Talk Design

Sara Duffy helms the interiors division of  Stonehill Taylor  and is one of the few women principals who leads a major hospitality design firm.    Sara was a major force in the transformation of the TWA Hotel at JFK airport in 2019, and during the pandemic it was Sara’s leadership that helped to keep her firm on course. The recent renovations of the Marriott Marq...

Richard Petrie is a former professional New Zealander Cricketer. After a successful career in sports, Richard has since established himself as the world’s leading marketer for architects. He has helped grow dozens of small and medium sized businesses with his powerful marketing systems, including his first architect client who tripled her new architecture practice year over year. Previously Richar...

Ana Maria Torres established  at  architects in New York City in 2000. Ms. Torres is a licensed as an urban planner as well as an architect in both Spain and New York State. Before arriving in the United States, Ana Maria Torres was Associate Professor of Architectural Design at E. T. S. Architecture in Madrid. As a partner at Balmori Associates in New Haven, CT, where she was a pri...

Eric is an Interior Designer from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States. He has a Bachelors Degree in Interior Design from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He has built his own social media brand for the past 4 years. He launched his Pro Series Podcast in early 2022 where he interviews HGTV Stars, Designers, Architects, and Realtors from all over the world. Hosted on Acast. See acas...

LaRue Architects Reimagines an Historic Austin Home While Paying Homage to its Neighborhood This 107 year old house was among the few remaining in a historic Austin neighborhood. LaRue Architects took on a giant process to keep its historic preservation with 21st century luxury. This is one of the few residential homes in Austin with this downtown view. Architects James La...

Kate Walker and Fern Santini have joined me on TALKdesign, two amazing business women and designers.  We dive into the world of Interior Design, from two different countries, Australia and America, and talk about how the design industry is today.  As the Founder & Director of KWD, Kate Walker heads up the custom design studio she launched in 2013. Having worked in the tile industry f...

Nitin Govila, a global business executive, has an extensive background in building and growing regions and organizations across multiple industries, channels and cultures. Presently as the Senior Vice-President for Serge-Ferrari, Nitin manages 7 independently-operated territories across Asia Pacific, Middle-East and Africa. Serving on the executive leadership team, Nitin is directly accountable fo...

Heather grew up in South Africa where she studied Architecture at ‘Wits’ University in Johannesburg and immigrated during the Soweto riots to complete her degrees at Ball State University in Indiana. She has lived and worked in New York since 1981. Her early role as associate with prominent design firms included a leading creative role with retail and residential projects across the United St...

Michele Dempsey, AIA, LEED AP is an award-winning Architect, Speaker and Professor who is the leading designer and creator the Strategic Branded Experience Framework--a proprietary system that results in eye-catching, sustainable, research-based projects that communicate a purpose, tell a story and produce a Return on Design Investment (RODI). The distinctive, award-winning work of her firm, DxDemp...

Chen + Suchart Studio works at a variety of scales ranging from small well crafted projects and single family residences to larger scale urban design. The practice is not interested in style. The common thread between all projects undertaken in our studio is the integrity of design that transcends style. The work of the studio is focused on the reinvention of known ideas, spatial ex...

Since 2012 Aimée Ralfini has curated arts activation platform Art Ache .  Art Ache communicates fine art and creative thought to a wide and varied audience through events, social media, digital billboard campaigns, 100’s of radio podcasts, regular editorial art coverage and other bespoke activations. Through it Ralfini aims to strengthen New Zealand’s creative muscle and make art part of ever...

Sara Kolata was always a humanitarian at heart and dreamt of making the world a better place. Sara studied in London submerged in the world of prestigious Architecture. She was inspired by the glorious career paths of celebrity architects and believed for this to be the only path to success within the industry. She did however question the humanitarian, environmental and socio-economic impact of m...

