Tag Archives: design

Fostering Disciplined Thought and Creativity in Turbulent Times | 592 | Dan D’Agostino, Plan Architecture | Convo By Design

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Twenty-twenty-five will definitely go down as a chaotic year. But listen, I am not going to complain because it’s not productive. Productivity, very difficult to achieve in any field without the freedom of creativity. Creativity is suppressed when worry and doubt are present. I read an article in Psychology Today recently called, How Anxiety Harms Creativity (And What to Do About It). You can find a link in the show notes. The article draws a correlation between anxiety and creativity that outlines why and how fear, exhaustion and doubt can hinder creativity. And how creative types can struggle from this. As a creative who speaks to other creatives, and for you, as a creative listening, we are in the same headspace, think about that for a minute.

Designer Resources

Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise.

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

 – Where service meets excellence

TimberTech – Real wood beauty without the upkeep

We are all alone, together in the pursuit of meaning, creative expression, love and satisfaction. If you are in constant state of chaos and worry, how can you do your best work. We can’t. Think about Convo By Design as a respite from the external chaos and a place to reconnect with others who are likeminded and in pursuit of the same things you are. And in that effort, today, you are going to hear from Dan D’Agostino, founder and principle architect at Plan Architecture. Dan and I talk about creative freedom and we go into the work they are producing at Plan Architecture. We go into it and one of the things I find so interesting about Dan and his firm is that the work is complex and covers multiple styles and influences. From traditional to modern and much in between. 

In addition to external factors complicating the creative process, often, creative types will become fixated on signature style and often, it’s not intentional. It just happens. Creative flexibility is a gift and one you will hear Dan and I explore along with a number of other topics. All in an effort to inspire you, spur creative thought and get you out of your head for a little while. So, let’s get to it. Right after this.

Thank you, Dan. Enjoyed this immensely. Thank you to my incredible partner sponsors, TimberTech, Pacific Sales, and Design Hardware. Amazing companies and great friends to the trade so please give them an opportunity for your next project. Thank you for listening, subscribing to the show and sharing with your colleagues. If not already subscribing, please consider that so you receive every new episode automatically to your podcast feed. 

Please keep those emails coming convo by design at outlook dot com and follow the conversation on Instagram, @ConvoXDesign with an “X”.

Until next week, thank you for sharing this time together, until the next episode, be well, stay focused and now that it has arrived in earnest, try to rise above the chaos. – CXD

Joan Behnke | 591 | Our May 2025 Convo By Design Icon Registry Inductee

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How’s your weeK? If its anything like every week of 2025 so far, you are probably exhausted from all of the chaos in the world and the industry. But for the next hour or so, take a break and listen to someone who I am absolutely sure will calm you and help get you focused for what’s next. This is the Convo By Design Icon Registry for May 2025 featuring a remarkable creative who has appeared on the show not once, but twice.  During her first appearance in February 2019, here is what I had to say about this months inductee, Joan Behnke…

“Joan Behnke founded her namesake design studio in 1999. Since then, she has been trailblazing a path studded with interior design gems from LA to DC. Joan views interior design as a fine art and an exercise in self-expression. It’s both intimate and created for the world to see based on the unique personality of its inhabitant.

Designer Resources

Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise.

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

 – Where service meets excellence

TimberTech – Real wood beauty without the upkeep

I met Joan at her studio and we sat for quite a while. She is in a really good place. The firm has enjoyed international recognition and while that is important, she has built her firm on her own ideas of what makes the work, good and worthy. I enjoyed my time with Joan, she is soft spoken but her words have tremendous impact and she is fierce in her ideas about design and the personal nature by which she connects it to her clients. We talked about exquisite craftsmanship and lasting beauty, both of which are key elements to her design philosophy. This is Joan Behnke.”

