A Master Class in Kitchen Design | 516 | Creating Contemporary Kitchen Masterpieces and Ideas for Every Home

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with a conversation about integrated and spectacular kitchen design. This conversation was recorded live from the Monogram kitchen inside the Pacific Sales showroom in Torrance, California. An absolutely gorgeous day inside and out.

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

On a beautiful Spring day in May, I was in Southern California to meet an extraordinary group of design creatives to talk about the revolutionary changes taking place in American kitchens from coast to coast, but specifically in California, where the dreamers have always come to explore, dream, and try new things.  It’s really extraordinary to think about the circular creative vision that begins with designers trying new things which in turn motivates manufacturers to innovate and provide those designers with was to push boundaries. We met at the Pacific Sales showroom in Torrance, a beautiful showroom with established vignettes where designers, architects and their clients can put their hands on the latest technology and appliance advancements.

Pacific Sales and Monogram are partner sponsors of Convo By Design. I am absolutely thrilled with this partnership and I’ll tell you why. I speak with designers and architects from coast to coast and beyond and one of the issues that keeps creatives up at night is finding and maintaining strong relationships with industry partners. And it’s getting more challenging to find good partners. Pacific Sales has been supporting the design trade for decades. Their trade partner program is robust with amazing incentives and their staff is  non-commissioned. That means you direct the process. Combine that with Monogram, another partner sponsor and you have quite the team. Monogram is built on performance and innovation. Exceptional products allowing designers to create exceptional spaces inside and out. All with the one goal of making your clients happy. Because that is what designers desire.

So, what are some of the most talented creatives doing with their kitchens? This is why we gathered, and you get to hear it all. This conversation features;

Anne Michaelsen Yahn | Anne Michaelsen Design @AnneMichaelsenDesign

Pam Barthold | Pazzam Designs @PazzamDesigns

Joseph Spierer | Joseph Spierer Architects @Joseph.Spierer.Architects

Cory Kingston | Cory Kingston Designs @CoryKingstonDesigns

And you are going to hear all about it, right after this.

Thank you Cory, Anne, Pam and Joe. Amazing. 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. -CXD

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

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

Dakota Jackson | 514 | Our June 2024 Design Icon Registry inductee

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is another installment of the CXD Icon Registry. A gentleman and creative legend, Dakota Jackson is the June 2024 Icon Register inductee. Jackson was my guest on episode 241. That episode aired back in October of 2019. While much of the actual recording of conversations tends to blur, this session remains crystal clear in my mind. Dakota and I met in person at a gallery on La Cienega Blvd in West Hollywood. 

What I remember most vividly is the manner in which the conversation took place. I have long held a fascination with artistically designed furniture and I recall this sense of wonder as Jackson shared his upbringing in a family of magicians. How this background in magic and performance shaped his ideas about furniture and how that same sense of showmanship could be applied. We spoke about the desk commissioned by Yoko for John Lennon. This idea that a piece of furniture could be commissioned upon which love letters and music were written, but that it also possessed a secret known only to the designer and recipient. That type of connection far exceeds the typical design relationship. Therein lies another remarkable lesson about how design talent can elicit the same type of trust that a magician can. Suspending logic in order to truly believe the performance taking place in front of you. That same type of magic is what great designers do. Their clients suspend logic in order to believe the story the design is telling. That type of trust does not come easily.

And not every piece must contain secret compartments, the work is beautiful, elegant and of superior workmanship. This is also evident in the pianos he has crafted for Steinway & Sons. Instruments, to me are similar to the tools used by magicians. The ability to pull sound from an instrument is a gift, as is creating art through furniture. Enjoy this re-airing of my conversation with designer and creator of furniture, Dakota Jackson.

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

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

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

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

Designer Resources

Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise.

Monogram – It’s the details that define Monogram

ThermaSol – Redefining the modern shower experience. Without steam, it’s just a bathroom.

Design Hardware – A stunning and vast collection of jewelry for the home!

 – Where service meets excellence

TimberTech – Real wood beauty without the upkeep

#Design #Architecture #OutdoorDesign #Decking #TimberTech

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Designer Resources

Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise.

