He Said, She Said | 533 | Exceptional Hospitality Design feat. Brewco’s Michael Zislis and Designer Noelle Isbell

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with a conversation about going home. You’ve heard the old adage, you can’t go home again. Derived from the Thomas Wolfe novel published in 1940, posthumously. It’s true, you can’t go home again because so much changes in your absence. I went home recently to Manhattan Beach. It’s true things change, but not everything and sometimes, change is good.

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 love Manhattan Beach. One of the things I missed most after we moved to Oklahoma was walking down the greenbelt with kids and  getting dinner in downtown MB followed by a trip to the Creamery for an ice cream sandwich the likes of which you just can’t find anywhere else. While there, I stopped into Brewco to speak with Michael Zislis, restaurateur, developer, hotelier and MB devotee. So much so, that through his restaurant and hotel development, has almost singlehandedly reshaped the city for the better over the past 30 years. We talked about the redevelopment of Brewco, an eatery on Manhattan Beach Boulevard and an iconic spot for those who’ve lived there or those who’ve come to visit. you’re going to hear that and then, you are going to hear from Noelle Isbell, Manhattan Beach designer who took on the Brewco project in amazing fashion, called her shot and delivered a spot that is representative of Manhattan Beach’s past, present and future. Turns out, you can go home again. Even if it’s not exactly the same. If you love design, you are going to love this story. If you are a designer, this is how you go and get that project you have always wanted. And you are going to hear all about it, right after this.

Thank you, Noelle and Michael, thank you for creating something that makes me feel at home!. 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. – CXD

Craftsmanship in A Digital Age | 532 | WestEdge Rewind from 2015

I’m Josh Cooperman, this is Convo By Design and today, as we inch closer to WestEdge Design Fair, the 2024 edition, with everything going on behind the scenes as we prepare a slate of programming to surprise and delight you, I wanted to share a program from the past. As we finalize the roster  and get everything solidified, I wanted to share the “why” behind the programming. These panels are crafted to feature game changing, disrupting creatives and topics that hold up. What makes the WestEdge stage so special is the thought and effort that goes into the topics. They have all been carefully crafted, talent curated to speak to these ideas. Ideas that should hold up for years to come. 

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

The program you are going to hear today was called Craftsmanship in the Digital Age. Here is how it was described in the program: Is Craftsmanship a lost art in a world where we increasingly value expediency and accessibility over authenticity and beauty? Join Steven Gambrel, interior designer and co-founder of Dering Hall, as he leads a discussion with some of the most talented artisans and designers working today. How have our digitally-centered lives made us care even more about objects created with passion, skill and time-honored tradition? How do designers create a network of skilled craftspeople and educate their clients about the value craft? Explore the marketing of bespoke products and how digital tools have made success as an artisan more of a reality than ever before.

Featuring Bernard Brucha, MASHstudios; Paul Priven, Zia Priven; Wendy SchwartzCuffhome; and Delta Wright, Curated

Think about this for a moment, the program you are about to hear was covering craftsmanship and the value that authenticity holds in made goods. This conversation might as well have taken place in 2020 at the onset of the pandemic when authentic craftsmanship was a must have. Or in 2018, when every design event was discussing how to reach Millennials and their desire for fewer, but more authentic goods. Or, well… now, at a time when hand-made comes at a premium. Again, this was recorded in 2015, live at WestEdge. And I am proud to share this with you again. Right after this.

Thank you, Bernard, Paul, Wendy and Delta. Thank you, Megan and Troy from WestEdge. I enjoyed our conversations so much. 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

Jamie Bush | 525 | Our August 2024 Design Icon Registry Inductee

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is the August 2024 installment of the Convo By Design Icon Registry featuring another absolutely incredible creative who appeared on the show. This months inductee is an amazing talent, Jamie Bush.

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

Jamie and I met at his LA offices quite some time ago, 2018 I think. What struck me most about Jamie then as it does now is the frame of reference he draws against. Growing up on a dairy farm in upstate New York with family members in the creative arts as well. Designers, photographers. Jamie studied architecture in New Orleans, moves out to LA and founds his design company in 2002. This experience of his has given him opposing viewpoints from which to draw his design concepts. Jamie is a deep thinker and and extraordinary. And he doesn’t shy away from giving back. That’s what makes Jamie Bush, a design icon.

Thank you, Jamie for taking the time and the willingness to share your story. 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, Monogram 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

A Day of Creative Conversations featuring Women in Essential and Luxury Design from Around the U.S. | 524 | LIVE from Design Hardware in LA, May 2024

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with a group of exceptional designers from our Day of Design gathering in Los Angeles in May 2024.

I think designers and architects provide a service that simply cannot be measured in terms of dollars and cents. Especially in an era of fast content, social media perspective that creates a social dysmorphia. We have all become so inextricably tied to the internet and social media that it is truly difficult to differentiate reality form make believe. The following conversations feature designers who met me at Design Hardware in LA for a day of creative thinking and sharing of dynamic design ideas that are shaping the way we design in 2024. 

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 found that f you gather creative types and provide the platform for them to showcase their individual approach to the work, some universal concepts begin to form and you have the opportunity to see what really makes these people special. The reason skilled designers can do what they do is because they possess the ability to silence the noise and focus in on true needs and desires of their clients. This is how they do it.

Letecia Ellis Haywood

Alina Wolhardt

Susie Novak

Mary Patton

Lauren Martin Moro

So much fun, right? Thank you, Lauren, Amy, Letecia, Alina, Mary, Susie. It was not my intent, but this turned out to be an amazing showcase of women designers who are setting the tone for the next phase of our design renaissance! Thank you for taking the time to share your story. I enjoyed our conversation and cannot wait to see what you do next. 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

Taking A Fresh Look at Design and Honoring Family Roots | 523 | Gabriela Eisenhart of Silo Studios

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with a fresh take on design from the ATL, Atlanta, Georgia. This is a city making a huge impact on design due in large part to designers like Gabriela Eisenhart, founder of Silo Studios.