I vividly remember sitting with Joan in the conference room of her studio. Joan is soft spoken, disarming and intentional. I read a quote from her years prior in an article from Forbes that resonated with me then and has stayed with me some six years after our first meeting. The quote was, “ I don’t want my clients to just own a personalized piece for their home; I want them to experience it.” This could mean a chandelier, work of art, furnishings but it stems form a broader philosophy that the home itself is to be experienced as a part of their lives and not simply a box one lives in regardless of how expensive or lavish that box might be. That quote in Forbes was from 2013, a full 7 years before the pandemic and an instant rush to find experiential fulfillment in spaces. And it’s not meant for just the uber-wealthy. Joan’s philosophical approach to design can be applied to any budget, any style and any locale. 

I think to explore her thoughts and ideas puts those in the industry in an interesting place, one that can lead to exploration of client needs and desires, removing the hype and finding the true essence of what the client needs. Then a talent like Joan can ignore the tariffs, the supply chain and use her exceptional skills to work with what she has available to her. I would love to see what Joan could create with nothing more that flea market finds, big box close-outs and garage sale treasures. I might have to put something like that together, but that is for another day. Today, we are celebrating Joan Behnke, our latest addition to the Convo By Design Icon Registry. And were doing it by looking back to my first conversation with Joan from 2019. Right after this from the presenting sponsor of the Convo By Design Icon Registry, Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home.

Congratulations Joan on your enshrinement into the Convo By Design Icon Registry and thank you for your calm reassurance and impeccable application of skill. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me and sharing your story. Thank you to my incredible partner sponsors; TimberTech, Design Hardware and to the Convo By Design Icon Registry presenting partner, Pacific Sales for your dedication to making our industry better, faster, stronger! 

And thank you for listening to Convo By Design each week and sharing the show with your colleagues and friends who love sublime design. Until the next episode, be well, stay focused and rise above the chaos. -CXD

KBIS Confidential: LIVE from KBIS 2025 | 574 | Pitch to Published – Get Your Projects the Love They Deserve

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Part One – Pitch to Published: Best Practices and Strategies to Get Your Projects Published

Learn what the pros know about getting projects published and how professional photography, narrative creation and knowing your audience can set you apart. Learn how can brand partnerships help get your designs promotion and exposure to potential new clients as well as new branding and revenue generating opportunities.

Featuring: Vanessa DeLeon – CEO & Principal Designer | Vanessa DeLeon Associates, Kathryn Given – Style Director | LUXE Interiors + Design and Amy Chernoff – VP of Marketing | AJ Madison

This is a comprehensive conversation for design and publicity professions that details and outlines ways to get designers projects into the public media. Topics include;

  • Process (prep)
  • Strategy – Photography, story, client approvals, art clearances, etc.
  • The Pitch
  • Creative deliverables, photography, re-shoots, etc.
  • Promotion
  • Expectations

Clear Communication for that Aha Moment | 571 | Paulina Hospod, Aha! Interiors

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Words matter. They are important not just for the sake of clear communications but to showcase the specific skillset one has in an effort to attract a suitable client. Suitability. If you are a regular listener to Convo By Design you know what I am talking about. If not, first, hopefully you will be a regular listener, second, the idea of suitability in all endeavors is more important now than ever before.  Suitability means vibing and open to new ideas through a mutual trust. A mutual trust allows someone to communicate with another, without having to masque every idea under the veil of “correctness”, in whatever form that may take. 

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!

 – Where service meets excellence

TimberTech – Real wood beauty without the upkeep

No, we are not going to be talking about politics or anything that might make anyone uncomfortable. Today, you are going to hear my conversation with Paulina Hospod with Aha!Interiors about design vs. renovation and subtle details. Sometimes, subtle details make all the difference between the overused, overplayed looks you can find while doomscrolling on the socials. Design should make us happy, and were going to explore that idea with Paulina, right after this.

Thank you, Paulina. Loved our chat. Thank you to my incredible partner sponsors, ThermaSol, TimberTech, Pacific Sales, and Design Hardware. Amazing companies and great friends to the trade so please give them an opportunity for your next project. And, thank you for listening, subscribing the show and sharing with your colleagues. If not already subscribing, please consider that so you receive every new episode automatically to your podcast feed. Until next week, thank you for sharing this time together, until the next episode, be well, stay focused and now that it has arrived in earnest, try to rise above the chaos. – CXD

Midwest Sensibility and Hand-Crafted Design | 569 | Bailey Todd, White Cliff Studio

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For the past 12 years, it has been a mission to bring you voices and stories of talent in design, architecture and the arts. There have been so many twists and turns over these past 12 years and many of you have been with me since the early days of the show. A few ideas that often come back to me when presenting these conversations. Two major themes are authenticity and suitability. Two words that you don’t hear often. The first being authenticity in design and the other, which you never hear, except here is suitability. Were going to drill down on both this week.

