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
Hello. I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with another virtual trip to Dallas Ft. Worth to talk about exceptional design in and amazing, vibrant metroplex…
If you have been listening to the show for any amount of time, you probably know just how fond I am of Fort Worth/ Dallas. A thriving market that has absolutely exploded in the past 20 years. With that population explosion, came an influx of new art, food, design, architecture, music. When this happens, it usually means gentrification, higher housing costs, infill projects, destruction of older dwellings to make room for new ones.
Dallas and Fort Worth have seen all of the above. Which is why it is so important for good stewards, talented creatives, really smart designers to be present as well. That is where Angeline Guido Hall comes in. She’s a Dallas native. Studied interior design at TCU. Angeline knows what makes the Metroplex so special. Designs to the strengths… and because of this, she’s leaving her mark on the design landscape. And you’re going to hear her story. Right after this.
What a great chat. You can hear why I love doing this and this is why it is so rewarding for me to share these stories with you.Thank you to my partners and sponsors, ThermaSol and Design Hardware for your continued and unwavering support of the show and for the design community.
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. -CXD
I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with a story about giving back. On the show, over the past year, you have heard me talking about The Oasis Alliance, an organization co-designing the personal spaces of trauma survivors. Their vision, clearly stated….The Oasis Alliance envisions a world where every trauma survivor has a dignified place of refuge to refuel and recharge.
Designer Resources
ThermaSol – Redefining the modern shower experience. Episode 271 featuring Mitch Altman
The thing about trauma is you can’t just look at them and instinctively see their pain. You don’t know what people have been going through any more than someone else can look at you and know your pain, anxiety, discomfort. If you are a design enthusiast, as in, a fan, perhaps a client, but not in the business but have worked with a designer or architect, you know and have experienced the power of design. Many of the designers I speak with have experienced the gratitude of their clients, the recognition from media or on social platforms that showcase images of the work. But design is more meaningful than that.
Trauma is universal in that everyone experiences it at some point in their lives. For others, life went a direction then otherwise desired. Trauma became a constant and anyone who has experienced or loves someone who has been affected by traumatic events, you know, the scars are invisible and long lasting. A safe space is critical to renewal through recovery.
Design has the power to transform lives from within by providing spaces that have been ideated and crafted to foster wellness, inspire creativity or act as a safe-space, a refuge or even just a place to stop and experience peace and quiet. This conversation features Danielle Woodhouse-Johnson, founder and executive director of The Oasis Alliance. You are going to hear her story and the “why” behind this project, right after this.
Thank you, Danielle. Thank you for taking the time to share your story and thank you for the work you’re doing.Thank you to my partners and sponsors ThermaSol, Moya Living and Design Hardware for your partnership and support.And, thank you for taking the time out of your day to listen to the show. I hope this allows you to think about things in new ways.
Please keep those emails coming. Convo by design @ Outlook.com with show suggestions, guest ideas, just to say ‘hello’ or from this episode, to find out how to be a part of The Oasis Alliance.Thanks again, and until next week, be well and take today first. -CXD
I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with an exceptional architect emanating from Dallas, Texas. Eddie Maestri of Maestri Studio. I have known Eddie for a while and I am a huge fan. I think by the end of this episode, you will be too.
Here is just a bit from Eddie’s bio, Eddie Maestri, AIA, a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, started designing homes in Dallas in 2004 and officially founded Maestri Studio in 2008. Certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), he is a registered architect in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Nevada. Eddie holds a Bachelor of Environmental Design and a Master of Architecture from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas with a certificate in Health Systems & Design. In addition, he spent a semester in Italy focusing on architectural and urban studies, as well as expanding his talents and love of freehand drawing, art and interior design.
Designer Resources
ThermaSol – Redefining the modern shower experience. Episode 271 featuring Mitch Altman
Design Hardware – A stunning and vast collection of jewelry for the home!
Thank you Eddie for taking the time to talk, I really enjoyed our time together. Thank you to my partners and sponsors ThermaSol, Moya Living and Design Hardware for your continued support of both Convo By Design and the design community. A side note, the sponsors and partners you hear on CXD are more than companies with a product, each of the partners I work with have been fully vetted, they are owned and operated by people who love what they do and have dedicated themselves to serving the design community and customers by providing the best products and services available. If you would like to know why I am so proud to have them part of Convo By Design, email me at convobydesign@outlook or on IG @convoxdesign with an “X”. I would be happy to share my experience. Thanks again for listening to the podcast, until next week, be well and take today first. – Convo By Design
I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with a conversation about influence, your influence on the business of design and the relationships with others that make up this remarkable industry of ours.
