Can you briefly describe your personal design philosophy?
I strive for effortlessness. I never want a client’s space to ever feel fussy. My goal is always to achieve what I call “undesign”. Even the most formal spaces can still feel relaxed and inviting. You can have the most beautiful collection of furnishings and objects, but if the space doesn’t feel livable as a designer, I’ve ultimately failed. I hate walking into spaces and they feel overly curated or over designed. Oftentimes I just think whomever lives there is trying too hard or don’t really even use those spaces. I recall my first project ever where the client had a formal living room and they never used it and the problem to solve was how to we drive people to that space. While we purchased many amazing pieces, ultimately we created this space that felt very chic. That’s really always the goal.
What’s your thought process like when you’re incorporating art into a space? What about a work of art tends to draw you to it?
Art is always such a large part of the discussion that I have with clients. Art can happen in many ways. Preferably, I think about what we are attempting to achieve in the space and the references we are making with our overall design and what type of art would complete that story. I never want the art to feel trite or too referential. I would never design a space with say blue in it and then insist that the art also have a prominent amount of blue; that just feels like a very commercial approach. I look more towards references the art makes rather than pairing colors. If a client has a collection of pieces that has some value to them we think of thoughtful ways of incorporating it. Obviously I know what I think is bad or educationally what is bad, but art can be very personal so there is no reason to shame a client for it.
When I think about art I think about it from an analytical approach or even just a feeling. When thinking about it analytically I think about the following: provenance – where is the art from, who made it, and what cultural significance/impact could it have, does it or will it have any value?, technique – how it was made and was the attempt well executed?, and substance – what does it evoke, what is it trying to say? When I like something from feeling I can appreciate a beautiful piece of art for beauty’s sake. The mistake people often make with art is that they are always looking for meaning in it and looking past just the superficial beauty of it. I like to be able to look at a great photograph (as an example) and be able appreciate it at face value. Sometimes art can be just that.
Could you tell us a little bit about your furniture designs and your inspirations for the pieces?
For my furniture I wanted to design something free floating and that would work as a centerpiece of the room. I want a space to exude cool – just this effortless, relaxed luxury. I’m using a lot of adjectives, but these are feelings I want my furniture to pull out of people hahaha.
It’s too often that you walk into a space and that much of the furniture is up against the wall, there is this idea of formality that comes with that. It can feel like a waiting area at a smaller law firm. Obviously some spaces have their constraints, but where there is a will there’s a way. It’s important that you really understand how to use the space in your room. It just seems counterproductive when making a space feel more relaxed, I want a space to feel a bit more circular and communal.
The collection is called Big Sur, whose organic shape is reminiscent of the area’s unique geography and emblematic of what I would define as the epitome of relaxed California cool. When I think of the time that I spend there I think of how beautiful and lush the environment is. It’s almost obscene how beautiful it is in the kindest way. I wanted the movement in my furniture to evoke the same feelings.
What do you personally look for in artworks? You mention that “Great art is Key – bringing authenticity to a space”.
While I often take an analytical approach for my clients I often buy art based on feeling or intuition, technique, and uniqueness. I’ll look at what I might have seen at a show or gallery and if I like it for some reason or another I then look at the technique. I’ve seen A LOT of Instagram art that I thought looked good and then you see it in person and there is no real technique to it, it just looks like paint by numbers. Not to knock Instagram, I do think it’s been a great platform for creatives to get discovered. I have several artist friends whose careers have taken off because someone important saw their work. It’s a great thing.
In terms of uniqueness, my clients aren’t coming to me and wanting a Marilyn Monroe painting.
Do you collect art or any kind of objects yourself? How do you discover new artists?
I am a novice collector at this point and have started building a strong collection. I have a couple of prominent artists that I’ve wanted forever and then I have a lot emerging. With emerging artists it’s always great to see their growth over the years. I have a couple of pieces that I bought early on in their careers and It’s been exciting to see how those artists have progressed. I can’t wait to buy the next version of who they are.
I’m a little spoiled at this point, I have a great network of friends and advisers in the art world at this point. I’ve been fortunate to find out about art and artists that are at the forefront.
With emerging artists it’s always great to see their growth over the years. I have a couple of pieces that I bought early on in their careers and It’s been exciting to see how those artists have progressed. I can’t wait to buy the next version of who they are.
With emerging artists it’s always great to see their growth over the years. I have a couple of pieces that I bought early on in their careers and It’s been exciting to see how those artists have progressed. I can’t wait to buy the next version of who they are.
