California Home and Design: Winter 2017
Building the Future:
A Master Class with California Design Icons
Written by: Lindsey Shook
As the design industry continues to evolve, we all want to know: What does the future of design hold? What styles will emerge? What color will dominate 2018? How will technology advance the design of homes and change the way we do business? The simple principles of design are intended to answer these questions while creating a more efficient and beautiful world. Whether responding to the demands of tech-savvy clients or building structures that will withstand impending environmental issues, we have confidence that the great design minds of our time will persist with the development of innovative ideas, materials and methodologies.
We asked a group of iconic California style pioneers, whose work has stood the test of time, ignited trends and inspired up-and-coming talent, to share insights on what it takes to make it in this industry and what tools they are using to shape the future of design.
Peter Dunham
–What does it take to be a design success today? Twenty percent psychology skills, 10 percent marketing, 25 percent business skills, 25 percent design vision and 20 percent charm.
-Do you see a day when to-the-trade showrooms will be no more? Brick and mortar in general is fading. If almost 35 percent of people meet their spouse online, buying a sofa online seems unchallenging.
-How has technology changed the way you work? From the perspective of the left side of the brain, technology has made us all much more productive. It’s so much easier to do things like drafting, billing, creating proposals, expediting and sourcing and it gives us more time to service clients faster. From the perspective of
the right side of the brain, the information and com- munication overflow and constant hunching over a computer can erode the creative process. Technology has also made the relationship between client and designer much more distant. In many cases the clients want options emailed to them. We just did a successful project in Century City without ever meeting the client until the reveal.
–What does the future of design look like in the California? The movement of the past decade has seen developers creating cold and bland modern architecture. The big resistance against this I see happen- ing in both residential and commercial spaces is what I call the Silver Lake style—artisanal, authentic, eccentric, ecclectic, organic, composting, home-grown vegetables, and slow-cooked food.