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

Gabriela shared her background in video production and its influence on her approach to her current work. Gabriela confirmed that her strong visual narrative in her work stems from her intuitive understanding of how a space should make people feel and her background in production. We also discussed the intricacies of the design process, emphasizing the importance of problem-solving and flexibility. Gabriela highlighted the delicate balance between respecting the architecture of a space and the lifestyle of their clients, while also creating functional and durable designs. Gabriela shared the importance of visual storytelling in her work and the need to maintain a balance between imagination and attention to detail in their presentations and designs. 

Visual storytelling and the narrative surrounding the lives and interests of the clients themselves is what remains one of the greatest opportunities in the design industry. The storytelling within the work itself is what makes design so impactful on those who reside in the spaces. For years, i have been speaking with set decorators on some of the most impactful TV and film production and a constant through-line within those conversations is the importance of storytelling derived from the words on a script and a set decorators ability to transfer the essence of a character into the design of the set to adequately reflect who that character is and why they are that way. This is very much the same in interior design except instead of taking words from a page, insightful designers listen to the clients with whom they’re speaking to get to the true essences of who they are and to craft  a design concept around that client and their friends, family, work, hobbies fur-babies. 

Some of the best and most insightful creatives with whom I have spoken all share this ability to ask insightful questions, really listen to the responses and then read between the lines to capture the characters of their clients. Then to intuitively, instinctively craft spaces that further the narrative to the point where, and I have experienced this firsthand, a client will walk into a completed space and feel as though they have either been there before or, more commonly, feel a sense of comfort as if the space was created specifically for them. Because it was. This is connectivity at a deeper level. 

These are topics with a huge impact on design today. I think in large part because we are talking about the impactful design emanating from a city like Atlanta and not just projects in the usual locales like New York, LA and Miami. Atlanta is a hotbed for groundbreaking design, because of designers like Gabriela and firms like Silo Studios. And you are going to hear from Gabriela, right after this.

Thank you Gabriela. Thank you for taking the time to share your story. I enjoyed our conversation and cannot wait to see what you do next. 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

Old and New, A Design Story from an Emerging Design Destination, Kansas City | 521 | Kobel & Co.

I’m Josh Cooperman, this is Convo By Design and this week we are heading to another hotbed of design in the Midwest, Kansas City. We’re visiting with Mallory Robins and Elizabeth Bennett, partners in Kobel +Co, a firm that curates happiness and joy through interior design and creation of contemplative spaces.

We are discussing things like curated minimalism, happy places and timeworn objects. All revolving around the idea that design is the curated creation of the place where you want to be. Sounds so easy, right? Manufacturing the place where you want to be. It’s not easy. That is why I think you are going to enjoy listening to the following conversation with Mallory and Elizabeth as much as I did facilitating it. I also enjoy sharing the stories from the design flyovers for a number of reasons. First, for years you have heard me complaining that the traditional design media doesn’t provide any love to designers not residing in New York, LA, Miami, Boston, etc. but you are starting to. And that is a good thing. I also enjoy doing this because it gives me a chance to come and visit these cities to fully understand the dynamics behind the growth of metropolitan areas across the US. For those who have never been to Kansas City, it is a fun, funky town with some really interesting design. Perhaps after hearing from Elizabeth and Mallory, you will.  Trust me, it’s worth the visit. You are going to hear all about it, right after this.

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!

TimberTech – Real wood beauty without the upkeep

We are discussing things like curated minimalism, happy places and timeworn objects. All revolving around the idea that design is the curated creation of the place where you want to be. Sounds so easy, right? Manufacturing the place where you want to be. It’s not easy. That is why I think you are going to enjoy listening to the following conversation with Mallory and Elizabeth as much as I did facilitating it. I also enjoy sharing the stories from the design flyovers for a number of reasons. First, for years you have heard me complaining that the traditional design media doesn’t provide any love to designers not residing in New York, LA, Miami, Boston, etc. but you are starting to. And that is a good thing. I also enjoy doing this because it gives me a chance to come and visit these cities to fully understand the dynamics behind the growth of metropolitan areas across the US. For those who have never been to Kansas City, it is a fun, funky town with some really interesting design. Perhaps after hearing from Elizabeth and Mallory, you will.  Trust me, it’s worth the visit. You are going to hear all about it, right after this.

Thank you, Elizabeth and Mallory, love your city, love your work. . I enjoyed our conversation and I am so appreciative to you for taking the time to share. 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. -Convo By Design

Brigette Romanek | 520 | Our July 2024 Design Icon Registry Inductee

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is the July 2024 installment of the Convo By Design Icon Registry featuring another absolutely incredible creative who graced the show with her presence. This designer is a multi-faceted creative who seamlessly weaves music, art and drama into and through her work with grace and style. This months inductee is the incomparable, Brigette Romanek.

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 met Brigette in a very special place on a very special day. We met at the Soho Home showroom in West Hollywood the afternoon before the Convo By Design 10th anniversary celebration. I was already super excited, nervous about the event and when I sat with Brigette, all of that went away for an hour. We had this super chill, highly elevated conversation about inspiration, influence and creativity. I imagine that is how her clients feel when they first sit down with her. A tranquil ease and that allowed me to do some really great work. And I am going to play that conversation for you as we celebrate together the induction of Brigette Romanek into the Convo By Design Icon Registry for July, 2024.

Thank you, Brigette for making this world a more beautiful and dramatic 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

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