Today on the show, you are going to hear from Bailey Todd of White Cliff Studio. Bailey and her Midwest minded, Illinois based firm deals in authenticity in all her projects and we will dig in a bit. It’s the suitability idea that I have been focused on lately. For years, I have been non-plussed by the trades, magazines and social media prognosticators alike and this is the perfect way to draw the correlation between the influencer and the influential. The influencer will tell you just how great they are and because they know, here are the things with which you should surround yourself. Influentials on the other hand, this is experienced based knowledge shared with you by people who know because they have experience. I really enjoyed my conversation with Bailey and I think yo will too. She knows her industry, she understands her business and she is willing to chop it up and share. Love that. And, it’s coming up, right after this.

Thank you to my incredible partner sponsors, ThermaSol, TimberTech, Pacific Sales, Monogram and Design Hardware. Amazing companies and great friends to the trade so please give them an opportunity for your next project. And, thank you for listening, subscribing the show and sharing with your colleagues. If not already subscribing, please consider that so you receive every new episode automatically to your podcast feed. Until next week, thank you for sharing this time together, until the next episode, be well, stay focused and now that it has arrived in earnest, try to rise above the chaos. – CXD

KBIS is Coming and This is Everything You Need to Know | 562 | Brian Pagel, EVP – Emerald

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In one week from today, KBIS will be hitting Las Vegas with the force and impact you might expect from the worlds greatest kitchen and bath show. Yes, there are others. And, yes, they are great… But this one is my favorite. And you’re about to find out why.

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 have a personal connection to KBIS, the kitchen and bath industry show. The NKBA does a magnificent job presenting this event each year. For me, this is a homecoming, an opportunity to network with friends, colleagues, past guests and meet future guests, and partners. It’s an important show for the industry because designers, architect, builders, contractors, remodelers, all specifiers really get the opportunity to see what’s new, next and on the horizon. They have the opportunity to hear about ways the most innovative creatives in the industry are using these products in new and unconventional ways. Its a time for innovation and discovery. Surprise and delight in over one million square feet of convention space when combined with the Industry Builders Show.

Today, you are going to hear from Brian Pagel, Executive Vice President at Emerald. He oversees the residential and commercial connections portfolio which means he oversees the production of KBIS, which you will see, is an extraordinary feat that brings together the most influential brands in the world from appliances, lighting surfaces, plumbing… Basically, if it goes in a kitchen or bath, you’ll find it represented at KBIS. You also find some exceptional programming, I’m honored to be a part of that this year on the next Stage as well as the podcast studio. So when you are at the show this year, please do come by and say ‘hello’. You are going to hear all about the show, why you should attend and how to make the most of the experience. Right after this.

Thank you Brian for taking the time to talk, I’m looking forward to catching up with you at the show! 

Thank you to my incredible partner sponsors, ThermaSol, TimberTech, Pacific Sales, Monogram and Design Hardware. Amazing companies and great friends to the trade so please give them an opportunity for your next project. And, thank you for listening, subscribing the show and sharing with your colleagues. If not already subscribing, please consider that so you receive every new episode automatically to your podcast feed. Until next week, thank you for sharing this time together, until the next episode, be well, stay focused and rise above the chaos. – CXD

The intersection of Art and Design feat Erika Cross | 556 | Looking at What is and Reimagining What’s Possible

