Category Archives: Travel

Drinking About Design | 517 | Patrick Ediger and the Essence of SoCal Design and Architecture

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Hey, this is another special episode of Convo By Design, a Friday show which can only mean one thing. It’s another edition of  Drinking About Design. Patrick Ediger and I share thoughts about our love for Los Angeles architecture over a few pops.  We talk about nostalgia for the unique architectural landmarks of Los Angeles, such as Norms and the La Coliseum.

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

Architecture and Design in the Age of Social Media

Discussing Mid-Century Modernism and Googie Architecture

Los Angeles Traffic, Nostalgia, and Architecture

Speaking of  Googies and Resurgence of Experimentation

Exploring Frank Lloyd Wright’s Architecture and Human Ego

Architecture, Nostalgia, and Revitalization Discussion

You listen to the show so you know this about me, I love LA. But it’s not the LA of my youth and I’m not crazy about what has become of my City of Angels. That said, I still have faith. Faith in the creatives to reimagine her to reclaim her former glory. An I will be there to share the stories of that reinvention. That’s my hope. And it starts now…

PE

Thank you Patrick. Loved our chat. Thank you for drinking and talking about architecture and design. We need to do this again soon. Thank you to my partner sponsors; ThermaSol, Design Hardware, Pacific Sales, Monogram and TimberTech. They support this show because they have a passion for the design industry. They each have remarkable companies built to serve and my hope is that you will give them a chance to earn your business. Check the show notes for links. And, I have personally vetted each of them so if you have questions, ask me, email me convobydesign at Outlook dot com or @ Convo X Design with an “X”. Thank again for taking the time to listen and subscribe. Cheers. -CXD

Erin Ellwood | 515 | Fame, Architecture, Design and That Which is Truly Important

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I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with a conversation about fame, design, architecture and that which is truly important. 

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 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

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

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.

Alex Papachristidis | 502 | Our April 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. An icon for sure. A 2 time guest on Convo By Design and a very cool individual and an extraordinary decorator. This is Alex Papachristidis.

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. 

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

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 weeks inductee is Alex Papachristidis who is one of the most amazing interior decorators for the wok he does, yes, absolutely. Beyond that though is his base of knowledge. Material and practice. This allows Alex to understand, fuse and commingle new, traditional and other styles to fit his vision and client desires. What is truly special about Alex is his willingness to listen to his clients, hear their wishes and process those wishes into a sophisticated version that they themselves couldn’t even envision. And he’s a dog lover. So, add that to the long list of things I admire about Alex. Which is also why it is my privilege to induct Papachristidis into the Convo By Design Icon Registry. This is Alex Papachristidis.

Thank you Alex for making this world a more beautiful place than you found it. Congratulations on your addition to the Convo By Design Icon Registry. And 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

Imbued Values and the Hand of the Architect: Thee Multicultural Approach to Modern Architecture | 494 | Mathew Chaney, FAIA and Bryn Garrett, AIA of EYRC Architects

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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. 

Designer Resources

Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise.

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!

TimberTech – Real wood beauty without the upkeep

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

True Meaning of Luxury with Australian Designer Katarina Barakovska | 479 | The Universality of Luxury in Interior Spaces

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I’m Josh Cooperman, this is Convo By Design and today, we are taking a little trip. Actually, it’s a really long trip. About as far away as you can get really. We’re going to Australia. Yep. Down Under.

Katarina is a really interesting creative. One who says, on her website that during 2023, when this was recorded, she will take on no more than 6 projects. She has a simple and singular focus on luxury and what that entails in her design work. She defines luxury as a “richness” as it applies to the experience of living.  You are going to hear us talk about luxury quite a bit and what it means to her, how its applied in her projects and what her clients in the Americas, Asia and Australia are asking of her.

It’s an interesting idea, what does luxury mean by geographical standards? How does the definition of luxury change. Why is it so important? 

A few announcements before we get into it. Are you enjoying the new content we rolled out so far this year? #WestEdgeWednesdays the Convo By Design #IconRegistry #DrinkingAboutDesign and #TheDesignMessengers. I hope you are. The editorial team wanted to provide a more diverse conversation, to celebrate some of the icons who have appeared on the show, to lean in on the changing nature of the design and architecture industry and collective communities, not the business per se, but the rapidly changing nature of things and how that affects the industry overall. I hope these new brand extensions are providing some inspiration. Make sure that you are subscribing to the show so you receive every new episode automatically when they are published.

