worked hard, played hard
My wife started her day by falling into a huge thistle plant, so I spent much of this morning removing tiny needles from her hip.
But other than that, it has been just a terrific week. Worked hard and played hard.
Monday, I got to chat with Rosie of Rosie Li Studio. Her studio creates pretty remarkable work—high-end, highly customizable lighting. She used to work at Roll & Hill, another big name in designer lighting. Her husband is an engineer, which was a big help in getting started.
Fluted Ginko Totem Chandelier
It was fascinating hearing her talk about building the business. On the outside looking in, you see gorgeous fixtures and incredible projects, but it is no cake walk. These are in no way easy to make; they use super high-quality materials, and when you get to this range of lighting, so much of it needs to be customized. Not an easy line of work, but certainly a rewarding one.
Jewel Block Pendant & Floor Lamp, such a great series
Tuesday, I met up with Greg and Liz Dutton of Greg Dutton Studio. They were here to photograph a spectacular renovation project. I was tapped by Buck Mason a while back to do some promotional content about the design of their stores, and that's how I became aware of the Duttons - they've done 38 Buck Mason stores!
Such a fun conversation, we have so much in common. We both have two kids, we were both musicians in bands, and used to live in Pittsburgh and love that city.
Their kitchen remodel
The music-to-design/architecture pipeline is a thing; I keep seeing it happen. It's still making something out of nothing, just a different medium.
Buck Mason Soho by Dutton Studio
Thursday was another adventure. The real estate team selling our Arrington Woods development project—LCT Team (we love them)—hosted an event at the Franklin Rodeo. It was a tailgate BBQ, and then we went into the arena for the rodeo.
It's been a long time since I've attended any rodeo events, but what a blast. I brought my daughter; I think she was even more into it than I was. Incredible level of skill—riding broncos, tying up bulls and cows. It was a great cultural experience, not something I grew up around. I highly recommend it if you have never been.
Blurry, but you get the idea
One of my business partners had these incredible vintage Western shirts and hats, so we went full-on Three Amigos and had a great time.
If you want to make good friends, do something hard and a little risky together.
We're in the middle of fleshing out a campaign with a large home furnishings brand. This will all be filmed in a studio with a variety of furniture, teaching a range of design concepts.
To minimize setup and delivery, I'm trying to select a bunch of furniture that works interchangeably. Sofas that can work in different configurations, rugs, tables, and lighting that will function across multiple living and dining setups. It's a fun constraint.
This is probably how it feels to be in the staging business.
Thus far, it's been a wonderful opportunity to collaborate on a new style of design content, and a kind of pilot for some of the longer-form content I hope to create. I just brought on a very smart friend to help me do much more with content, short and long, and grow our brand. Lots of exciting things in the pipeline!
I've been posting videos almost every day again, and it's a lot of work, I won't lie. But the difference is pretty obvious—more inquiries, more dm's, more opportunities. Every business is becoming a media business, whether you like it or not.
Make great things, then tell people about them. If you are a creative, it's likely your most direct path.