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It’s a challenge and I’m not going to pretend that it isn’t. Often times, I will be producing an episode of the show as there are unspeakable tragedies happening around the world and in my own backyard. As I produce this episode of the show, I am still in contact with many of my industry friends as well as family who have been directly impacted by the wildfires in and around the Los Angeles area. Thoughts and prayers just are not an acceptable response any more. And let’s be honest, that hasn’t been a suitable response for a very long time. As we get into our episode today with Erika Cross, I would love for a few things to happen. First, if this podcast can serve as a respite for those who are suffering, even if it’s only for a few minutes to think about something else and second, to provide an opportunity to think differently about what we know and what is possible. What do I mean by 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 believe that we need to reimagine what we know if we want to change things for the better. I also believe that creatives are the ones who manifest it, create it and make those changes real for the rest of us. A while back, you heard an episode of the show discussing Venetian chimneys. These were crafted centuries ago by creative types who suffered the types of fires that demolished entire communities. Beautifully crafted chimneys that also served as spark arresters in the highly dense communities of Venice, Italy. Is art going to keep California from wildfires or floods, or landslides that follow fires and floods? No. But looking to creative types allows us to think differently about things which often puts us in the right mental space to address new ways to approach these challenges. It’s certainly not going to be the politicians. SO, for a few minutes, sit back, drive carefully, enjoy your workout or whatever you’re doing while you listen, do it safely and we’ll be right back with artist, Erika Cross.

Thank you, Erika. Loved our chat, love your work. Thank you to my incredible partner/ sponsors; ThermaSol, Design Hardware, pacific Sales, Monogram and TimberTech for your support for the show and the industry as a whole. We are a stronger because of industry partners like you. And of course, thank you for listening to the podcast, subscribing to the show and sharing it with friends and colleagues. Please keep the show and guest suggestions coming, I do appreciate them and do my best to respond to every one.  Convo By Design @ Outlook dot com and on Instagram, convoXDesign, with an “X”.  Thanks again for listening. Happy New Year, make this the year you’ve been hoping it would be. Until the next episode, Stay focused and rise above the chaos.

How Exceptional Design is Like Long Distance Running or Any Great Achievement | 551 | Holly Hollenbeck

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Over the years, I have spoken with many clients who really don’t understand the process behind design. I think there are many beginner and mid-level designers that don’t fully understand process, means and methods. If a client wants their projects completed quickly, they can always find a designer who will do it for them. It’s their replacement who has to pick up the pieces. I can hear many of you nodding in agreement as I say this. It’s the journey, like that of a runner. You don’t decide to run a marathon, buy a pair of shoes and run it. There is a process. A very long and challenging process. The same is true when trying to become the best at what you do in any endeavor. Just like design.

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

Today, you are going to hear from Holly Hollenbeck. Holly and I discussed the parallels between long-distance running and project management. Holly, an experienced ultra-distance runner, shared her lessons learned from participating in challenging races, emphasizing the importance of strategic planning, determination, and experience. She also highlighted how these experiences have influenced her approach to project strategy and risk management. 

Holly shares some of the challenges she faced in her design and client management roles due to the Covid-19 pandemic and economic fluctuations. She emphasized the importance of clear communication with clients, setting expectations upfront, and being flexible to pivot when necessary. We also discussed the differences in real estate design and mentality between the United States, Europe, and Asia, with a focus on the concept of the ancestral home and the shift towards renovating existing homes rather than moving due to high housing costs. There is an overwhelming need to adapt to constantly changing market conditions and client needs.

Holly shares her experience of having her kitchen design featured on the cover of California Home and Design in 2007, which she attributed to serendipity and connections with friends. Holly and I discussed the pitfalls of designing homes based on current trends, emphasizing the importance of creating cohesive, functional spaces rather than focusing on individual, trendy elements. They highlighted the risk of a design becoming outdated and the need to balance trendy elements with timeless pieces. Holly shared her approach to navigating clients’ desires for trendy features by ensuring these elements are used in unique and personalized ways. And you are going to hear all about it, right after this.

Thank you Holly, loved our chat. Keep on truckin.

Thank you to my incredible partner/ sponsors; ThermaSol, Design Hardware, pacific Sales, Monogram and TimberTech for your support for the show and the industry as a whole. We are a stronger because of industry partners like you. And of course, thank you for listening to the podcast, subscribing to the show and sharing it with friends and colleagues. Please keep the show and guest suggestions coming, I do appreciate them and do my best to respond to every one.  Convo By Design @ Outlook dot com and on Instagram, convoXDesign, with an “X”.  Thanks again for listening. Happy New Year, make this the year you’ve been hoping it would be. Until the next episode, Stay focused and above the chaos.