Monogram – It’s the details that define Monogram

ThermaSol – Redefining the modern shower experience. Without steam, it’s just a bathroom.

Design Hardware – A stunning and vast collection of jewelry for the home!

– Where service meets excellence

TimberTech – Real wood beauty without the upkeep

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with an illuminating conversation about creativity, design and making things.

It’s that last part that I find so intriguing both Ethan Streicher of Streicher Goods. Anyone who has made something. I mean really made something as in a thing from a block of wood or multiple parts that were not designed to be put together knows that there is magic in crafting something from nothing. It’s what I imagine it feels like fro a designer or architect to take a space and turn it entirely into something else. Ethan Streicher is a maker of objects, an art director ceramicist and artist. 

Designer Resources

Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise.

Monogram – It’s the details that define Monogram

ThermaSol – Redefining the modern shower experience. Without steam, it’s just a bathroom.

Design Hardware – A stunning and vast collection of jewelry for the home!

 – Where service meets excellence

TimberTech – Real wood beauty without the upkeep

Ethan and I shared some time and swapped ideas about makers and making. I feel as thought the design industry in all disciplines woke up in the summer of 2020. The greatest take away from that time is in two parts; 1. Once something happens, it can happen again. and 2. When an occurrence takes place that affects the entire planet and every person on it at the same time, there will be fallout, changes, disruption upon disruption. That has what happened. Many have returned to what they perceive as normality. But we are still in the midst of vast changes in the way way think and the manner in which we live. If you want to see  what that looks like, turn to creators, makers, artists and writers. Put down the magazines and news, they can only tell you what was and perhaps what is. But not what will be. Look to the makers for that. 

Be skeptical. After all that is what guards against the dreaded trendy next big thing. 

Be curious. Without curiosity, there is no possibility of discovering that which might change your life in unimaginable ways.

Be free with honest and probing questions. Our society has changed the way it looks at questions. A question will open the door to understanding. If someone is offended by the question, it might be because they don’t know the answer.

Makers, thinkers, writers, artists, designers will show you the state of our world in ways others can’t, or won’t. Ethan and I explore what it means to be a creator in times like these. If you are a designer, decorator or set decorator, Ethan is a new source. You’re welcome.

There you go. Thank you Ethan for taking the time to talk and sharing your work. Thank you to my partner sponsors for your continued support of the show and the design community. It’s important to the health of our industry. If you are a designer interested in learning more about my partner sponsors like Pacific Sales, ThermaSol, TimberTech, Monogram and Design Hardware, as well as any guests or concepts you heard on the show, please check the show notes for more information. 

Please keep those emails coming. convobydesign@outlook.com and reach out on Instagram @ConvoXDesign, with and “x”. Thank you again for listening. Until next week, be well and take today first. – CXD

New & Now featuring SheSpoke and ASID-Los Angeles | 505 | A Day of Dropping Design Knowledge LIVE from Los Angeles

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with a ton to take in. When I moved to Tulsa in 2021, I thought that it would be a one year situation and then we would return to LA or figure out what was going to be the next destination. But something changed. Tulsa, Oklahoma is what the locals call, “Green Country.” And it is. Green. This part of the country is in what can only be described as the lower mid-west. It’s not the south. And one of the things that I noticed very soon after moving here was that life here is far less complicated than living in California.

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 am a native Angeleno. I have moved away, but always came back. I love California. But some things have changed over the past 20 years. They have changed drastically over the past 2 years. I made a trip to LA to visit my friends at Design Hardware who were hosting a day of media and interviews. During that trip, I had the opportunity gather with a number of designers and contractors to discuss changes in the design and architecture landscape.

In addition to Convo By Design, I produce Doctoring Up Design, the official podcast of Design Hardware. Design Hardware is a sponsor partner of Convo By Design and the partnership is a strong one, going on over 4 years. Part of this partnership is hosting and producing the podcast, as well as hosting and recording unique design and architecture events. One such event took place in February. There were two groups, one group of designers, in partnership with ASID-LA and another group of all female contractors. This is a very interesting project spearheaded by Joan Barton, founder of Dirty Girl Construction as well as SheSpoke, a platform dedicated to promoting the success of women in the industry. 

