Designing Across America with Purpose, Precision and Intent | 380 | Marissa Stokes

Welcome back to Convo By Design, I’m Josh Cooperman and this week we are speaking with Marissa Stokes. We are talking about…C’mon, you know what we’re talking about.

I say that half-kidding. Like, yeah we’re talking about interior design, architecture, art and this amazing business of shelter and design. But really, every conversation that I have had, over 300 interviews, 200 panel conversations, hundreds of events, every single one of them are different because each creative is so unique. This week, our conversation with Marissa covers design across the US including projects in California, New York, Montana, New Orleans and South Florida. Marissa earned her BFA in Interior Design from Parsons School of Design and spent time working for Victoria Hagan and Jayne Design Studios before starting on her own design journey. 

Designer Resources 

ThermaSol – Redefining the modern shower experience

Article, great style is easy. It’s the best way to buy beautiful modern furniture

York Wallcoverings – Designed to inspire for over 125 years

Franz Viegener – Finely crafted sculptural faucets

Moya Living  Beautiful, durable powder coated kitchen, bath & outdoor kitchen cabinetry

We talk about the work and her journey. We also discuss the current state of design, the business of design and all that that entails. Marissa is a complete designer with artists touch for color and an engineers approach to furniture placement. Her use of space is elegant and efficient as is her approach to the business. You’ll hear all about it, right after this.

Thank you, Marissa, loved our chat. Thank you ThermaSol, Article, York Wallcoverings, Franz Viegener and Moya Living for your partnership and support. You are remarkable partners and amazing allies for the trade. 

And, thank you for listening and subscribing to the podcast. I know you already know this, but… there are literally hundreds of past episodes of Convo By Design that you probably haven’t heard, especially if you are new to the show, so go check them out. Be well and take today first.

The Lost Interview with Bernardo Puccio | 375 | Stories From LA’s Golden Age of Design

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with a conversation that should have aired on the podcast almost three years ago. I found this and I am really happy to share it with you, the incomparable Bernardo Puccio.

So, it’s tru, the following conversation was recently found on a drive in a my studio and this was recorded around October 2019. Bernardo Puccio has been in design for over a half century and has amazing stories to tell about the glory days of Hollywood, designing for his celebrity clientele or his activism with Elizabeth Taylor.

Thank you, Bernardo. I loved our time together. Your story is amazing. Thank you ThermaSol, Article, York Wallcoverings and Franz Viegener and Moya Living for your partnership and support. You are remarkable partners and amazing allies for the trade. 

And, thank you for listening and subscribing to the podcast. I know you already know this, but… there are literally hundreds of past episodes of Convo By Design that you probably haven’t heard, especially if you are new to the show, so go check them out. 

Remember why you do what you do and that the business of design is about making better the lives of those we serve. Until next week. Be well and take today first.

The Collectors | 373 | A Deep Dive into Designing for Highly-Curated Collections and the Spaces that House Them for the People Who Love Them

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with a conversations from WestEdge Design Fair, circa 2019 that I have been holding onto for a number of reason, not the least of which is that with everything that has been happening, talking about designing around collected things seemed off to me. But now, let’s get back to collecting, shall we…

Seriously, with the office/ classroom/ yoga studio and trying to make those things work, it seemed a little tone deaf to try and talk passionately about designing around collected things. But the time is right again to start thinking about these things again.Collections make us happy. And in 2019, as I was crafting panels for WestEdge in the Convo by Design Programming Lounge, here was the inspiration.

The Collectors: Collected Clutter Made Impeccably Designed Collections

Many if not most of us have gathered and keep “treasures.” These collections represent the curiosity and vitality of life adventures and are, at least we hope, to be incorporated into our living spaces. Today’s ensemble of creatives have achieved mastery incorporating treasures into the design of their clients’ dreams. Learn strategies that make for a smoother process when showcasing collections.

Moderated by: George Smart, Host of US Modernist Radio
Featuring: Kevin Isbell, Kevin Isbell Interiors; Laura Muller, Four Point Design Build;  Jules Wilson, Jules Wilson Design Studio

Designer Resources

ThermaSol – Redefining the modern shower experience

Article, great style is easy. It’s the best way to buy beautiful modern furniture

York Wallcoverings – Designed to inspire for over 125 years

Franz Viegener – Finely crafted sculptural faucets

Moya Living  Beautiful, durable powder coated kitchen, bath & outdoor kitchen cabinetry

Thank you George, Kevin, Laura and Jules. I loved this!

And, thank you for listening and subscribing to the podcast. I know you already know this, but… there are literally hundreds of past episodes of Convo By Design that you probably haven’t heard, especially if you are new to the show, so go check them out. 

Remember why you do what you do and that the business of design is about making better the lives of those we serve. Until next week. Be well and take today first.

