Convo By Design®

A former media executive trades corporate strategy for interior design, only to discover the same rules still apply. In a rapidly evolving industry shaped by AI, rising client expectations, and economic pressure, design has become as much about systems as it is about style. This conversation reveals how one designer is navigating that shift by treating every project like a campaign with outcomes t...

Integrating Sustainability in Heritage Design. Despite rigid preservation laws, the industry is gradually seeing a shift towards allowing sustainable upgrades, such as double glazing and improved insulation, provided they are sympathetic to the original design. Nick noted that older structures, with their thick stone walls and natural thermal performance, often offer inherent sustainability advant...

In January, you heard from Rebecca MacDonald and Kyle Basilius, principals at Parkin Architects, …Parkin is a Canadian, employee-owned, award-winning architectural practice with roots dating back to the 1940s. Founded and established in Toronto, expanded to Ottawa, and Vancouver, the firm specializes in designing purposeful, beautiful, and functional buildings. Our commitment to collaboration has...

In this conversation with the principals of Tim Barber Architects, the discussion explores how architecture has evolved since 2020. The pandemic fundamentally changed how people live in their homes, forcing architects to rethink everything from spatial organization and material choices to health, resilience, and long-term adaptability. The architects describe a profession balancing client desires,...

Architect Ben Kasdan  and I explore the ethos of design, the importance of “innovation through experience,” and why architecture should be viewed as a living organism rather than a machine. Designer Resources Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home . Where excellence meets expertise. TimberTech – Real wood beauty without the upkeep Shelter Republic – Request your membership invitati...

Every now and then, I like to hop into the wayback machine and share a fresh listen to conversations that influenced our current times. The one you are going to register to today was recorded live in 2014 from DIEM, Design Intersects Everything Made symposium presented by the West Hollywood Design District featuring Frances Anderton, then with KCRW ad Jeff Denby, co-founder and then with Pact. A c...

Industry experts discuss the shift from “The Triangle” to “The Zone,” the explosion of ADUs in Southern California, and why your Pinterest board might be lying to you. Southern California builders, designers, and innovators to dissect the radical shifts in residential design since 2022. The conversation moves beyond simple aesthetics to explore how the “post-pandemic&...

Building Beyond Aesthetics in the Twin Cities Residential architecture in the Twin Cities requires a unique blend of grit and intentionality. From the “Scandinavian tradition” of high-level craftsmanship to the technical demands of a 115-degree annual temperature swing, designing in this environment is an exercise in functional resilience. This conversation explores how extreme climate...

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...