Special Series on Designing for Disaster | 6 | Architect William Hefner on Creative and Effective Use of Space

This is a look at the COVID – 19 pandemic from a different perspective. You already know about washing your hands and staying at home. But, staying at home has created a whole new set of unforeseen issues. Our homes were not created to serve as home, office, school, restaurant, daycare all at once. This series of episodes is designed to address the fact that most if not all of us are home weathering out this pandemic, hopefully, this provides you with some inspiration and makes weathering this a little bit easier.

This episode features William Hefner of Studio William Hefner, a globally recognized and celebrated designer whose eponymous design firm, at any given time, has projects in multiple locations across the globe. So, to speak with Hefner about how all of us can ‘tweak’ our home situation to better weather this stay-at-home reality, well, needless to say, I am so appreciative that he took the time to do this.

You have been hearing from some of the world’s greatest design and architecture minds about how to make the best of this situation and the advice has been amazing. This is no exception.

In this episode, William Hefner talks about;

  • Look at your floor plan, find what’s not currently working, and reevaluate it.
  • Don’t become attached to the form at the expense of function.
  • Think big picture and learn from your home. Commercial design requires forethought and that can help now.
  • Blend indoor/ outdoor to find and use every available foot of usable space.
  • If this were to happen again in the future, plan now and fix it the moment you are able to do that.

 

What is the best use of space, Hefner talks about making it feel like you have to make the space work before you get attached to the design. There have been some recurring themes over the course of this special series. Light, space, functionality, and emotion. 

This has been an exceptionally trying time for all of us. For me, this has been wonderful in the sense that I have had the opportunity to make dinner for my family almost every night, spend more time with my kids. Quality time, going for walks and throwing the lacrosse ball, practicing soccer. We made a gym at our house and my teenage daughter works out with me. I have not only been hosting the conversations and presenting them to you. I have been taking it in as well. You are about to hear some fantastic advice from William Hefner, I hope you find it as useful as I have.

Thank you, William, for your time and talent. For more about William Hefner, please go to William Hefner dot com. Thank you, Walker Zanger, for your partnership and support of Convo By Design. And thank you for listening, were it not for you, there would be no Convo By Design. We will get through this, together. And until we do, I will keep bringing you the ideas from incredibly talented creatives to make this a little bit better. If you have a question, ideas for a segment or you are a designer that wants to help, please email me at ConvoByDesign@Outlook.com. Take care of yourself and your loved ones.

Celebrating the LaCienega Design Quarter | 267 | Part 1 of 4

For over 50 years, the LaCienega Design Quarter has been a design destination serving LA’s vibrant and extremely talented design community. This design district is special and has seen Los Angeles change from trendy studio town to a global creative powerhouse. For the past 11 years, Legends of LaCienega has been a celebration of design, showcase for amazing design talent and social gathering for anyone who loves design.

In 2019, Convo By Design was represented as an official media sponsor of Legends. I cannot tell you how amazing this was for me and how saddened I was when I learned that because of the coronavirus pandemic, the event was canceled this year. I think what saddens me most is that I personally will miss seeing all my friends and I imagine that many of you listening feel the same way. So, I wanted to take a look back and share some of the amazing designers from last year’s event. My hope is that this gives you a little bit of joy, I will republish this in a series of episodes so you can hear all about the 2019 designs and showrooms whose windows served as the canvas for these amazing designers. I would also like to again remind you how special the LaCienega Design Quarter is and suggest that when this is all over, please go visit the LCDQ showrooms again.

Laura Umansky/ Laura U Interior Design

https://laurauinteriordesign.com

Houston, TX.

Showroom: Janet Yonaty/ ICON: Kalef Aloten

 

Kenna Mazaros/ Studio Kenna

https://www.studiokenna.com

Los Angeles, CA.

Showroom: Hollywood Sierra Kitchen/ ICON: Angelo Donghia

 

Philip Nimmo/ Philip Nimmo Design

http://philipnimmodesign.com

West Hollywood, CA.

Showroom: Mansour/ ICON: Toy Duquette

 

Sheldon Harte/ Harte, Brownlee & Associates

http://hartebrownlee.com

Laguna Beach, San Francisco & Palm Springs

Showroom: Paul Ferrante/ ICON: Jean Michel Frank

 

Scott Shader/ Shrader Design

https://www.shraderdesign.com/html/index.html

West Hollywood, CA.

Showroom: Richard Shapiro/ ICON: David Hicks

 

Penny Drue Baird/ Dessins, LLC.

http://www.dessinsllc.com/profile/

New, York & Paris

Showroom: Dragonette/ ICON: Mario Buatta

 

Nicole Fuller/ Nicole Fuller Interiors

https://www.nicolefullerinteriors.com

New York & Los Angeles

Showroom: Galerie Carole Decombe/ ICON: Henri Samuel

 

Cathrine M. Austin/ Catherine M. Austin Interior Design

http://www.catherinemaustin.com

Charlotte, NC.

Showroom: Janet Yonaty/ ICON: Alberto Pinto

 

Kelly Schandel/ thinkpure

https://thinkpure.com

Santa Monica, CA.

Showroom: Marc Phillips/ ICON: Elsie de Wolfe

 

That is a wrap on this episode of Convo By Design featuring the amazing creatives who decorated and designed the windows of the LaCienega Design Quarter in 2019. I hope hearing from these creators brings you a little joy and I look forward to Legends of LaCienega returning in 2021.

Thank you LCDQ for having me, thank you, Walker Zanger, for your continued support and thank you for listening to the show, downloading each podcast episode and engaging through the socials. Make sure you never miss an episode of the podcast, ask Siri to help you, say, “Hey Siri, play Convo By Design podcast.” And she will! Thanks for listening and until next week, keep creating.

Lone Star House of Design | 2 | Cindy Aplanalp-Yates of Chairma Design Group

Cindy Aplanalp-Yates is the Principal of Chairma Design Group, an award-winning design firm in Houston. Cindy goes into the game a bit later than most. The family came first, then the business. Cindy and I sat down at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in Las Vegas to talk design, trade shows and the uniqueness of Texans which makes designing in Texas so much fun. This is Cindy Aplanalp-Yates.

Thank you, Cindy, that was amazing and I truly appreciate the time. Please subscribe to the show so you catch every episode of Lone Star House of design and Convo By Design, ask Alexa or Siri, say, “Hey Siri, Play Convo By Design” and she will. You can follow the show on the socials as well, @ConvoXDesign with an “X” on Instagram and check out the YouTube channel for videos from some of your favorite episodes. Thank you for listening and until next week, Keep creating.

Media Masterclass | 266 | Your Must Have Guide to Creating Content Like a Pro

The creation of content is critical to the success of any professional endeavor. It is no longer acceptable to simply do the work and let it speak for itself because there are too many other talented creators both doing the work and showcasing it themselves. You can thank social media for that and regardless of how we might feel about that, it is here to stay. The following conversation was recorded live from the WestEdge Design Fair. This is a media masterclass that covers the topic of content ideation, creation, development distribution, and protection. That last part might sound foreign but it is a critical component to this. Your intellectual property rights are as important as the quality of the content itself. You should know what they are, even if you choose not to defend them.

This panel includes:

Becky Allison – Graphic Designer / BEQ Design Studio

Peter Christiansen Valli – Photographer / PVC Photographic

Sheila Gibson – Intellectual Property Rights Attorney / Aura Law

This panel covers a lot of ground, please note that the legal advice heard here is not specific to any case or situation, Sheila is not your lawyer unless you retain her and no advice here can be taken as legal advice unless you do, in fact, retain her. See that is called a legal disclaimer, one of the many things you will hear about in this Media Masterclass episode of Convo By Design.

That is a wrap on this episode of Convo By Design, thank you, Becky, Peter, and Sheila for your skill and knowledge. If you are listening and interested in retaining their services, you can find their contact information in the show notes. Thank you to the WestEdge Design Fair for having me and allowing me to participate. Thank you, Walker Zanger, for your continued support and thank you for listening to the show, downloading each podcast episode and engaging through the socials. Make sure you never miss an episode of the podcast, ask Siri to help you, say, “Hey Siri, play Convo By Design podcast.” And she will! Thanks for listening and until next week, keep creating.

