I’m Josh Cooperman and this is the August 2024 installment of the Convo By Design Icon Registry featuring another absolutely incredible creative who appeared on the show. This months inductee is an amazing talent, Jamie Bush.
Jamie and I met at his LA offices quite some time ago, 2018 I think. What struck me most about Jamie then as it does now is the frame of reference he draws against. Growing up on a dairy farm in upstate New York with family members in the creative arts as well. Designers, photographers. Jamie studied architecture in New Orleans, moves out to LA and founds his design company in 2002. This experience of his has given him opposing viewpoints from which to draw his design concepts. Jamie is a deep thinker and and extraordinary. And he doesn’t shy away from giving back. That’s what makes Jamie Bush, a design icon.
Thank you, Jamie for taking the time and the willingness to share your story. 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, Monogram 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
I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with a group of exceptional designers from our Day of Design gathering in Los Angeles in May 2024.
I think designers and architects provide a service that simply cannot be measured in terms of dollars and cents. Especially in an era of fast content, social media perspective that creates a social dysmorphia. We have all become so inextricably tied to the internet and social media that it is truly difficult to differentiate reality form make believe. The following conversations feature designers who met me at Design Hardware in LA for a day of creative thinking and sharing of dynamic design ideas that are shaping the way we design in 2024.
I have found that f you gather creative types and provide the platform for them to showcase their individual approach to the work, some universal concepts begin to form and you have the opportunity to see what really makes these people special. The reason skilled designers can do what they do is because they possess the ability to silence the noise and focus in on true needs and desires of their clients. This is how they do it.
So much fun, right? Thank you, Lauren, Amy, Letecia, Alina, Mary, Susie. It was not my intent, but this turned out to be an amazing showcase of women designers who are setting the tone for the next phase of our design renaissance! Thank you for taking the time to share your story. I enjoyed our conversation and cannot wait to see what you do next. Thank you to my partner sponsors, ThermaSol, Pacific Sales, TimberTech, Monogram and Design Hardware. These partners are amazing companies all who have made a concerted effort to support the design community through education, incentives, events, media and exposure, not to mention a collection of extraordinary products and service to match. Check the show notes for links to each of them so you can see first hand how they can make your design business thrive and your projects exceed expectations. Thank you for listening, downloading, subscribing and sharing the show with your friends and colleagues. Thank you for your emails, show and guest suggestions. Please keep them coming, convobydesign at Outlook dot com and on Instagram @ConvoXdesign, with an “x”.Until the next episode, be well and take today first. -Convo By Design
I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with a conversation about architecture. Modern architecture, large and small but all spectacular with architect Scott Specht of Specht Novak Architects.
On a recent city visit to Kansas City, I bought a book in a used bookstore. The book is called The Paris Architect. Published in 2013 by Charles Balfoure. It takes place in 1942 Paris and revolves around an architect and creative architecture used to save Jews from the Nazis. Of course there is more to it and perhaps I will give it the full Booklook treatment at some point. That is for another day, but it got me thinking about the Bauhaus, modern architecture in all itswonderful forms from France’s Art Deco, German Bauhaus and Brutalism through concrete forms. It also got me thinking about creative ways architecture can and is used to make life better for those who inhabit, live, work, love in these spaces. I had a conversation with Scott Specht of Specht Novak Architects and we discuss all of this. Specht’s work and that of his firm is exceptional examples of Modern Architecture at its absolute best. Per usual, we walk through Scott’s projects so check the show notes for a link to their project page and follow along. Everything from the sublime Weston Residence in Connecticut to the fun and funky Carpenter Hotel in Austin. From the Austin Cliffside Residence which is an absolute specimen in creative use of space to the experimental, Next American House. You are going to enjoy the ride. I guarantee it. And you are going to hear all about it, right after this.