RailiCA design stems from former fashion executive Raili Clasen’s love for eclectic California interior design. Following a lengthy career with Quiksilver and Paul Frank, Clasen co-founded hip housewares brand, Alice Supply Co. The move into the interior design business came naturally after several of her home projects were featured in magazines, design blogs and her own homes showcased on the pop...

Janine is an internationally experienced architect. Working in remote locations is her forte. After having lived + worked in the UK, Namibia, Australia, Zambia and the Bahamas over the last two decades, she’s now often found in her soul home, Southern Africa.   Sixty-one weeks into her architectural education Janine nearly quit her studies. Thank heavens she was assigned to evaluate the fines...

Christopher K. Travis is the founder and lead designer for Truehome Design. Build. He designed and built a broad variety of residential and historic projects in Texas from 1995 to 2014, including high-end new homes, ranches and estates, major remodeling, historic restoration and adaptive re-use of historic structures, historic and light commercial projects. From 1995 until 2013, Travis was th...

During thirty years of architectural practice Jeff has acquired extensive experience in all aspects of the building process, from design through project management and construction administration. He has designed, detailed and managed numerous commercial, residential, and institutional projects throughout the United States and abroad. Prior to founding the firm in 1992, Jeff worked for several wel...

D U S T is an alliance of architects, craftspeople, artists, designers, and builders with practices rooted in the master-builder tradition: a collective of people grounded firmly in the tactile, in pursuit of the intangible. The studio explores ideas and ethics rooted in a reverent intimacy with craft and place. Ideas unfold in the creative space of intersections and find form...

Cavin Costello is the Principal Architect of The Ranch Mine, an architecture firm he co-founded with his wife Claire in 2010 at the young age of 24 in Phoenix, Arizona. Originally from the northeastern part of the United States, Cavin moved site unseen to Phoenix after earning his undergraduate and Master's Degree in Architecture, inspired by the inventive work being done by Will Bruder, Wendell B...

Sam Gosling seeks the future of human study of architectural data. The purpose of this survey is to inventory, prioritize, and understand the ambiances and emotions people desire in the different spaces of their ideal building environment. It should take around 20 minutes to complete. The research is being conducted by the Department of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin in collaborat...

Colin Healy's mission is to help homeowners reinvent their homes to fit their evolving lifestyles. Colin specializes in home transformations to allow his clients to live in their homes comfortably, safely and creatively as they grow older in their communities. Colin has developed a methodology called Next Step Home Design to assist clients with long term planning for resilient and healthy homes th...

Paula Baker-Laporte FAIA, BBNC, BBEC is an architect, Building Biologist, author, healthy building consultant and educator.  Graduating from the University of Toronto School of Architecture in 1978 and from the Institute of Building Biology and Ecology in 1994. She founded her own award-winning architectural practice in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1986-2009. She was honored for her work in h...

Christine has been growing businesses through executive coaching, organisational design, planning and strategy for more than 20 years. She now speaks on global stages and most recently published her book Grow Your People Grow Your Business.  Having commenced her career in global corporations and big 4 firms, Christine now specialises in mindset and business growth utilising specialist NL...

Simon Devitt is a photographer with a strong practice focus in Photography of Architecture, currently based in Auckland, New Zealand, with an established international practice throughout Australasia and further afield. Simon has both a strong sense of home and a wanderlust which goes right back to when he was born in a sandstorm beside a sleeping camel in 1973. Working in many different sett...

As the Founder & Director of KWD, Kate Walker heads up the custom design studio she launched in 2013. Having worked in the tile industry for over 15 years, she identified the need for a streamlined solution for busy people who require support with their complete hard-finish requirements. With entrepreneurial skills in her DNA, the business grew quickly and organically. KWD now has an extensive...

After working in fashion for over 20 years, Elaine Kim launched her namesake label, ELAINE KIM, in 2008. Through her fashion collection, Elaine Kim explores a highly personal vision of creativity, craft, and self-expression. Her versatile pieces have garnered her devoted following of editors, stylists, and clients around the world. Elaine Kim's profile and designs have been featured in numerous in...