Pulling Focus on Light Design | 371 | Brett Andersen – Focus Lighting

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with a brand spotlight on a unique lighting company that is making art with light.

I am not exaggerating nor embellishing what they do. They are a lighting company that create mood, space and time through light. Their work runs between hospitality, retail, entertainment, museums and all kinds of other projects. Light is critical to an experience and in turn, requires planning and placement to get it right. This is Brett Andersen, partner and principal designer at Focus Lighting. We are talking about lighting, and application of the craft. We’ll get to that, right after this.

Designer Resources

ThermaSol – Redefining the modern shower experience

Article, great style is easy. It’s the best way to buy beautiful modern furniture

York Wallcoverings – Designed to inspire for over 125 years

Franz Viegener – Finely crafted sculptural faucets

Moya Living  Beautiful, durable powder coated kitchen, bath & outdoor kitchen cabinetry

Thank you, Brett. Love your story and the art you bring to life. For more stories like this, make sure you are subscribing to the podcast. You can find the show everywhere you get your favorite podcasts… But, you already knew that. What you might not know, is that there are literally hundreds of other episodes for you to binge on now. Go check them out. 

Thank you ThermaSol, Article, York Wallcoverings and Franz Viegener and Moya Living for your partnership and support. You are remarkable partners and amazing allies for the trade. And, thank you for listening, remember why you do what you do and that the business of design is about making better the lives of those we serve. Until next week. Be well and take today first.

Small Space, Big Style | 370 | Elizabeth Drake, Anthony Laney & Roxanne Packingham

This is Convo By Design with a look at small spaces and maximum style because it’s time to start looking at exploring space again. That’s right, we are going to look forward at making small spaces popular again. Maybe it was the nook under the stairs that has been a classroom for the past 2 years, or that breakfast area/ yoga studio/ office. How can we make those spaces functional again, as in the original function that didn’t include three slashes and four functions. Let’s get back to singularly stunning design in the multi purpose spaces with a listen to a conversation from 2021, via Zoom, of course and another exploration into small space, big style in the latest installment of the Wellness & Design Thought Leadership Series presented by ThermaSol.

Designer Resources

ThermaSol – Redefining the modern shower experience

Article, great style is easy. It’s the best way to buy beautiful modern furniture

York Wallcoverings – Designed to inspire for over 125 years

Franz Viegener – Finely crafted sculptural faucets

Moya Living  Beautiful, durable powder coated kitchen, bath & outdoor kitchen cabinetry

A little history first. In 2012, I produced my first design house. A 1400 foot penthouse condo in the heart of Hollywood. 8 designers and some incredible design. I have always had a fondness for small spaces because big spaces and big budgets are great but it is, I would argue as a not-designer, a more simple endeavor. Not “easy” but far more simple. Small spaces take more work, research, planning and attention to detail. Again, I am not a designer, but I have had enough time in conversation with world-class design talent to know a few things, and this idea is one.

So I gathered a group of uber talented creatives to chat with me about this as part of the Wellness & Design Thought Leadership Series, presented by ThermaSol. Here is how I described the conversation to them:

Design tastes chan change over time. Color palette, new materials and lifestyle trends all affect the finished project. What never changes are the limitations placed on creatives by the space available in which to work. Designing in a smaller footprint presents creatives with unique challenges and often forces certain choices and at the same time offers designers an opportunity to test their mettle. This challenge can change the way we think about design, encourage experimentation and open up new possibilities.

The panelists include; Designer, Elizabeth Drake, architect  Anthony Laney and designer Roxanne Packham. We are talking about space and making that space enjoyable once more. We’ll get to that, right after this.

Thank you, Roxanne, Elizabeth and Anthony. You are all fantastic and I appreciate you so much. For more stories like this, make sure you are subscribing to the podcast. You can find the show everywhere you get your favorite podcasts… But, you already knew that. What you might not know, is that there are literally hundreds of other episodes for you to binge on now. Go check them out. 

Thank you ThermaSol, Article, York Wallcoverings, Franz Viegener and Moya Living for your partnership and support. You are remarkable partners and amazing allies for the trade. And, thank you for listening, remember why you do what you do and that the business of design is about making better the lives of those we serve. Until next week. Be well and take today first.

Wellness is The New Green | 368 | Must-Know Strategies for The Modern Healthy Home Because if You Haven’t Got Your Health, Nothing Else Matters

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with another episode of the Wellness & Design Thought Leadership Series presented by ThermaSol. This a look back at what we were saying about wellness in a previously unpublished conversation from the Convo By Design Programming Lounge at the WestEdge Design Fair from 2019. The last time did it. I think you will find this really interesting.

