolutely love. convobydesign@outlook.com and follow us on Instagram @ConvoXDeisgn with an “x”. Until next week, Be well and take today first. -CXD

The Design Messengers: Set Decoration as Functional Art | 490 | Don Diers, Jan Pascale, David Smith, Claire Kaufman & Julie Drach

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This is a new series of the show called The Design Messengers. A Monday episode of the show sharing design trade info you need to know. Sometimes it’s not really what you need to know but should know. This is an audio essay shining a light on a few simple ideas that make this industry so amazing.

I have a long held passion for and fascination with the set decorators that craft the sets for some of our favorite TV shows, movies, live performances and yes, even commercials. I’m not sure if I told you this before, but Hollywood set design runs in my family. Not as set decorators but as prop house owner, purveyor and provider of objects meant to decorate sets. My Uncle Earl was the founder and owner of EC Props. Now known as E. C. Prop Rentals. They provide the less glamorous, gritty objects you might find on an industrial set, a back alley, commercial environment or city street. 

I remember him telling me how he got into the business. He was a Teamster driving for CBS. He found a few dirt mats. These are rollable rugs that look like dirt, the ground that set decorators would use to dress an outdoor set, like a campground. A much younger me asked if I could see one, he laughed and said no, because he never sees them. They are always rented out. They went from one set decorator to the next, always rented, always making money. I never even thought that was away to make money. But he did. And instead of finding beautiful objects you might find decorating the sets of the time, like Hart to Hart or Designing Women, he was the purveyor of objects like dumpsters, transformers, tools and lockers for a 1988 episode of Ohara starring Pat Morita and decorated by Robin Royce or Crime Story, a show starring Dennis Farina, featuring the acting talents of Gary Sinise, David Caruso, Andrew “Dice” Clay, Pam Grier, Ving Rhames and Miles Davis, as himself of course!  Produced by Michael Mann with set decoration by Linda Lee Sutton. Sutton, by the way…still a working set decorator with 2023 credits that include NCIS: Hawaii.

My Uncle Earl is sadly no longer with us, but his legacy and prop house remain. That is one thing I find so interesting. Legacy as it pertains to design and architecture. Architecture is a little different because a Falling Water or Disney Concert Hall will always garner attention while the interior design of an amazing Manhattan apartment, unless published, might get no such love. I want to share the stories of some incredible set decs with you. How they do what they do, why they do it, where you might have seen their work, what they love about it and what they would like you to know.If you love entertainment, this will be enjoyable for you…If you are a designer, this will be invaluable. To change the thought process from work to lasting legacy. From a project, to a story telling set that makes better the characters who inhabit a real-life environment. 

What I find so incredible about set decs is their ability to read literally between the lines to uncover the true essence of each character as defined by their environments. What does the decor say about the character? How does the character live, why, how does that affect their relationships with the other characters. Without set design, there is no story. You can have dialogue. You can have stage direction and acting,  but there is no context. Set decs create the environment, often in very difficult and challenging situations. Can you derive a set through AI? Sure.Can you create a piece of graphic art through AI? Yes, but 2 things to consider. Those are a complex derivative of many other preexisting works and it is based on prompts, not soul. Set decs are truly givers-of-life in very much the same way as the writer or actor. They create the environment for a director to mold and craft their vision for a finished product. But we don’t celebrate the set decorators the same way, with the same passion as actors, directors or even writers. And I get the sense that many of them are perfectly fine with that provided you let them continue to work the way they do and compensate them fairly. 

This is going to be an ongoing addition to The Design Messengers. Thank you to the Set Decorators Society of America for helping set this up. You are going to hear from Jan Pascale, David Smith, Julie Drach and Claire Kaufman, but first up is Don Diers…

Don Diers

Jan Pascale

David Smith

Julie Drach

Claire Kaufman

Thank you Don, Jan, David, Julie and Claire. Thank you to the SDSA. These conversations were recorded LIVE from the WestEdge Design Fair on-set designed by Marbe Designs featuring Banana Republic Home. Special thanks to them as well.

This is The Design Messengers, an audio essay crafted to get your week of to a great start by sharing ideas to launch you into being the best you can be in all your endeavors but specifically, as a creative in the design and architecture space. Thank you for listening. If you are not already a subscriber, please consider subscribing to the show so you receive every episode of The Design Messengers and Convo By Design automatically when they are published. If you are listening to us for the first time, you can find Convo By Design everywhere you find your favorite podcasts. If you are so inclined, please also consider following on IG @ConvoXDesign with an “X”. Thanks again for listening. Be well and take today first. -CXD