Drinking About Design | 543 | Argentina’s Architectural Impact and Venetian Chimney’s with Glenda Flaim and Federico Engel of Butler Armsden Architects

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I just thought since this is the Friday after Thanksgiving, almost everyone is home, eating, drinking and enjoying time with family, I would give you an opportunity to slip away for an hour or so for some alone time. You’re welcome. This is another installment of Drinking About Design. This episode features Butler Armsden leadership team or Glenda Flaim and Federico Engel. We are talking about some really obscure topics, drinking while we do it and I hope you enjoy 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

Fernando Engel is sharing stories about his homeland, Argentina, as well as the Capanopolis, and Francisco Salamone and Glenda will be sharing her thoughts on Venetian Chimneys. Never heard of Venetian chimneys? Well it’s a story on invention. As the proverb goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” And that perfectly describes Venetian chimneys. Think about fire suppression in overcrowded cities, adding ornate design. Cool right, now date them back to the 13th century. Ideas in technological spark arresting and fire suppression. We’re going to get right to this. Special thanks to Glenda and Federico from Butler Armsden for joining me and for my incredible partner sponsors; Pacific Sales, ThermaSol, TimberTech, Monogram and Design Hardware for making it possible and allowing me to share these stories with you. With that, I give you another installation of Drinking About Design.

That was so much fun. Thank you Federico and Glenda, so appreciate the storytelling and the time. Thank you to my partner sponsors ThermaSol, TimberTech, Pacific Sale, Monogram and Design Hardware for your continued support and thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to join me for these conversations. This was a fun one, right? There are more episodes of Drinking About Design in 2025 so subscribe to the podcast and get every episode, brand new, right to your feed. Until next week. Happy Thanksgiving, Be well, and take today first. -CXD

Why is it So Hard to Build in California | 527 | How to Prepare in Other States for the Coming Changes

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I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with a detailed conversation about why it is just so hard to build in California. It’s important to say in advance with listeners all over the world that picking California is the canary in the coal-mine. Which is to say that it is an early indicator of potential issues elsewhere because I think it is fair to say that California tries things first, as a rule.

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

It’s somewhat comforting to know that the Golden State remains a place where new ideas are tested. Unless you happen to be one of the brave individuals who is testing those boundaries. My friend Joan Barton is the founder of Dirty Girl Construction and SheSpoke Studio, a place for creative women to tell their stories. So today, this a Convo By Design takeover featuring Joan and an amazing group of women general contractors telling their war stories about building in Los Angeles in particular and California in general. And if you are in New York, Miami, Atlanta, Texas, well, maybe not Texas, but everywhere else, the concepts are on their way to your town soon so give this a listen. Thank you Joan for lading this amazing talk with some extraordinary GC’s, all women and some of the best in the business including; Shannon Sheehan, Laura Howley, Catherine Springer, and Catie Casazza. This was recorded live during the winter 2024 Day of Design event at Design Hardware  and you are going to hear all about it.

My friend and the moderator of the following conversation is Joan Barton of Dirty Girl Construction. Not only is Joan a multi-hyphenate creative. She a GC, musician, creative thinker, futurist, but she is also a terrific person. Wonderful and talented people are often surrounded by other wonderful and talented people, birds of a feather… as the saying goes.  I’m not going to get into introductions , I’m going to let Joan do that part, but here’s what II will say about the following episode of the show. This is an important conversation because many of the reasons it is so challenging to build in California are due to the popularity of the state. This popularity and resulting overcrowding combined with a movement toward self-preservation combine with over zealous governance and natural disasters have led to bloated yet dysfunctional metropolitan management and over-regulation combined with material shortages. It’s a lot and it takes someone very special to articulate it and get to the bottom of it and you’re going to hear from her, them actually, right after this.

Thank you, Joan, Catie, Shannon, and Lauren for taking the time to share your thoughts. 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