Every successful creative knows the importance of presenting a professional image in digital media. The importance has been magnified in the past few years but with compressed schedules and far less free time to learn new strategies it has become more challenging to create beautiful and meaningful content. While we can’t give you more time to do it, you will learn best practices for interviews, editing images and text to best showcase your work in short videos and social media. You will also learn how to craft your professional introduction on mic and on camera. This is a perfect conversation for the successful designer and architect looking to take their promotional content to the next level. This chat took place at the WestEdge Design Fair in Dallas, Texas in September 2022. It features Melanie Venture of the Dove Agency, Sara Malek Barney of Bandd Design and moderated by me. And, we will get right to it after this.
Designer Resources
ThermaSol – Redefining the modern shower experience. Episode 271 featuring Mitch Altman
Article, great style is easy. It’s the best way to buy beautiful modern furniture
Thank you Melanie and Sara for your time and willingness to share your expertise. Thank you WestEdge Design Fair and to all of you who came to the show. Thank you to CXD sponsors and partners, ThermaSol, Article Furniture, York Wallcoverings, Moya Living and Franz Viegener for your continued support. Of course, thank you for downloading, subscribing and listening to the show. Thank you for the emails of support and the guest submissions. I love them and it has allowed me to find some amazing talent to showcase. Please remember why you do what you do and for whom you do it. Designers, architects, artists, product designers, showroom managers, publicists, magazine editors, publishers, set decorators and everyone else that makes our industry stronger by the day, this show is for you. That’s why I do it. Thanks for listening. Be well, and take today first.
This is Lone Star House of Design, a podcast about all things design and architecture from and about the Great State of Texas. This episode features Melissa Gerstle, an artist of outdoor spaces. She crafts, teases and manipulates organic matter and design product into highly unique and crafted spaces. Texas is not always the best canvas for such things. At times, the weather doesn’t really cooperate. You are going to hear how this artisan uses the inhospitable to craft incredible outdoor design.
The old saying about the value of property are true, “location, location, location” and Mark Twain’s, “Buy land, they are making it anymore.” Design and use of outdoor space is the equivalent to being given more land. By making the most out of every square yard, the value of the property is not only increases but the service value of the property is tapped to increase the ‘joy-per-foot’ ratio. A designer that can tap into the value of previously unactivated spaces is rare and we have one here.
Are you subscribing to the podcast, if not, please do so you get every episode automatically when they are published. You can find Convo By Design everywhere you find your favorite podcasts and now, you can find us on DesignNetwork dot Org, a destination dedicated to podcasts, all things design and architecture so make sure to check it out.
Thank you, Melissa for your time and talent. Thank you Walker Zanger and ThermaSol for your support and Thank you for subscribing and downloading the show and If you are not already, please subscribe so you catch every episode of Lone Star House of design and Convo By Design the moment they are published. You can also ask your smart speaker to play Convo By Design.
And if you REALLY want more, follow along, ConvoByDesign.Com and @ConvoXDesign with an “X” on Instagram. For show inquiries, sponsorship and guest inquiries, email me ConvoByDesign@outlook.com. Be well and until next week, keep creating.
This is Lone Star House of Design, a podcast about all things design and architecture form the Great State of Texas with a panel conversation featuring some of the biggest names in American design today, and all from Texas. The following conversation is part of the Wellness and Design Leadership Series presented by ThermaSol and you are not going to want to miss a moment of this one featuring a panel of design icons, all from Texas. This is a conversation with Kyle Bunting & friends.
I met Kyle Bunting through my friend and amazing publicist, Andrew Joseph. He reintroduced me to Kyle with whom my last contact was not direct but through designer Christopher Kennedy who designed my Small Space, Big Style design house which featured a stunning Kyle Bunting rug. Kyle Bunting is producing some of the most stunning rugs in the world, all from his studio in Austin, Texas. The work is groundbreaking and has turned the Hyde rug, the original luxury item into an art form, unrivaled and completely original.
After my conversation with Kyle, he said, “let’s do something really cool” and invited three incredible guests to join for a group chat about the state of design in Texas. This group included;
Fern Santini – Santini’s work is completely original, it’s bold and refined with a wild streak that is unmistakeable and wonderful. Fern’s use of furniture, color and materials blends design into a hand crafted sculpture of space, materials and light.
