The Digest | New Jersey Magazine
Issue link: https://magazines.vuenj.com/i/1540346
A: Even when we began as a design firm, we knew we wanted it to be more. Both of us were a little anti-professionalism. We tended to shun anything that had too much gloss about it. We do think we got that from both of our parents, who were not really different people from one setting to the next. We are pleased to have maintained that, but we have a lot of systems and processes that move us out of our favorite ideation phase and into real-world planning and implementation. In terms of what we offer our clients, our goals and values have remained the same–we put designers first, we offer simple, not easy solutions, we try, learn, and try again, we own our actions and their impact, and we have fun doing it. ose will stay our values, and anything new we offer will be tested against those values before we move to implementation. Q: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as entrepreneurs, and how did you overcome them? A: Our company has come of age in relatively unstable times. We're sure predicting what will work from one quarter to the next has always been hard, but world events have made those predictions both extremely important and oen meaningless. Even though what our business does is pretty standard in our industry, the way we do it has been considered disruptive by some. We're here to offer designers what they need, and we've oen come up against people who don't understand or don't want to admit that their clients' needs have changed. style & industry insight Q: What design trends are you most excited about right now, and how does Daniel House Club stay ahead of them? A: We're liking the continued embrace of Wabi-sabi–less gloss and show, more imperfection. We're also enjoying a return to more normal forms aer several years of weird, bulbous furniture that's hard to fit in a room. e renewed focus on materiality seems to be driving up the quality of even middle- of-the-road manufacturers. Q: If you could give one piece of advice to young interior designers or design firms, what would it be? A: Don't go into business with your brother. We kid, of course. Our advice would be to work for a few different people before you go off on your own. Work for someone whose aesthetic you think is boring but who seems to be completing a lot of jobs. Learn their systems. Work for someone whose work you love and see if things are running smoothly. Work for a supplier and understand what impact a designer's particular needs have on them. Learn the business of design and treat everyone with dignity, and we think work will come flowing your way. Rap Fire VUE ON | DESIGN 56 V U E LO N G I S L A N D.C O M