Convo By Design®

Designing for Life: Architecture, Emotion, and the Long View Architect Cathy Purple Cherry challenges the idea that buildings are static objects, arguing instead that great architecture evolves with human behavior, emotion, and time. From biophilic design and post-pandemic living patterns to aging-in-place and purposeful restraint, Purple Cherry shares how architecture can improve quality of life...

I sat down with Ron Radziner and Leo Marmol to dig into why building in Southern California feels like an uphill battle and how we can actually fix it. After their talk at WestEdge, I caught up with Ron and Leo to process everything discussed. We’re at a major inflection point in Southern California, and I wanted to know how their perspective has shifted since they started back in ’89. We do...

The episode you are going to hear today was over a decade in the making. LuAnn Niagara is the host of A Well Designed Business. The podcast launched in 2016 and set the standard for what a business of design podcast should be. LuAnn’s focus was then and is today focused on helping designers up level their design studios. LuAnn was hosting a session for the KBIS Podcast Studio and we had some time...

From the show floor at CEDIA Expo 2025, three distinct voices reveal an industry in the midst of transformation—where technology, design, and business are converging in new and unexpected ways. What emerges is not a story about gadgets, but about integration at every level: systems, teams, and ideas. The future of the home is being shaped as much by collaboration and communication as by innovation...

In the wake of the devastating January 2025 fires, the architectural community in Southern California is facing a reckoning. The conversation at the recent panel I hosted at Ganahl Lumber in Torrance made one thing clear: the old metrics of “durability” are no longer enough. The industry is moving toward a philosophy of resilience . For Anthony Poon of Poon Design and Ben Ballentine of...

In this roundtable conversation, a diverse group of interior designers and kitchen specialists discuss how kitchen design has transformed in the post-pandemic era. Rising costs, shifting client expectations, and new technologies are forcing designers to rethink how kitchens function and how they are delivered to clients. The conversation explores everything from appliance innovation and zoning str...

New England designer Nicole Hirsch explains how the interior design profession evolved from service provider to brand identity, why craftsmanship still matters in a digital-first world, and how historic architecture shapes modern living. Since launching her firm, Nicole Hirsch, principal of Nicole Hirsch Interiors, has witnessed—and helped shape—the transformation of the interior design profession...

A candid conversation with interior designers Arianne Bellizaire and Sara Malek Barney on navigating burnout, emotional labor, client management, and creative growth in today’s unpredictable design industry. From boundary-setting to decision fatigue, social media pressures, and sustaining ambition, this episode explores the strategies and mindsets designers use to remain successful, resilient, and...

Launching a design firm is hard. Launching one days before a global shutdown is something else entirely. In this episode of Convo By Design , I speak with interior designer Justine about building a solo practice during COVID, transitioning from sales to structure, and navigating the modern realities of design—from virtual collaboration and technical complexity to burnout, authenticity, and creativ...

At KBIS 2026, Hearth & Home Technologies reveals how fireplaces are evolving from overlooked amenities into high-value, design-forward features that enhance both homes and builder offerings. We explore the emotional, aesthetic, and technological dimensions of modern fireplaces, from indoor-outdoor integration to bespoke U-shaped configurations. Designers, architects, and builders alike share i...

Transforming the Kitchen Experience: How Kitchen365 Streamlines Design, Specification, and Delivery At KBIS 2026, Bhavin Patel and Hiren Modi of Kitchen365 discuss how their end-to-end technology platform is reshaping the kitchen cabinet industry—making design faster, orders more accurate, and showrooms more agile. Digitizing Kitchen Design: Kitchen365’s design service accelerates the process from...

From high-end residential “wealth” to AI-responsive environments, top designers discuss why lighting is the most under-recognized—yet essential—element of the built environment. Lighting is often the ghost in the machine of interior design: when it’s perfect, you don’t notice it; when it’s wrong, it’s all you can see. In a wide-ranging discussion featuring architectural lighting expert...