Lauren Rottet – Rottet is the complete designer. Architect, interior designer, furniture designer and art curator. Founding principal and president of Rottet Studio. I could list her accolades, but there would be no time left for the conversation.
Jan Showers – Showers is another world-class designer from Texas, and I don’t use this term lightly, at all. Her work is elegant, unique and layered, like an Impasto at times, glazing others. Her spaces art artfully placed and painted to create a multi-dimensional environment. That, to me has always been the true essence of design.
Some idea came up during our conversation that bears repeating here. Texas design is very different by geography. Austin is funky and weird, yet still a college town and state capitol. The spirit of Austin is strong and diverse base on the the influence of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Kinky Friedman, Michael Dell, Tito Beveridge combined with some of the most interesting architecture you can find around the state capitol and the University of Texas campus. It’s still a relatively small city but it doesn’t feel that way. The addition of a technology hub to the already vibrant music scene and South By South West, Austin is poised for even greater heights but at what price? The traffic, cost of living, loss of architecturally significant structures to make way for more livable space? Yeah, that’s probably coming.
Having spent 9 years living in Dallas, I can tell you that this city is rich in arts and cultural experiences. If you ask many outside of Texas, they will tell you about Tom Landry, J.R Ewing and Roger Staubach. Sure, Dallas is a world-class sports town, I get it. But the arts and culture scene in Dallas goes far beyond what you hear about Dallas on ESPN. The City Hall building in Dallas, designed by I.M Pei and Theodore J. Musho is a brutalist statement piece. Pei also designed the Meyerson Symphony Center and with that, added a simply exquisite and acoustic masterpiece to the “Metroplex”. Fair Park, home of the State Fair of Texas is an Art Deco oasis crafted by architect, George Dahl. There is far more to explore, and I encourage you to do just that!
So what about Houston? Oil energy money, right? Sure. There is a significant link between oil barons and the arts, it’s true. Try to find an American city that was built on energy money that does not hav significant art, architecture and design. Houston is no different. The city has incredible art installations, a museum district, architectural representations of almost any era you can recollect and it does so without screaming, “look at me.” Because of this, many people don’t. But, you should.
The Texas cities not mention here include; San Antonio, Laredo, Marfa, Alpine, Waco, Lubbock… Wait, Lubbock? This is my point. Even in a seemingly quiet and unassuming city like Lubbock, Texas, there is art and architecture. The unfinished home designed by Robert Bruno, were it in Los Angeles or New York, would be on architecture tours. This is a steel sculpture, uninhabited sine 2008 and sits it the harsh Lubbock summers and winters all the while, its patina deepens and grows more spectacular. The shape is alien, almost like the helmet of an alien from another galaxy peering into the canyon. Unbelievable and inexplicable.
My point is this, Texas and texans don’t live by your rules, they have their own. If they want to try something, they will and if it doesn’t work, they will try something else. What you will also find is a healthy respect for those pioneers who came before them. That spirit of respect and experimentation has made for a uniquely special and artistic place, much like Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. The difference is many on the coast aren’t willing to risk the social capital that comes with experimentation. This is a differentiator and much of what makes the Texas design communities so fun to follow.
This is Lone Star House of Design with an episode were calling an afternoon with Kyle Bunting and Friends featuring Jan Showers, Lauren Rottet and Fern Santini, part of the Wellness and Design Thought leadership Series presented by ThermaSol.
Thank you, Lauren, Fern Jan and Kyle, this was amazing. Thank you Walker Zanger and ThermaSol for your support and Thank you for subscribing and downloading the show and If you are not already, please subscribe so you catch every episode of Lone Star House of design and Convo By Design the moment they are published. You can also ask your smart speaker to play Convo By Design.
And if you REALLY want more, follow along, ConvoByDesign.Com and @ConvoXDesign with an “X” on Instagram. For show inquiries, sponsorship and guest inquiries, email me ConvoByDesign at outlook dot com. Be well and until next week, remember to take today first.
This is Lone Star House of Design, a podcast about all things design and architecture from and about the great State of Texas. Today, you are going to hear from designer, Cheri Etchelecu of Cheri Etchelecu Interior Design.
Cheri has been hand crafting impeccable design in the Lone Star State for over 25 years. In that time, her work has helped mold and craft the eclectic modern design feel of Dallas Ft. Worth through a unique blend of products, applications and outside influences.
Are you subscribing to the podcast, if not, please do so you get every episode automatically when they are published. You can find Convo By Design everywhere you find your favorite podcasts and now, you can find us on DesignNetwork dot Org, a destination dedicated to podcasts, all things design and architecture so make sure to check it out.
Thank you, Cheri for your time and talent. Thank you Walker Zanger and ThermaSol for your support and Thank you for subscribing and downloading the show and If you are not already, please subscribe so you catch every episode of Lone Star House of Design and Convo By Design the moment they are published. You can also ask your smart speaker to play Convo By Design.
And if you REALLY want more, follow along, ConvoByDesign.Com and @ConvoXDesign with an “X” on Instagram. For show inquiries, sponsorship and guest inquiries, email me ConvoByDesign@outlook.com. Be well and until next week, keep creating.
This is Lone Star House of Design, a podcast about all things design and architecture from the Great State of Texas. This week, you are going to hear from Beth Bender, co-founder of the Dove Agency, a strategic planning firm based in Dallas. If the name sounds familiar, it is. Beth Moderated a recent panel for Lone Star House of Design and I invited her back because the work she and her firm does deserves some love. The Dove Agency provides back office support for design professionals. They are good at what they do and I thought you should hear more about them. This conversation covers all of the topics that keep design professionals up at night. Beth and I explore financial health of a design firm, social media and marketing… And the, Beth explains much of how she attacks these issues to help their clients achieve by not having to focus on these issues.
Thank you for listening to this episode of Lone Star House of Design. Are you subscribing to the podcast, if not, please do so you get every episode automatically when they are published. You can findLone Star House of Design and Convo By Design everywhere you find your favorite podcasts and now, you can find us on DesignNetwork dot Org, a destination dedicated to podcasts, all things design and architecture so make sure to check it out.
Thank you, Beth, much appreciated. Thank you Walker Zanger and ThermaSol for your support and Thank you for subscribing and downloading the show and If you are not already, please subscribe so you catch every episode of Lone Star House of design and Convo By Design the moment they are published. You can also ask your smart speaker to play Convo By Design.
And if you REALLY want more, follow along, ConvoByDesign.Com and @ConvoXDesign with an “X” on Instagram. For show inquiries, sponsorship and guest inquiries, email me ConvoByDesign@outlook.com. Be well and until next week, keep creating.
This is Lone Star House of Design, a podcast about all things design and architecture from the Great State of Texas. Following is another installment of The Wellness and Design Thought Leadership Series presented by ThermaSol.
This conversation, as previously mentioned is from the Wellness and Design Thought Leadership Series presented by ThermaSol. This conversation features designers; Cindy Aplanalp-Yates, Allison Jaffe and Cheri Etchelecu. It is moderated by Dove Agency founder, Beth Bender. The Wellness and Design Thought Leadership Series presents the opportunity to gather a curated group of design masters and execute a targeted focus on specific issues affecting the industry today.
This cohort discusses the current state of design in Texas, opportunities, trending ideas and the ultimate pursuit of sublime design. It is presented by ThermaSol. I am incredibly proud to partner with ThermaSol on this initiative called the Wellness and Design Thought Leadership Series. These panel conversations feature smart, innovative design thought leaders talking about issues affecting us all in the business today.
I’m working with ThermaSol for the second year now and I have had the opportunity to get to know Mitch Altman, third generation of this family owned and operated business. This company was built on innovation. Their origin story is impressive and the products are innovative, they showcase not only the increased interest for wellness in todays ground breaking design but the need for smart showers, steam and spa-like luxury in the bathroom. If you are not incorporating smart steam showers into every bathroom you design, you are missing out on an opportunity to increase the per bathroom budget and provide clients with something they desperately want.
Brilliant! Thank you, Beth, Cindy, Cheri and Allison. Thank you Walker Zanger and ThermaSol for your support and Thank you for subscribing and downloading the show and If you are not already, please subscribe so you catch every episode of Lone Star House of design and Convo By Design the moment they are published. You can also ask your smart speaker to play Convo By Design.
And if you REALLY want more, follow along, ConvoByDesign.Com and @ConvoXDesign with an “X” on Instagram. For show inquiries, sponsorship and guest inquiries, email me ConvoByDesign@outlook.com. Be well and until next week, keep creating.
