InPERSPECTIVE | DESIGN TIME
“ A rug grounds the space and helps tell the story. It’s really important . “
Design/build/interiors by Vanillawood
©DAVID PAPAZIAN
the volatility of what’s happening, it’s ebbing and flowing, but it’s only gotten more expensive since COVID, and I don’t really see that reversing. So if you are wanting to build or redesign a space, you’re not going to be making some massive savings by waiting. If you want to do it, do it.” RI: Do you utilize any online product sources? And if so, do you have a favorite? “The internet has really made sourcing accessible to everyone, but I still really value sourcing in person. Walking into a showroom, touching and feeling, seeing the quality and color, talking to people who are really knowledgeable about whatever it is that they’re selling, that’s the fun of it. It enables us to confidently specify for our clients. They are putting a tremendous amount of trust in our expertise and knowing the true quality of something is imperative. Just sitting behind a computer and designing, that’s not nearly as exciting.” “Living in Portland also means that we need to travel to source in order to bring cool things to the table. LA and New York are big resources for us. Obviously,
we go to High Point, and Vegas for the shows. Getting out of the studio, that’s where I get the most inspiration.” RI: Do you like it when vendors come to visit you? “Yes, we do. Relationships are what make business fun. If it’s just transactional, it’s boring. And again, tapping into the knowledge of all of the people around us only makes our projects better and more beautiful. I learn a lot from our vendor resources. And then I can in turn teach my clients why this is an important investment.” RI: Craft has value, not only to the person who is fortunate enough to possess the item, but also for the people making it and all the hands that touch it, especially in the rug industry. “Our clients are coming to us because they want one-of-a-kind. They don’t want to have their home look like everybody else’s or the catalog that arrives in their mailbox. So we’re really seeking to align ourselves with artisans and craftspeople that can make our projects unique and special.”
RI: How do you envision AI impacting the design industry? “If you don’t get on the AI train, you are going to be left in the dust, and we are diving in and incorporating it. The ability to render from a 2D drawing to a 3D in five minutes? That used to take hours. That is radical change. I’m very excited about it. For us, it’s always, how can we be better tomorrow than we are today?” RH: Any final thoughts on the rug biz? “Rugs are such an important part of the design process, not only do they help define and ground a space, they add color, dimension, texture and especially in an open-plan design, we need them for sound dampening. Making sure that you get the right size is really important. I personally do not like it when it looks like the furniture in a room is trying to fight for space on a postage stamp size rug. I don’t think I’ve ever said, oh, I made the rug too big.” RH: I’m sure rug people won’t mind hearing that you like a big rug! “A rug grounds the space and helps tell the story. It’s really important.” vanillawood.com IMAGES COURTESY OF VANILLAWOOD
29
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker