Q: What adjectives describe your design sensibility?
A: Comfortable, Elegant and Livable.
Q: What is inspiring you right now?
A: Too often people operate on autopilot and stop looking at the little details in things they pass every day, and it is the details that make a huge difference to the way something looks, feels, and functions. I’m always looking. You need to put yourself in environments to soak up inspiration. Go to museums and listen to the guides, soak up their insights, and immerse yourself in learning. I am a voracious learner–it’s the thing that drives me more than anything else.
Q: How has your upbringing influenced your design practice?
A: I was born in Minnesota, in the heartland of America, and raised in Los Angeles. As a boy, I was fascinated by architecture. I designed houses out of balsa wood and even created the landscaping around them. I was lucky enough to have great exposure to the arts as a child. My parents collected contemporary art and my mother took us to museums and theatre. I think that early exposure established my connection with art and culture.
Q: Your design philosophy states you marry European elegance with California comfort-tell us how you achieve this?
A: Creating environments where people feel welcome and at home. Comfort is the key ingredient and it is more than just feeling cozy. Comfort is also a mental thing—do you feel comfortable enough to be able to put your feet up on something? Can you let the kids play without being afraid that they are going to ruin something? That is essential. I believe that a successful project appears timeless and never looks as if it has been "decorated." To achieve this objective, I carefully mix classic examples of furniture, art, and design from different periods, to create spaces that are interesting and have vitality.