Special Series on Designing for Disaster | 5 | Thomas Kligerman on Adjusting Your Perspective

This is Convo By Design with a special series of episodes focused on the COVID – 19 pandemic from a different perspective. You already know about washing your hands and staying at home. But, staying at home has created a whole new set of unforeseen issues. Our homes were not created to serve as home, office, school, restaurant, daycare all at once. This series of episodes is designed to address the fact that most if not all of us are home weathering out this pandemic. Our homes were not designed for this and make weathering this a little bit easier.

I spoke with architect Tom Kligerman of Ike, Kligerman, Barkley. Kligerman has lived in locations around the world and drawn from these experiences to make a space comfortable and functional regardless of size. We talked about a number of ways for one to reorganize, rearrange and think differently about using spaces differently. This is Tom Kligerman.

Thank you, Tom, for your time and talent. For more about Thomas Kligerman, please go to Ike Klingerman Barkley dot com. Thank you, Walker Zanger, for your partnership and support of Convo By Design. And thank you for listening, were it not for you, there would be no Convo By Design. We will get through this, together. And until we do, I will keep bringing you the ideas from incredibly talented creatives to make this a little bit better. If you have a question, ideas for a segment or you are a designer that wants to help, please email me at ConvoByDesign@Outlook.com. Take care of yourself and your loved ones.

The Secret to Growing A Global Outdoor Brand (it seems so easy)| 265 | Harbour Outdoor

This episode of Convo By Design features two brothers who created a global furniture brand after learning from their father, this is Harbour Outdoor.

Nicholas and Harrison Condos worked for their father in the family’s Sydney workshop. The crafted hand-made furniture literally learning the trade from the time they were young. So, it was only natural for these brothers to start their own enterprise. They did, and this is their story, this is the story of Harbour Outdoor.

That is a wrap on this episode of Convo By Design. Thank you, Nicholas and Harrison, for your time. Thank you, Walker Zanger, for your generous support of the show and thank you for listening and subscribing to the show. If you haven’t yet, it’s easy. You can find the show everywhere you find your favorite podcasts or ask Google, Alexa or Siri. Say, “Hey Siri, play Convo By Design podcast.”, and she will. Until next week, stay healthy and keep creating.

Special Series on Designing for Disaster | 4 | Designer Joseph Berkowitz on Making What You Have Work Better for You

This is Convo By Design with a special series of  episodes focused on the COVID-19 pandemic from a different perspective. You already know about washing your hands and staying at home. But, staying at home has created a whole new set of unforeseen issues. Our homes were not created to serve as home, office, school, restaurant, daycare all at once. This series of episodes is designed to address the fact that most if not all of us are home weathering out this pandemic. Our homes were not designed for this and make weathering this a little bit easier.

This conversation with designer and founder of JAB Design Group, Joe Berkowitz. Joe is all about using what you have both creatively and smartly to make your space live bigger, live easier and inspire you. Once you know what you have, remove and add to find your place, and find inspiration. We could all use a little more of that right now.  Joe also shares advice for making your spaces more functional, right now.

Thank you, Joe, for your time and talent. For more about Joe and JAB Design Studio, go to J A B Interiors dot com. Thank you, Walker Zanger, for your partnership and support of Convo By Design. And thank you for listening, were it not for you, there would be no Convo By Design. We will get through this, together. And until we do, I will keep bringing you the ideas from incredibly talented creatives to make this a little bit better. If you have a question, ideas for a segment or you are a designer that wants to help, please email me at ConvoByDesign@Outlook.com. Take care of yourself and your loved ones.

