Wellness & Design Thought Leadership Series feat. Michael Gilbride | 413 | Talking About Design For Lives Well Lived

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with another installment of the Wellness & Design Thought Leadership Series presented by ThermaSol. For those new to the show, the Wellness & Design Thought Leadership Series is a deep dive into the work of shelter creatives who are at the forefront of holistic design. When I say holistic design, I mean it in the truest sense. Design that keeps the individual form whom its designed at the forefront of the work. Designers who craft space for the quality of life that space provides. And Michael Gilbride is one such designer.

Michael describes his namesake firm as one that creates, “for lives well lived.” He also describes well connected spaces and purpose to elevate daily life. That is the prototypical example of a designer that works to create, elevate, connect and better the lives for those he designs for. And that’s the point. Michael and I cover a lot of ground here. We talk about his South American upbringing that informs his design philosophy and his background in fashion prior to his work in design. We also chat about an extraordinary design house project that Michael worked on in the Hudson Valley of New York. The Kingston Design Showhouse. Michael and his team created an absolutely spectacular bathroom that is part spa, part art gallery and all zen. What I love most, and you will hear about this, This bathroom is simply one of the best, most-completely designed spaces I have ever seen. I have studied this space in depth, looking for some small detail that was overlooked and I cannot find one. It is one of the best-designed spaces I have ever seen and because design is personal, you might agree, or not and that is okay either way. But what is undeniable is that design is constrained by walls, space, location and imagination. This bathroom is not huge but every inch of space was considered in the final result. What you will hear is the philosophy behind it the why, and how it all came together. 

Designer Resources

ThermaSol – Redefining the modern shower experience. Episode 271 featuring Mitch Altman

Moya Living  Beautiful, durable powder coated kitchen, bath & outdoor kitchen cabinetry. I love working with Moya Living and believe you will too for any design project you can conceive from residential to Commercial, hospitality or industrial.

Design Hardware – A stunning and vast collection of jewelry for the home! Check them out and you will find what you’re looking for.

Thank you Michael for taking the time to share your story. Thank you CXD partners and sponsors; ThermaSol, Moya Living and Design Hardware for your continued support. And thank you for taking the time every week to share some time together and hear the stories behind sublime design. Check the show notes for links to Michael’s work, our social media links and please keep emailing me with your suggestions and guest submissions. Convo By Design @ Outlook dot com. Until next week, remember why you do what you do and for whom you do it, be well and take today first.

2020 Kingston Design House | 306 | High Style and Ingenuity in the Hudson River Valley

This is Convo By Design with a virtual visit to the Kingston Showhouse. Hey, are you as tired of the word ‘virtual’ as I am?

As tired of the word ‘virtual’ as I am, without the ability to have these conversations, we would not have access to designers and showcase houses in parts of the country like the Hudson Valley in upstate New York. The 2020 showcase includes work by; Ana Claudia Design, Ariana S. Winston, Jennifer Salvimini, KD Reid interiors, Patrick Ryan’s Office, Stone Ridge Landscapes, Damour Drake, Hendley & Co., Krishna Fitzpatrick, Lava Interiors,  This and That, and Jen Dragon. Maryline Damour of Damour Drake is the founder of this project and this is the third offering of this showcase home. 

On a personal note, 2020 presented all of us with a choice. Crawl up in a ball and shut down, or figure out how to reinvent ourselves, over and over again while we all struggle to figure out how to work through this and get back to life on the other side of this thing. This joint struggle has brought some of us closer together. Convo By Design has been reinvented over eight years of production. I was able to cover this relatively new design house and I’m really proud and happy to share this with you. 

Thanks for downloading, streaming, and downloading this episode of the podcast. If you haven’t subscribed yet, please do so you don’t miss a single episode of the show, like this one from the Kingston Design House.

Thank you to all of the remarkable creatives that fought through extreme circumstances to bring this project home. Thank you Walker Zanger for your extraordinary partnership and thank you for listening. My goal is to bring you the stories behind sublime design wherever that may be. To share those stories, bring you business strategies to help you build a stronger firm and inspire you to do your most creative work. 

For more, please follow us on Instagram @ConvoXDesign with an “X”, check us out at Convo By Design dot com. Until next week, be well and keep creating.

@AcDesignStudio @HendleyandCo @LavaInteriors @KDReidInteriors @KrishFitzy #PatrickRyansOffice #DamourDrake #JenniferSalvemini @Ariana.S.Winston @ThisandThatDehli #CrossContemporaryPartners  @StoneRidgeLandscapes