Live Beautifully

Design has always been something tangible, but it’s making the transition to the digital realm. That shift in the industry has been slow but steady.

Chip Wade, owner of Wade Works Creative, Emmy-winning HGTV host and expert craftsman, joined the conversation today to provide insight on the intersection of technology and design.

Wade has a long history of working with his hands, growing up in a family of designers. He started his career as a structural engineer in residential housing, then found himself able to merge all the areas of creation on HGTV.

“I’ve also been interested in what can be done with materials,” he said. “Creativity stems from what is possible. It’s crafting the roadmap to creation.”

He’s been able to do that on TV for the last 15 years, working on over 3,000 renovations. He then started his own firm because of the exposure. The firm now works on hundreds of projects a year, but he soon learned he could either be on-site in a construction role or do everything else.

“I wanted to be flexible in design focus. That then turned into doing a lot of 3D virtual content,” Wade said.

He launched a production company that partners with home design brands developing content for them, helping them tell their story to consumers.

“You can’t fake understanding the purchasing journey of a consumer. It’s always changing, and because we’re serving consumers in the real world, it allows us to stay relevant and create content that resonates with them,” Wade said.

Wade talked about trends in design, as well, and how innovative materials are providing both style and durability. The other big trend in design is virtual experiences, made even more necessary due to COVID.

“These interactive and virtual experiences season the physical environments that have become stale. Now, brands are realizing the opportunity,” he said.

Patti Johnson loves the juxtaposition of the before and after comparison of a room when she finishes a design.

“I really like to take walls out,” Johnson told Daniel Litwin on a recent episode of Live Beautifully. “Maybe a wall could have been placed better, and we can improve traffic flow – it’s just going to help them live better.”

Johnson elaborated on her process and her motivation for her interior design career. She said that, in the past, some contractors may have pushed back or been difficult on a site. It’s important to treat contractors with respect, but to hold them accountable.

With Johnson's company, Patti Johnson Interiors, a job starts with a client contacting her, and then she will decide which crew she will bring with her to a site.

“It’s important to have trust,” she said. “If they work with me long enough, they may know which decision I would make.”

Johnson did not start her career looking to own her own design business. Rather, her career materialized from humble beginnings when she was working as a designer at a furniture company.

Now, Johnson mostly handles renovations. She enjoys making people’s lives “more at ease” by reducing clutter and improving flow. Her motivation comes from incorporating an entire space, from the windows and walls down to the window treatment and the art – everything must work together.

“I think that I look at the entire space, even if [a client] invites me to look at just a single room,” she said. “I will assess the entire space and make a decision from there.”

On this episode of Live Beautifully, a HanStone Quartz podcast, host Daniel Litwin spoke with Jordan Victoria, founder and principal at Atelier Jordan, a Georgia-based interior architecture design and lifestyle company.

Victoria has design in her DNA. She grew up in a household with parents in the built environment. Victoria’s mom was a realtor, and her father ran a construction company. But interior design was not always Victoria’s passion.

“I’ve always had a desire for fashion and music,” Victoria said. And it was the music industry where Victoria started as a performer and producer for many years.

But Victoria’s career eventually made its way back to interior design. How did she know she was on the right track?

“When I went back to school to pursue my design degree and finished one of my hand draftings, I took it down to one of my dad’s job sites," she said. "I showed him the drafting, and he teared up. He said to me, ‘you’ve found your passion.’”

Looking back, Victoria realized design always influenced her. At a young age, she was drawing up blueprints and designing her own home.

“I always had a huge imagination,” Victoria said. “I turned my walk-in closet into a school.”

The problem for Victoria was finding the path to hone all her passions into the one thing she loved to do most. The right direction took some time, but the creativity was there from day one. Victoria credits her parents for fostering her creative side.

On this episode of Live Beautifully, a HanStone Quartz podcast, host Daniel Litwin sat down with Joyce Fownes, principal, office director, and interior studio lead for Corgan.

In her 40 years designing for corporate commercial spaces, she's seen commercial interior design evolve both in its technology and its thoughtful approach. Drawing by hand with no 3D tools available, designers' ability to "visualize architecturally was very limited," Fownes said.

"Our approach to design was relatively simplistic," she continued. "Clean, beautiful but it was not very far-reaching. We didn't really talk about the brand of a client, or really understand what the company was all about. I hate to say this but it was superficial."

Today, Fownes said designers have to understand who the client is and what they do.

"There's a richness to understanding who they are trying to bring to work and who they're trying to keep happy at work," she said. "It's about the health and wellness of a client and constituents."

While many corporate headquarters draw inspiration from one another, it can also create a feedback loop of repeating styles and materials. That's why understanding a company's purpose and DNA is key to personalization.

"At IMG College, there's no question what they do, so every material you see in a sports facility is embedded in that space," Fownes said. "Autotrader is very much about the car and movement. Carter's baby clothing has a very airy, warm environment.

Today, we are joined by Rachel Street, host of the DIY Network’s Philly Revival. Rachel has a lot to share with listeners today as she talks about what it takes to flip homes and why the Philadelphia real estate market is so unique. Rachel has had an exciting career path. Her dream was to be an opera singer, but in her youth, she had her first brush with construction working on carpentry projects with her dad. After a career as an opera singer in Italy, Rachel came back to Philadelphia and jumped into real estate. Rachel said, “I came into the real estate industry doing underwriting for commercial properties, but I had a real interest in residential. So, I became a residential broker and got started renovating houses as a contractor.” While Rachel was busy starting her business renovating and selling homes, she learned a lot about what works. “Most renovators think that neutral is the best way to go and that everything should be cookie cutter. I think the opposite. I am focused on design-driven renovations. I look for personality and charm in houses and try to bring that out,” Rachel commented After building a successful career, the opportunity to host a DIY show came, and she was excited to share her vision with others. She also found that there were other women working in construction. “Before the show, I hadn’t met many women in the field. Now, I’ve been able to grow a community of women who have the same love for renovating that I do,” Rachel shared. She also loves working in Philadelphia because of its culture and history. “There are so many unique neighborhoods and older homes to renovate, which I love. I want to honor the history but also add in some modern elements,” Rachel said. Get some inspiring ideas as to the trends Rachel is seeing in home design, and why she thinks color is critical to a successful flip by listening to the full podcast.