Designer Resources

ThermaSol – Redefining the modern shower experience

Article, great style is easy. It’s the best way to buy beautiful modern furniture

York Wallcoverings – Designed to inspire for over 125 years

Franz Viegener – Finely crafted sculptural faucets

Moya Living  Beautiful, durable powder coated kitchen, bath & outdoor kitchen cabinetry

First a note about the WestEdge Design Fair. I don’t know if it will ever happen again. I just know that I hope it does. I have made so many friends, not the least of which are Troy and Megan, founders of the show. This conversation from the fair in 2019 features; Moderator Ben Stapleton, Executive Director, USGBC-LA and features; Brady Zaitoon, Angel City Lumber; Gordon Stott, Connect Homes; and Lori Tierney, Tierney Management, LLC 

The intro read, “Did you know that air quality in your home or workplace is typically two times worse than air quality outside?  Join our round table discussion on the materials and environment in the places we live and how your choices affecting the health of the space are just as critical as those affecting your style.”

So, what is so interesting to me in retrospect is that all of these issues would be of critical importance as we were all confined to our homes in early 2020, 5 months after this was recorded. It is even more relevant now than it was then with a renewed focus on air quality, water quality, noise abatement and sustainable, safe busting materials and quality building practices. The ideas espoused here are actually more important now and will continue to be so for designers and architects on behalf of their clients. Great chat and I am so happy to present it to you. We’ll get to it, in just a moment, but first, this.

Thank you, Ben, Brady, Gordon and Lori, great job. For more stories like this, make sure you are subscribing to the podcast. You can find the show everywhere you get your favorite podcasts… But, you already knew that. What you might not know, is that there are literally hundreds of other episodes for you to binge on now. Go check them out. 

Thank you ThermaSol, Article, York Wallcoverings and Franz Viegener for your partnership and support. You are remarkable partners and amazing allies for the trade. And, thank you for listening, remember why you do what you do and that the business of design is about making better the lives of those we serve. Until next week. Be well and take today first.

True and Authentic Design | 366 | Wellness & Design Thought Leadership with Dennese Guadeloupe Rojas

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with designer Dennese Guadeloupe Rojas. I had the chance to chat with this DC/ Maryland based designer, and principal of Interiors By Design about a lot of things, not the least of which, authenticity.

Think about it. Being authentic in all our creative endeavors is so critical to not just the work but how we feel about our own work. One of the things I lament most in the post-pandemic era is the lack of time and focus on authenticity. Think about it for a minute. There is an art to being authentic. It means being not only true to yourself, your work, your friends and family but also to the design and creative process by which we all work. I don’t think it is possible to be completely true to any of these things in a time when every aspect of the business is so unpredictably fluid right now. At a time when the on again, off again gatherings. I was at Design Chicago but bailed out of KBIS this year. And for designers trying to do the work only to have costs boosted by 30% or more on shipping and pricing, timelines continuing to shift outward and making it more challenging to remain creative and relate to the business. But we’re also talking about how Denise stays fresh, sharp and focused. g a constant stream of reselects. It’s draining. Draining emotionally and that draws from ones ability to create. So, were talking about this and other ideas with an immensely creative designer. I think you are going to like this, I hope so.

Thank you for the time and conversation, Dennese! Thank you ThermaSol, Article, York Wallcoverings and Franz Viegener for your partnership and support. You are remarkable partners and amazing allies for the trade. And, thank you for listening, remember why you do what you do and that the business of design is about making better the lives of those we serve. Until next week. Be well and take today first.

Designer Resources

ThermaSol – Redefining the modern shower experience

Article, great style is easy. It’s the best way to buy beautiful modern furniture.

York Wallcoverings – Designed to inspire for over 125 years.

Franz Viegener – Finely crafted sculptural faucets

Surprise & Delight in Interior Design, Keeping It Interesting | 365 | Morgan Farrow & Matt Cain with Tatum Brown Custom Homes

I’m Josh Cooperman, this is Convo By Design and today, we are returning to one of my favorite design cities, Dallas, Texas for a chat with a creative who has mastered the art of surprise & delight!

Thank you for checking out this episode of Convo By Design. We are solidly into 2022 and the on again off again event schedule is reading havoc with travel plans and delivery dates. That being said, we are continuing to move forward with the 2022 Remote Design House | Tulsa project. Very soon, you are going to start hearing about this project and seeing some of the finished spaces… If we can get our deliveries that is. We’re all in the same boat here! First designers up are Gail Davis and John McClain with product form York Wallcoverings, Article, Franz Viegener, and others. I am so excited to share this project with you that I can’t stand it. Make sure you are subscribing to the show so you don’t miss a single episode of the podcast.

Designer Resources

ThermaSol – Redefining the modern shower experience

Article, great style is easy. It’s the best way to buy beautiful modern furniture.