Use What You Have and Make t Work For You:

  • Spaces Get Stale – Look for ways to rearrange
  • Don’t Throw it ALL Out – The art is in the edit, remove what needs to go
  • Disassemble/ Reevaluate  – Take a fresh look at it, what do you want? 
  • 20% Rule -Take Away 20% of the Accessories
  • Don’t Be Afraid of Space – Embrace it
  • Visual Vocabulary – Find what works for you, now. It can change back later
  • One Word – Functional

The Architectural Canvas | 264 | Erik B. Peterson

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is another episode of Convo By Design with noted architect and founder of PHX Architecture, Erik Peterson

Erik likes to say about his canvas, “As you study it, the land starts to talk to you, it guides you.” And that is how the following conversation went. Architecture is an art form, comprised of equal parts creativity and math. The manner in which the architect applies his craft to create and use space to its fullest potential, all the while artistically sculpting the form into a form that fits the client. This is my conversation with architect and founder of PHX Architecture, Erik Petersen.

That is a wrap on this episode of Convo By Design. Thank you, Erik, for your time. Thank you, Walker Zanger, for your generous support of the show and thank you for listening and subscribing to the show. If you haven’t yet, it’s easy. You can find the show everywhere you find your favorite podcasts or ask Siri. Say, “Hey Siri, play Convo By Design podcast.”, and she will. Until next week, stay healthy and keep creating.

Special Series on Designing for Disaster | 3 | Katrien Van Der Schueren – Space & Furniture Fabrication

We ALL have more going on at home now. You are not alone, as a matter of fact, I don’t think we’ve all been in more similar circumstances. Our homes were not designed for this. I am talking with some of the best and brightest in design and architecture to get their strategies for making space more efficient.

This episode features Katrien Van Der Shueren. Voila Creative Studio specializes in furniture design and fabrication. You have to work, you still have to be mom, dad, teacher, babysitter, chef, and you still have to figure out how to make your home multi-functional. Even when this disaster is over, we will be looking at how our homes failed to function in the new ways we needed. We are going to look at ways to make sure we are better prepared should it happen again. These ideas are going to make your life a little bit easier. Katrien has some amazing advice regarding approaching your spaces like a movie set. A functioning set that allows you to instantly repurpose spaces for multiple uses and finding dedicated areas for your most important tasks. And a whole lot more.

Thank you, Katrien for both your time and talent. For more about Voila Creative Studio, check them out online, Voila Creative Studio dot com. Thank you, Walker Zanger, for your partnership and support of Convo By Design. And thank you for listening, were it not for you, there would be no Convo By Design. We will get through this, together. And until we do, I will keep bringing you the ideas from incredibly talented creatives to make this a little bit better. If you have a question, ideas for a segment or you are a designer that wants to help, please email me at ConvoByDesign@Outlook.com. Take care of yourself and your loved ones.

Special Series on Designing for Disaster | 2 | Brian Ferrick | Multi-Purpose Staging Ideas for Your Home

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with a special series of episodes designed to help you manage the coronavirus disaster by providing you with actionable ideas and tips from world-class designers and architects to run your home more efficiently. We ALL have more going on at home now. You are not alone, as a matter of fact, I don’t think we’ve all been in more similar circumstances. While the stories of conference call disasters provide a little levity, I realized that our homes and resources are being taxed like never before. Our homes were not designed for this. I am talking with some of the best and brightest in design and architecture to get their strategies for making space more efficient.

This episode features Brian Ferrick of Meridith Baer Home. Meridith Baer Home specializes in the art of home staging. Staging a home is all about placement, space, light, and accommodation. It is about creating a feeling and making everything work to its full capabilities. Brian shares ideas about making your space more efficient and functional. This is always important, but never more so than right now if you are one of the millions who are sheltering in place. You still have to work, you still have to be mom, dad, teacher, babysitter, chef, you get the point. These ideas are going to make your life a little bit easier.

Thank you, Brian, for both your time and talent. For more about Meridith Baer Home, visit them online. Meridith Baer Home dot com. Thank you, Walker Zanger, for your partnership and support of Convo By Design. And thank you for listening, were it not for you, there would be no Convo By Design. We will get through this, together. And until we do, I will keep bringing you the ideas from incredibly talented creatives to make this a little bit better. If you have a question, ideas for a segment or you are a designer that wants to help, please email me at ConvoByDesign@Outlook.com. Take care of yourself and your loved ones.