So today on the show, we will hear from a group of ASID-Los Angeles Chapter design professionals discussing new design ideas taking shape in Spring of 2024 . We will hear from an all female group if contractors answering the question, “why is it so difficult to build in California.” One hint, Title 24. 

That was incredible. An amazing group of ASID-LA designers that included designers;

The following conversation features;

Cheryl Vines | Mesa Design Group

Jaqueline Steinberg | Eve Mode Design @JackieSteinberg

Lenora Mahle | Mahle Design @LeonoraMahle

Mark Cutler | Cutler Schulze @CutlerSchulze

Juliette Schatan-van der Meijden | Curated by Juliette  @CuratedbyJuliette

Nicole Schulze | Cutler Schulze @CutlerSchulze

Philip Nielsen | Nielsen Dye @NielsenDye

For information on each of these designers and their firms as well as the great work being done by ASID-LA and the Doctoring Up Design podcast, check the show notes for links. Next, we are going to har from Joan Barton, Lauren Howley, Shannon Sheehan and Catie Casazza. SheSpoke and why is it so hard to build in California.

Not one, but two amazing groups today. These were only segments from each of the conversations. For the full episodes, go to the show notes and click on the links. Thank you to everyone who participated in this incredible day of networking and professional growth. Sometimes it feels like everything is broken and the fixes don’t come easy. But when you have amazing talent like this, the problems seem to almost solve themselves. We will be doing another event in LA shortly and i will report back with the findings. If you are a designer, architect, landscape architect who wants to participate OR, if you are a publicist with a client that you think might be a good fit, please drop me an email, convobydesign@outlook.com. You can also reach out on Instagram @ConvoXDesign with an “x”.

Thank you to my incredible partner sponsors; ThermaSol, Pacific Sales, Monogram, TimberTech and Design Hardware for your continued support of both the show and the design and architecture community. It’s important.

So, thank you again for listening and supporting the podcast. Until next week, be well and take today first. -CXD

Daniel Ian Smith of Village West Design | 504 | Innate Design and That Which Makes Us Human

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with a conversation with Daniel Ian Smith of Village West Design. Here is a quote from Daniel, “I believe everyone deserves to be surrounded by beauty, it is integral to what makes us human.” 

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

That which is integral to making us human. Think about that for a moment. That which makes us human. The part that enriches us, makes life worth living. Meaning, purpose, form and function. I started this podcast because I love design. I love art, architecture, music and the that which enhances the experience of living. I will never forget the pandemic. I still think about it, a great deal. It was the medical community that repaired our minds and bodies, but it was the design community that repaired our souls. Mine anyway. I don’t just love design, I have worked with designers. For my wife’s birthday in 2018 or 19, I hired Nancy Russert, whom you have heard on this show. I wanted her to create a meditation space in the front yard of our Manhattan Beach home. She crushed it. As much as my wife enjoyed that space, it saved me during the pandemic. That space became a muti-hyphenate space, outdoors when the indoors became too confining. Daniel is a master architect with a distinct set of skills. Skills that better the lives of those he serves. And we talk about that and a number of other issues relating to the humanity of great design. 

Daniel and I cover topics rarely discussed like generational nuance as it relates to the way clients feel about and approach design. We’re exploring new ground here and this was really fun. I hope you enjoy it.

Thank you, Daniel. Loved our time together. Architecture and Italian. Love that. Thank you to my partner sponsors, ThermaSol, Pacific Sales, Monogram and Design Hardware, for not just supporting Convo By Design but for supporting the design and architecture community. Thank you, yes you…for taking the time to listen, download, subscribe and engage with Convo By Design. If you have a design friend that doesn’t know about the show, send them a link to this episode. They might enjoy it as well. If you want to connect, please do, convobydesign@outlook.com and on Instagram, @convoxdesign with and “x”. 

I will have something interesting for you next week, so make sure you are subscribing to the podcast which you can find everywhere you find your podcasts. Thank again. Until next week, be well and take today first. -CXD

 

Alex Papachristidis | 502 | Our April 2024 Design Icon Registry Inductee

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