Convo By Design® – Details, episodes & analysis

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with a conversation from the past but no less relevant today and that is why I love producing the main stage at the WestEdge Design Fair. WestEdge, it’s coming up this November 14th through the 16th in Santa Monica at the Barker Hangar. This show is very special to me. I have been working with principles Megan and Troy, and co-founder Troy for years. This is a special show, my favorite show in California and that is saying something. It’s a labor of love and its with gratitude and appreciation to Megan and Troy that I get to do this every year.

 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 wanted to share some past programs with you and it seemed like a good time as we lean in on this years show. One of the things that I have always loved about WestEdge is how it represents a celebration of design and a yearning to help elevate the industry in the future. For me, that desire to elevate has taken the form of freedom to curate panels, interviews and concepts that speak to the ever-changing and evolving nature of the design and architecture space. Troy and Megan have always supported my ideas and encouraged me to pursue the unique, undiscussed conversations in the same way I have always tried to do for you on the show.

For the past 2-3 years now, you have been hearing a lot of conversations about sustainability in design. The importance of sustainable consciousness in the industry. You have also been hearing a great deal about the story behind materiality and product. A true desire for narration in the design and materials that comprise it. It’s important. And I thought I would share our conversation discussing these very issues, recorded live, at WestEdge… In 2018.

Before we get to this, some thoughts on sustainable design and panel programming over time. The panel program you are about to hear was recorded in 2018. While not many were talking about this subject, we were and you are going to notice how far we have come since 2018 with regard to sustainable design practices. In large part due to conversations like this one. This is one of the reasons why the SoCal design community and beyond love this event so much. You are going to hear it here, first. The ideas and concepts that are shaping our industry now and well into the future. This year, we have an extraordinary slate of talks featuring amazing talent scheduled for the show. Find out more at WestEdge Design Fair dot com.

But first, It’s such a joy to look back at these and share them again.  Sustainable and Timeless Design featuring; Whitney Tinsley, Bret Englander of Cerno Group and Catherine Richardson of Libeco Linen. This program was moderated by Erika Heet of Interiors Magazine.

We’ll get to it, right after this.

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Thank you, Erika, Catherine, Bret, Whitney. 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

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with a conversation about potential. Potential is defined as having the capacity to become something in the future. Think about that. I’ll give you six seconds.

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

Potential, the most optimistic word in the human language next to the word optimism. Potential is only an idea until its activated. Simon Hamui is a Mexico City based design studio founded by Hamui and works in natural materials like wood, stone, upholstery and metal for truly unique spaces. Potential in this instance refers to both the artisan and his team in addition to the materials in which they work. Turning a piece of raw wood into a piece of artisan cabinetry on a yacht, earthen pulled stone into a stunning dining room floor. One of a kind works for one of a kind spaces by a one of a kind artisan and studio. I also asked Simon about his musical tastes, those responses. The top 10 he’s loving right now; Gustav Mahler, Paul Simon, Claude Debussey, Melody Gardot, Johann Sebastian Bach, Genesis (early years), Milton Nacimiento, Sergei Profofiev, Pat Metheny and Juan Manuel Serrat. Love these! This is what we’re discussing today with Simon Hamui. We’ll be right back.

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with an episode featuring a spectacular creative, Adam Hunter and I am going to call the following episode an instant classic. I don’t do that often, and you are going to hear why.

Adam and I first met years ago at an industry function in LA. I have followed his career and it really is incredible to see what he has done with his firm. He has built an amazing firm upon spectacular design and an affinity for drama going back to his previous career in theater. We talk about this and a number of other things that correspond to the work he has done which, per usual for the show, we explore and evaluate online and if you wish to follow along as we do, which I highly encourage because it is both fun and fascinating to see the work as we describes. It’s an insiders look at design. www.adamhunter.com 

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

When evaluating the work of a creative like Adam Hunter, it’s enlightening to understand that Adam built a successful career in theater prior to coming into design. That experience can be seen in the narrative that the design tells. It’s a form of storytelling. Both from an understanding of whom he is designing the space and the lives those who inhabit the space wish to live. I have had a number of wonderful conversations over the years with professional set decorators and its truly amazing to hear how they process a written script and then dress a set to provide details of the character that neither the actors nor the script itself cold explain. It provides nuance and context. A performer like Adam both understands this and has been trained to both ideate and execute on the concept which, when done right, tells the story of the characters and defines who the are by how they live.