Thank you, Scott. Amazing. I enjoyed our conversation and cannot wait to see the Next American Home in person. Thank you to my partner sponsors, ThermaSol, Pacific Sales, TimberTech, Monogram and Design Hardware. These partners are amazing companies all who have made a concerted effort to support the design community through education, incentives, events, media and exposure, not to mention a collection of extraordinary products and service to match. Check the show notes for links to each of them so you can see first hand how they can make your design business thrive and your projects exceed expectations. Thank you for listening, downloading, subscribing and sharing the show with your friends and colleagues. Thank you for your emails, show and guest suggestions. Please keep them coming, convobydesign at Outlook dot com and on Instagram @ConvoXdesign, with an “x”.Until the next episode, be well and take today first. -Convo By Design
I’m Josh Cooperman, this is Convo By Design and this week we are heading to another hotbed of design in the Midwest, Kansas City. We’re visiting with Mallory Robins and Elizabeth Bennett, partners in Kobel +Co, a firm that curates happiness and joy through interior design and creation of contemplative spaces.
We are discussing things like curated minimalism, happy places and timeworn objects. All revolving around the idea that design is the curated creation of the place where you want to be. Sounds so easy, right? Manufacturing the place where you want to be. It’s not easy. That is why I think you are going to enjoy listening to the following conversation with Mallory and Elizabeth as much as I did facilitating it. I also enjoy sharing the stories from the design flyovers for a number of reasons. First, for years you have heard me complaining that the traditional design media doesn’t provide any love to designers not residing in New York, LA, Miami, Boston, etc. but you are starting to. And that is a good thing. I also enjoy doing this because it gives me a chance to come and visit these cities to fully understand the dynamics behind the growth of metropolitan areas across the US. For those who have never been to Kansas City, it is a fun, funky town with some really interesting design. Perhaps after hearing from Elizabeth and Mallory, you will.Trust me, it’s worth the visit. You are going to hear all about it, right after this.
We are discussing things like curated minimalism, happy places and timeworn objects. All revolving around the idea that design is the curated creation of the place where you want to be. Sounds so easy, right? Manufacturing the place where you want to be. It’s not easy. That is why I think you are going to enjoy listening to the following conversation with Mallory and Elizabeth as much as I did facilitating it. I also enjoy sharing the stories from the design flyovers for a number of reasons. First, for years you have heard me complaining that the traditional design media doesn’t provide any love to designers not residing in New York, LA, Miami, Boston, etc. but you are starting to. And that is a good thing. I also enjoy doing this because it gives me a chance to come and visit these cities to fully understand the dynamics behind the growth of metropolitan areas across the US. For those who have never been to Kansas City, it is a fun, funky town with some really interesting design. Perhaps after hearing from Elizabeth and Mallory, you will.Trust me, it’s worth the visit. You are going to hear all about it, right after this.
Thank you, Elizabeth and Mallory, love your city, love your work. . I enjoyed our conversation and I am so appreciative to you for taking the time to share. Thank you to my partner sponsors, ThermaSol, Pacific Sales, TimberTech, Monogram and Design Hardware. These partners are amazing companies all who have made a concerted effort to support the design community through education, incentives, events, media and exposure, not to mention a collection of extraordinary products and service to match. Check the show notes for links to each of them so you can see first hand how they can make your design business thrive and your projects exceed expectations. Thank you for listening, downloading, subscribing and sharing the show with your friends and colleagues. Thank you for your emails, show and guest suggestions. Please keep them coming, convobydesign at Outlook dot com and on Instagram @ConvXdesign, with an “x”.Until the next episode, be well and take today first. -Convo By Design
I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with an episode featuring a spectacular creative, Adam Hunter and I am going to call the following episode an instant classic. I don’t do that often, and you are going to hear why.
Adam and I first met years ago at an industry function in LA. I have followed his career and it really is incredible to see what he has done with his firm. He has built an amazing firm upon spectacular design and an affinity for drama going back to his previous career in theater. We talk about this and a number of other things that correspond to the work he has done which, per usual for the show, we explore and evaluate online and if you wish to follow along as we do, which I highly encourage because it is both fun and fascinating to see the work as we describes. It’s an insiders look at design. www.adamhunter.com
When evaluating the work of a creative like Adam Hunter, it’s enlightening to understand that Adam built a successful career in theater prior to coming into design. That experience can be seen in the narrative that the design tells. It’s a form of storytelling. Both from an understanding of whom he is designing the space and the lives those who inhabit the space wish to live. I have had a number of wonderful conversations over the years with professional set decorators and its truly amazing to hear how they process a written script and then dress a set to provide details of the character that neither the actors nor the script itself cold explain. It provides nuance and context. A performer like Adam both understands this and has been trained to both ideate and execute on the concept which, when done right, tells the story of the characters and defines who the are by how they live.