The emotional impact of our surroundings, the challenges of a multi-year global project, and why the perfect kitchen starts with the “mother archetype.” E lana Tenenbaum Cline , architecturally trained-interior designer with a fascinating background rooted in both structured discipline and creative layering came into the virtual studio to share her journey from attending Syracuse Unive...

In a category often defined by tradition, Green Forest Cabinetry is applying data science, manufacturing discipline, and cross-industry thinking to challenge long-held assumptions about cabinetry. Their approach reveals how operational precision—not marketing—creates real value for designers, builders, and homeowners. Green Forest Cabinetry’s leadership team including, CEO, John Morgan, COO, Natha...

Bold Vision, Grounded Leadership, and the Relentless Pursuit of Purpose. In this deeply personal and strategic conversation, Corey Damen Jenkins shares the discipline, resilience, and intentional leadership behind his rise—from knocking on 779 doors to building a global design brand rooted in humility, creativity, and purpose. Corey Damen Jenkins is widely recognized for his exuberant interiors—fe...

Beyond Technology: The New Design Frontier of Integration and Experience. Recorded live at CEDIA Expo 2025, Dan Ferrisi of EmeraldX and Caitlin Stewart of Leon Speakers explore how integration is evolving from technical infrastructure into a design-driven discipline—where storytelling, collaboration, and intentional product design define the future of connected environments. Designer Resources Pac...

Luxury appliances are no longer defined by visibility—they’re defined by intentional invisibility, precision performance, and seamless integration. At KBIS 2026, SKS reveals how thoughtful innovation, AI integration, and designer collaboration are reshaping the kitchen into a quieter, smarter, more intuitive environment. This is the emergence of a new user: the Technicurean. John Russo explains ho...

Innovation Under Pressure: Prefab, Modular, and the Future of Resilient Design Under Pressure. Architecture is evolving faster than ever, driven by natural disasters, technology, and client expectations—but how do designers balance innovation with risk, regulation, and lifestyle priorities? Josh Cooperman hosts an unfiltered conversation with Drew Davis, Brian Pinkett, Aaron Neubert, and Joseph Da...

Calgary-based designer Stephanie Martin shares the story of launching her firm during the 2008 financial crisis, the gap between design education and reality, and why hand-crafted authenticity remains vital in the age of AI. She also takes us inside the Rideau Residence, a project blending modern aesthetics with sentimental family history. Designer Resources Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home . Where...

How Behavior-Driven Design Is Defining the Future of the Home KBIS Series 2026, findings and experiences from the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, recorded live from the KBIS Podcast Studio presented by AJ Madison. This was the second year of this program and we built on last year’s show with even more experts in the industry sharing experience, findings and industry-leading insights. KBIS Podcas...

When interiors meet intention: a dynamic panel on how color theory, holistic living, sustainable materials, and design thinking come together to redefine residential spaces for 2025 and beyond. Sherwin Williams set out to cover Earth with beautiful colors over 150 years ago. 1866, Henry Sherwin and Edward Williams founded the company in Cleveland, Ohio, on a mission really. And the result is a com...

I have a confession to make. I’m exhausted. In the best possible way after a week in Orlando, Florida for the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show. I have so much to share with you today! My journey started on the Monday before the show began for a travel day, sound check and confirming the final details form the show. In addition to hosting the KBIS Podcast Studio again this year, moderating a panel...

The New Appliance Ecosystem: Translating Value, Technology, and Human-Centric Design The modern appliance conversation has shifted beyond features and price into something far more consequential: value, usability, and human-centered design.   Designers, manufacturers, showrooms, and independent testing labs now operate as an interconnected ecosystem guiding consumers through increasingly complex d...

The Accidental Empire: Marmol Radziner on Preservation, Prefab, and Fighting the Tyranny of the Nimby. Leo Marmol and Ron Radziner discuss the 36-year evolution of their design-build firm, tracing its roots in a student co-op to becoming a leader in modern residential architecture, restoration, and the urgent need for sustainable urban density in Los Angeles. The conversation features Leo Marmol a...