Thank you, Adam. I loved 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 @ConvoXdesign, with an “x”.  Until the next episode, be well and take today first. -CXD

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with a conversation about architecture. The kind of architecture that, if you are a true fan, makes your heart race. It did mine Wayne Turett is. the force behind The Turett Collaborative. He and his team are reshaping New York and surrounding through the application of extraordinary architecture principles, new ideas and and a reimagined idea of what architecture is and can be. The work is imaginative, daring and the philosophy is sustainable. Everything from reshaped inner city dwellings to a ground up passive house. Outdoor playgrounds inside, inside living spaces outdoors and so much more.

Designer Resources

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

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

Design Hardware – A stunning and vast collection of jewelry for the home!

Wayne and I take a walk through quite a few of these projects and if you are so inclined, you can walk through them with us. As always, check the show notes for a link to The Turett Collective website project pages and we’ll explore together. What you are going to find is that Wayne’s firm takes the work seriously, but in that approach, find ways to reignite the imagination through the use of materials in unexpected ways, application of technique in a manner that is multifunctional and serves as multiplier against other materials and techniques. Space, flow, lighting, emotion and a clear passion for the work are evident in every detail. Can you tell I’m a fan? I am and I think if you are not already familiar with their work, by the end of this episode, you will be as well. The is Wayne Turett of The Turett Collective.

Thank you Wayne for the time. Thank you CXD partners and sponsors ThermaSol, Moya Living and Design Hardware for your continuous partnership and support. Thank you for taking the time to subscribe, download and listen to the show. I appreciate you. 

Now more than ever, remember why you do what you do and for whom you do it. The design and architecture community single handedly makes the lives of those we serve better and it’s because of you. Thanks again for listening, we’ll be back next week with another story, so until then, be well and take today first.

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with a panel conversation recorded live from the WestEdge Design Fair, Dallas edition. This conversation was entitled, Designing for Wellness Inside and Out | An Exploration to Stunning Holistic Design that Connects Inside and Out with Those Who Inhabit the Space.

I envisioned this conversation as one that would open new avenues of thought for a southern and midwestern audience. Having spent a great deal of time recently in both the midwest and south, I can tell you that the ideas of wellness are different. We’ll get to that a bit more in a minute. First, I wanted you to hear how this concept was presented. Here is how this panel was billed and whom it featured.

The concept of ‘healthy design’ is a constantly evolving idea as new technology comes to market and the ideas behind living healthy change. In years past, it was low off-gassing materials and VOC paints, then sleep chambers crafted for a high quality sleeping experience. As the pandemic continues to change the way we live, so has the idea that defines what it means to live a healthy lifestyle. Crafting luxury living both inside and out has become a universal goal to capture as much usable space while exploring ways to make that space perform in new ways. 

Featuring Shelly Rosenberg, Philip Vanderford and Christina Garcia-Lysaught  Moderated by Brenda Houston.

Simple and elegant, yet as you are going to hear, ideas about wellness change dramatically based on who you ask.  This group was cast with purpose. Each participant was hand picked for the individual superpower they possess and if you have listened to the show for a while, you have heard from each of them. Philip Vanderford of Studio Thomas James, Christina Garcia-Lysaught of Layered Dimensions and Shelly Rosenberg all bring a different perspective to this idea of what “wellness” means right now as it informs their work on behalf of their clients.  Check the links in the show notes to see their work, you’ll see what I mean. To moderate this conversation is Brenda Houston. Brenda is what I call a hybrid-creative. She works in a number of verticals that range from design to retail to product design which makes her the perfect person to bring out the gems from this highly-skilled group. You are going to hear all about it, right after this.