Thank you, Adam. I loved our conversation and I am so appreciative to you for taking the time to share. Thank you to my partner sponsors, ThermaSol, Pacific Sales, TimberTech, Monogram and Design Hardware. These partners are amazing companies all who have made a concerted effort to support the design community through education, incentives, events, media and exposure, not to mention a collection of extraordinary products and service to match. Check the show notes for links to each of them so you can see first hand how they can make your design business thrive and your projects exceed expectations. Thank you for listening, downloading, subscribing and sharing the show with your friends and colleagues. Thank you for your emails, show and guest suggestions. Please keep them coming, convobydesign at Outlook dot com and on Instagram @ConvoXdesign, with an “x”.Until the next episode, be well and take today first. -CXD
I sought out Erin after learning about her father, Craig Ellwood, architect behind the Zimmerman House. Said house was recently demolished at the hands of actor, Chris Pratt and his wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger. We’ve talked about this already in a previous episode and the following conversation isn’t about saving iconic design. We touch on the subject but this is really about Erin’s journey, of which her father’s architecture is a large part. As is the work of her mother, Gloria Henry. An actress with an incredible career spanning from 1947 through appearances on Parks and Recreation as recently as 2012. Which featured, yep… Chris Pratt, so it all comes full circle. Erin’s story is an amazing journey of self discovery and expression. Lessons learned and applied. And you are going to hear all about it, right after this.
Thank you, Erin. Thank you for the time and sharing your extraordinary journey. If you are a bit surprised that Erin is not mad about the Zimmerman House destruction, I was too. That is until I heard her rationale, then I understood.Thank you to my amazing partner sponsors, ThermaSol, Design Hardware, TimberTech, pacific Sales and Monogram. Your support for the design industry is strong and lasting. For that I thank you. And thank you for taking the time out of your busy day. Thank you for listening, downloading and sharing the show. And for your emails to convo by design at outlook dot com and following along on IG @convoXdesign, with an “X”.
I’m looking forward to next week and another story about sublime design. Until then, be well, and take today first. -CXD
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.
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 seewhat 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
I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design. When I first started the podcast, a long time ago… It all started as an experience. I love design and architecture, I always have. I recently realized that if I had taken the time spent doing the show and went back to school, I could have become an architect. I say that tongue firmly planted in cheek. Not because I wouldn’t LOVE to be an architect, designer or set decorator. But, because had I done that, I wouldn’t be able to do this. This is what I love to do. I find extraordinary joy in speaking with the creatives whom I admire, exploring their journeys, telling their stories and engaging with you.
Joining me on the show today is Mathew Chaney, FAIA and Bryn Garrett, AIA with EYRC Architects. To be completely frank with you, there are a few firms of which I feel like an honorary member. EYRC is one of them. I have spoken and shared time with Takashi Yanai, FAIA over the years, the “Y” in EYRC, I spent an amazing afternoon with Steven Ehrlich, FAIA, the “E” while in Palm Springs covering the Ridge Mountain project during Modernism Week in, errrr 2017 maybe. I have recorded virtually with them, live from their offices in Los Angeles, live from Rancho Mirage at a project house. I feel close to this firm. It’s only a matter of time before we hear from the “R”, Patricia Rhee, FAIA, it’s coming. But today, we have the “C”, Mathew Chaney as well as Bryn Garrett, both partners in EYRC Architects. Bryn most recently could be heard on a WestEdge Wednesday episode of Convo By Design from his participation on a panel at WestEdge about the current state of residential architecture.
Mathew and Bryn join me on the show to talk about a number of things architecture and design related. And I am absolutely thrilled to share this conversation with you.
