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How would you describe your aesthetic? Authentic. Studied. My work is based on historic precedents and reflects a careful, throughout and nuanced understanding of the work it references. Most of these precedents were not conceived for a contemporary lifestyle. The challenge is to maintain integrity to the frame of reference while adapting it to the way we live today.
How did you get started in the business? I was a principal in a larger firm, essentially running my own projects out of that office. It only made sense to take my clients and open my own office. Many of my clients had been urging me to do this for years. I guess the time was right and I was ready for it.
From where or what sources do you derive creative inspiration? As I mentioned earlier, historical architecture is a source of inspiration. I have an extensive library and I love to visit historic houses wherever I go. In particular, I try to see all I can in Los Angeles, since that is my primary frame of reference, and the context for most of my work.
If you could reside on a Hollywood film set from any era, what would it be and why? Roman Holiday! That should be every architect’s required viewing. I spent a summer in Rome during graduate school on a fellowship. Everything thing is there from ancient Rome through the Renaissance and Baroque periods. And to be there with Audrey Hepburn—I’m getting delirious!
What takes a kitchen or bath from ordinary to extraordinary? Without a doubt, creating a kitchen or bath that goes beyond it’s function and utility, and creating a beautiful room—a room that you just want to be in, even if you’re not using it for the specific purpose for which it was made. All beauty is about transcending utility.