Thank you Christina, Shelly, Philip and Brenda. Fabulous job. I loved this and appreciate your taking the time to do this and sharing your expertise and insight. Thank you to CXD partners and sponsors including ThermaSol, Moya Living, Design Hardware and the WestEdge Design Fair. Thank YOU for taking the time out of your day to download, subscribe and listen to the show. I appreciate you and I hope this show helps you do that thing you do better. For more information about the show, about what we do here at Convo By Design, check the show notes for links and ways to connect. Until next week, be well and take today first. -CXD

In life, we come across people who change us. Some in small bits, some larger but they, in some way shape our journey and inform who we become. Two of those individuals in my life left us last week. What I find so interesting about it is that these two individuals and i interacted for about one hour each yet they had an immense impact on my life. That led me to think about you, those who listen to the show, this podcast and it reminded me that is the reason that I do this, in the hopes that what I do could impact others, that it could have a lasting impact on your life and shape your journey.

You might be wondering about who these people were. One was actor Tom SIzemore who you might recognize from Heat, Saving Private Ryan and countless others. The second was Wayne Shorter, legendary jazz musician. I interviewed both of these icons and each had a sizable impact on me and inform the way I think about things.

Wayne Shorter told me a story about how he envisioned his music as a journey, bigger than an instrument playing notes with a band for fans. An actual journey of life, this became a philosophy for him and his story made me think about the journey we all take, the work we create and how that composition changes us.

Tom Sizemore left an indelible mark on me. He told a story about being saved by a friend. That reminded me that none of us get to impact points along that journey without others along the way.

So, a journey is nothing without the people along the way. Just wanted to share that and remember 2 people who made a tremendous impact on me in a very short amount of time.

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with a colorful conversation for this year’s International Builders Show in Las Vegas. Nothing changes the nature and language of design more than color,  right? While I can’t see you, many are nodding, others are shaking their heads because we in the industry can rarely agree on anything like this and that is just a small part of what makes the current state of design so amazing and wonderful. 

We shouldn’t be agreeing about anything related to design or color. The moment we all begin to love something and think it permanent, we lose finding what’s next and I hope that never happens. I also think that very cycle is what transitions design thought leadership and trending ideas to the trendy, which I believe is when creative ideas die. The following is a conversation I had with Sue Wadden, director of color marketing for Sherwin Williams. We were talking about color and the opportunities designers and specifiers have with Sherwin Williams family of products. We’ll get to that, right after this.

Thank you, Sue. Loved our chat and I’m looking forward to doing this again soon.  Thank you Convo By Design sponsors, ThermaSol, Moya Living and Design Hardware for your partnership. I appreciate you and I love the way you support the design industry. For those listening who want to learn more, please check the show notes for links. Thank you for listening to the show. I know now more than ever, there are a lot of shows out there and you chose CXD. I appreciate you and I hope you found this episode to be a great use of your time because that is my goal. Let’s do this again shall we? Say, next week? Until then, be well and take today first. -CXD

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design. Suzanne Rheinstein, a giant in the industry has left us but not without changing both the nature of interior design but the way in which interior design is experienced by those for whom she crafted. 

Suzanne was one of those rare talents who had a signature through-line in her work that has been described as “elegant civility” which was a pulled-focus on fewer, but better. A level of quality that was exceptional but not overpowering which allowed those for whom she worked to experience the different levels of her work, not necessarily all at once but over time. It is the same way other pleasure past-times like wine, art and music are experienced and enjoyed. Rheinstein was a major talent with all of the awards and accolades that you would expect. Her work, like Suzanne, was elegant and timeless. 

I wanted to share some of her wit, charm and stories, in her own voice and words from an interview n 2019 at the LaCienega Design Quarter’s Legends event where she was presented with her Living Legend Award.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you will always long to return. Learning never exhausts the mind. – Leonardo da Vinci.

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with an absolutely jam packed episode featuring some sound from KBIS and IBS 2023. For the record, this show was amazing, and you’re about to hear why…

Designer Resources

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

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

Design Hardware – A stunning and vast collection of jewelry for the home!

The pandemic is over. With that broad statement comes some finer nuanced observations. Yes, people are still getting COVID, yes, you still see some masked holdouts but I would equate those to a lingering cough after being sick. I base this on the traffic I saw at Las Vegas Market, KBIS and IBS. It was jammed, the parties were full of unmasked, imbibing revelers all in Las Vegas to see what happening, and much was happening. 

You have already heard some of what was happening at Las Vegas Market. If you missed it, check the show notes or podcast feed for links to episodes about the panels and the people. This is a montage from KBIS and IBS featuring brands and design talent from around the country who decended upon sin city to celebrate design and find inspiration from products and innovation. It is important to call an end to the pandemic but to remember all that we have learned. I will say this again, once something unprecedented happens, it is no longer unprecedented and the odds are that something like it can and will happen again. If and when it does, will we be prepared? That is a conversation for another day. Today, you are going to hear from some amazing individuals including; Hacker Kitchens, Breegan Jane, John Cialone, Top Knobs, Sara Malek Barney and more. So, let’s get after it.

Wow. Jam packed, right?  Thank you Sara, Matt, Roz, Andeas, Breegan, Christine & John. Thank you Convo By Design sponsors, ThermaSol, Moya Living and Design Hardware for your partnership. I appreciate you and I love the way you support the design industry. For those listening who want to learn more, please check the show notes for links. Thank you for listening to the show. I know now more than ever, there are a lot of shows out there and you chose CXD. I appreciate you and I hope you found this episode to be a great use of your time because that is my goal. Let’s do this again shall we? Say, next week? Until then, be well and take today first. -CXD

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design and today on the show, we have Cate Brown, and her firm’s creative director, NY fashion designer Dean Sidaway. Cate and her namesake brand produce some beautiful garments for the home. Yes, this is a conversation about design, but it’s also a chart about fashion, clothing for the home, if you will and sustainability. Up-cycling, and reimagining gently worn Chanel, Valentino and Louis Vuitton into pillows and fashion for the home.

Designer Resources

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

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

Design Hardware – A stunning and vast collection of jewelry for the home!

It’s an interesting concept if you really think about it. Tile, pulls and hardware have long been called jewelry for the home. We talk about our homes as living, breathing entities so why shouldn’t they be dressed? Why shouldn’t textiles serve as fashion for the home? Partly rhetorical, partly not and that is the part Cate, Dean and I discuss. 

This is the 10th year of Convo By Design. For the past 10 years, I have been working with the biggest and brightest names in design and architecture. I have also spent a significant amount of time consulting brands and producing branded content for them. Beginning this year, we are offering this service to design and architecture firms of all sizes from the single creative to multi-national design firms and brands alike. If you are in need of a production company to produce social media content, develop your company podcast, write your blog posts, produce trade-focused CEUs, create in-showroom programming or you need help leveling-up your firm, email me, Convo By Design @ Outlook dot com or message me on Instagram @ConvoXDesign with an “x”.

Thank you Cate and Dean 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 Cate Brown, 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.

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo by Design with a conversation about building an absolutely exceptional design brand. Christopher Peacock is a truly exceptional creative with a rich history in creating some of the most extraordinary wood cabinetry in the industry today. There is a difference between crafting a product and building a brand. Peacock molded his eponymous brand in the US from humble beginnings and a keen understanding for what he wanted. And he’s going to share that story and insight here.

Christopher launched his firm in 1992. Christopher Peacock Cabinetry was built on the premise that wooden cabinetry should be beautiful and enduring. But when Peacock put his name on it, there was a greater sense of purpose. That is what I find so interesting here. This is the piece that is missing from much of what we. See and hear these days in the trades and in the media surrounding design and architecture. For many years now, the idea of luxury design has been inextricable tied to big, expensive and for lack of a better word, “extra”. I don’t think good design has to be big, expensive or “extra”. I think good, no, great design is about the nature of the work and manner in which the work is tied to the individual for whom it’s created. Look at art. A painting can sell for millions of dollars but at the end of the day, what is it…really. A few dollars worth of canvas and paint. But the work speaks. Fashion, same thing. A few dollars of fabric crafted into something extraordinary. It’s the art that goes into the craftsmanship. That is what makes design so special. And that is why Christopher’s sorry is so special. And why I am so pleased to share it with you. 

Designer Resources

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

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

Design Hardware – A stunning and vast collection of jewelry for the home!

Thank you Christopher 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. Until next week, remember why you do what you do and for whom you do it, be well and take today first.