Thank you Mathew and Bryn for your time, talent and willingness to share. I love these conversations. I love sharing them with you. Please continue to email me with your guest and show suggestions. Convo by design@outlook.com and reach out via Instagram, @ConvoXDesign with an “X”.
Thank you to Convo By Design partner sponsors, ThermaSol, TimberTech, Pacific Sales and Design Hardware. For more information about and links to these incredible companies and to learn more about their products, please check the show notes.
For more stories like these from the design community, please make sure you are subscribing to the podcast, so you receive new episodes automatically when they are published. That way, you never miss an episode. Convo By Design is available everywhere you find your favorite podcasts. Thanks for listening, until next week, be well and take today first. -Convo By Design
I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design. Today, we are heading back to Texas. If you are new to the show, I love Texas. I have family there. I lived in Dallas for 9 years. For many years, I had a spin-ff of the podcast called Lone Star House of Design. Texas is not one of the design fly-overs. It has been for a long time, but the pandemic launched a movement that has since gone parabolic.
Today, you are going to hear from Katie Davis, founder of her eponymous firm in Houston. But that is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Katie is one of those designers who took the longest route possible to interior design. And I love this so much because I love hearing the story behind and through the journey. Katie started out as an attorney. A working attorney meaning she went to law school, passed the Bar Exam. Launched Katie Davis Design in 2018 and now, you are going to hear the rest of the story as well as a guided tour through some of her projects. Love this and we are going to get to it, right after this.
Thank you Katie for your time, talent and willingness to share. I love these conversations. I love sharing them with you. Please continue to email me with your guest and show suggestions. Convo by design@outlook.com and reach out via Instagram, @ConvoXDesign with an “X”.
Thank you to Convo By Design partner sponsors, ThermaSol, TimberTech, Pacific Sales and Design Hardware. For more information about and links to these incredible companies and to learn more about their products, please check the show notes.
For more stories like these from the design community, please make sure you are subscribing to the podcast, so you receive new episodes automatically when they are published. That way, you never miss an episode. Convo By Design is available everywhere you find your favorite podcasts. Thanks for listening, until next week, be well and take today first. -Convo By Design
I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with a very special episode. Part of a new series of the show and something that I have been considering for quite some time but I specifically wanted to complete year 10 of the show before I rolled this out.
Do you know that in the 11+ years of Convo By Design, I have published over 450 episodes, spoken with over 600 creatives, produced over 5 dozen panel conversations for design events across the country. From all of these amazing conversations with the worlds greatest creative talent, I wanted. to start enshrining some of these individuals into the Convo By Design Icon Registry, a hall of fame if you will.
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.
This creative is, to me an extraordinary example of what it means to be a modern designer. Not as in her aesthetic or style is purely modern but instead, her understanding of the design universe and being universally adroit at presenting traditional materials in new ways, expertly navigating space gracefully, seamlessly and yet sparking emotion in, again unique and different ways. Cara Woodhouse is crafty, creative and her work begins and ends with a full understanding of what she is working with in terms of space, desires, needs and materiality. Woodhouse isn’t a joanna come lately, she isn’t a reality TV star designer. She’s paid her dues. Ive not just covered her professionally for the podcast, but I have been the beneficiary of her work. When I was the general manager and program director for Playboy Radio, I spent time at the Beverly Hills Playboy offices, that she designed. Her work is imaginative. It’s exciting. It makes the brain pop and wiggle. Woodhouse is a curator of color, shape and space, mixing and blending all to please the senses and make you wonder, “what if”.
Thank you Cara, for your skill, talent, art willingness to share. It was my honor speaking with you and congratulations. Thank you to my partners and sponsors ThermaSol and Design Hardware for making the show possible. Thank you for taking the time to listen to the show and the feedback I receive. Thanks you for your guest and topic suggestions. If not already, please subscribe to the podcast so you receive every episode automatically to your feed.
If you are so inclined, please consider following us on Instagram. Convo X Design with an “X” and we can further the conversation. Thank you for listening and until next week, be well, and take today first. -Convo By Design