Thank you Katarina for taking the time to speak with me. 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

CXD Icon Registry Induction Episode Celebrating Bunny Williams | 475 | The Godmother of Decor

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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.

Bunny Williams: 

This, the inaugural Convo By Design Icon Registry episode inductee is the incomparable, godmother of decor, Bunny Williams. The best way for me to share her journey with you is to allow her to tell her stories, in her own words. So, here is the conversation I had with Bunny during the heart of the pandemic, via Zoom in front of a live remote audience. This is the first inductee to the Convo By Design Icon Registry, Bunny Williams.

Thank you Bunny, for your skill, wit, willingness to share, your incredible talent and love of dogs. 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

UpCycled, Repurposed, Local and Fabulous Specifying and Sourcing Local | 466 | WestEdge Wednesday No. One

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I’m Josh Cooperman with Convo By Design and this is the first of a 10 part series called Convo By Design presents WestEdge Wednesday’s with conversation held at the WestEdge Design Fair in late November, 2023 from Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, California. 

This conversation features Moya O’Neill of Moya Living,Nancy Russert of Les Beaux Interiors and Twist Custom, Lenora Aguilar and Judy Davis of Vintage Junktion and moderated by Luxe Magazine’s Kelly Phillips Badal. This is a conversation called, Up-Cycled, Recycled, Repurposed, Local and Fabulous; Specifying and Sourcing Locally. The idea here is that design has entered a new era. One that is not defined by beauty or expense alone. We have entered an experiential phase of interior design, landscape design, exteriors and architecture. One that places a greater value on the experience and enjoyment of materiality, objects and usefulness of things as opposed to simply how expensive, luxurious or rare things happen to be. 

Thank you for listening to this episode of the podcast. For more, please make sure you are subscribing to the feed and check our IG often for new conversations. This chat was amazing and was held live on the stage designed by Marbe Designs and presented by BR Home.

For those not familiar …   The Banana Republic lifestyle brand portfolio is known for delivering timeless ready-to-wear styles, and BR Home signals the brand’s transformation into a leading destination for the modern explorer.  Expanding across living room, bedroom and dining room furniture as well as lighting, bedding, and home décor, BR Home showcases materials and craftsmanship from around the world, showcasing signature design details, warm, textural layers, natural materials and traditional production techniques.

For links to everything associated with this conversation, please check the podcast episode notes accessible from the “podcast” tab from Convo By Design. 

Thank you Moya, Judy, Lenora, Nancy and Kelly for your incredible insights, knowledge base and willingness to share your gifts. So, let’s get to it. Here’s Kelly Phillips Badal.

The Gratitude You Deserve | 463 | Putting A Bow on 2023

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I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design. I have no interview to share with you today. No spectacular chat about design, no upcoming promotion, no BOOKLOOK, nope. Just two simple words followed by a few more to expand on the thought. Thank you. 

Thank you for taking the time to listen to the show, email me with guest suggestions and show ideas. Thank you for coming out to Convo By Design events, watching and liking the silly videos on IG, subscribing to the show and for supporting the sponsors of the show.

Speaking of which, thank you to my partners and sponsors, ThermaSol, Moya Living and Design Hardware. Your support of the show is what allows me and our editorial team to do this. Your support of the design and architecture community is special and I’m thankful for you.

Thank you to the guests who take the time to share a bit of themselves, their skill and that special something that has catapulted them to the levels at which we find them. Thank you to Soho Home in West Hollywood for serving as the location for our 10th anniversary celebration. 10 years. Cannot believe I have been doing this show for that long. Like any success, nobody does it alone. No one. We all have help form friends as well as the generosity of strangers. I have never met most of you who listen to the show. But you listen, and I’m thankful. I have met a number of listeners at events where I attend and speak. This year alone, Las Vegas Market, KBIS, West Hollywood Design District, ASID Orange County, the A&D Building in New York, Dallas Market Center and WestEdge Design Fair. To all my publicist friends, thank you for trusting me with your clients. To the brands I work with, thank you for trusting me with your messaging and content production. To the designers and architects with whom I have spoken this year and the previous years, thank you for making the time to tell your stories on the show. 

To all of you within the sound of my voice, thank you and I hope this holiday season is everything you want it to be. I hope you get the chance to slow down a bit, maybe even stop for a few days, spend time with friends and loved ones because at the end of the day, that’s what is really important. Well, I promised short. Happy holidays. Be well and until we meet back here, next year, take today first. – CXD