York Wallcoverings – Designed to inspire for over 125 years.

Franz Viegener – Finely crafted sculptural faucets

Surprise & delight. Such a simple concept, so challenging to execute. It’s a matter of finding opportunities to add something completely unexpected yet adds to the overall concept while not detracting from it. Morgan Farrow and her team, do that, extremely well. Adding a unique element to this conversation, Morgan is joined by Matt Cain, president of Tatum Brown Custom Homes who works in partnership on some new development projects with Farrow and her team. Surprise and delight in partnership with a developer/ builder. This is something that comes up in conversation all the time with design creatives looking for new avenues for collaboration.  And you are going to hear all about it, right after this.

Thank you, Morgan, surprise and delight, love it! Thank you ThermaSol, Article, York Wallcoverings and Franz Viegener for your partnership and support. You are remarkable partners and amazing allies for the trade. And, thank you for listening, remember why you do what you do and that the business of design is about making better the lives of those we serve. Until next week. Be well and take today first.

 

 

The Creative Mindset & Artistic POV From the Heart of the Midwest | 364 | Lauren Johnson Design

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design. You have no doubt heard by now about the remote design house project I am working on in Tulsa. If you are curious about the state of design in Tulsa, this episode is for you.

Here we have another creative with a degree in something other than interior design or architecture. Marketing. She also received her degree in interior design as well, but marketing is almost a must-have these days. Lauren Johnson runs her eponymous firm in Tulsa Oklahoma with both a “creative mindset and an artistic point of view.” I like that because those ideas are open ended as it relates to creative endeavors. Tulsa is a very big small city and Lauren treats the city as a community from which the draws inspiration and gives back with soulful and meaningful design.

The design community is strong in Tulsa, Oklahoma. And it gets stronger with all the new residents who come to inhabit this amazing midwest city. The city is rooted in art deco architecture from the early 1900’s as the city grew into an oil and gas hub. With that growth, came the experimentation as tastes and styles changed. Essentially, this created an experimental design city. That changed a bit in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Growth began to stagnate in response to the oil bust. This is a really interesting study in how design trends and experimentation grow hand in glove with a city’s financial health. The city of Tulsa is growing rapidly. The 10 year growth rate is 5.4%. I would also call this a healthy growth rate, not the hyper-explosive rates of Austin, Texas or even Oklahoma City. Cities that grow too fast suffer the negative ramifications of an overheated housing market and increased competition for resources. That being said, the growth from outside is bringing in new tastes for design and architecture. And that is a good thing. You will learn more about how she works and what motivates Johnson right after this from our friends at ThermaSol.

Thank you, Lauren, I appreciate you. Thank you ThermaSol, Article, York Wallcoverings and Franz Viegener for your partnership and support. You are remarkable partners and amazing allies for the trade. And, thank you for listening, remember why you do what you do and that the business of design is about making better the lives of those we serve. Until next week. Be well and take today first.

Designer Resources

ThermaSol – Redefining the modern shower experience

Article, great style is easy. It’s the best way to buy beautiful modern furniture.

York Wallcoverings – Designed to inspire for over 125 years.

Franz Viegener – Finely crafted sculptural faucets

Talking Sophisticated and Eclectic Interior Design with A Wonderful Human Being | 363 | Alex Papachristidis

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with one of the greats. Not just as a decorator, but as a person. Incredibly talented and so versatile as an interior decorator, I wanted to share his story with you, this is  Alex Papachristides.

I first met Alex in 2019, I think. To be completely frank with you, my years have started to mix and mingle together. It’s like something crazy has happened over the last 2 years. I met Alex at La Cienega Design Quarter’s Legends event. I spent a week interviewing creatives who crafted windows in the quarter and Alex was one of my favorites. If you do a modicum of research on Alex, you will find a deeply creative and complex interior decorator who knows the historical importance of the materials with which he works and the meaning behind each design story he creates for his clients. Papachristidis in versatile too. It takes a special person who can appear on Today and This Old House and be equally compelling. Alex is an author and perpetually included on just about any who’s who design list. Alex is also a dog person and sits on the Board of Directors of ARF Hamptons, which is one of the reasons I find him so special. This is Alex Papachristidis.

Thank you, Alex. Loved our chat and truly appreciate the time. Thank you ThermaSol, Article, York Wallcoverings and Franz Viegener for your partnership. You are remarkable partners and amazing allies for the trade. And, thank you for listening, remember why you do what you do and that the business of design is about making better the lives of those we serve. Until next week. Be well and take today first.

Designer Resources:

ThermaSol – Redefining the modern shower experience

Article, great style is easy. It’s the best way to buy beautiful modern furniture.

York Wallcoverings – Designed to inspire for over 125 years.

Franz Viegener – Finely crafted sculptural faucets