thegreatadventure2015 decoration

MY WEEK

MY WEEK

Another week has just flown by l ike it had the thrust of jet engines. ......and we all know there is no stopping time. Tick....tick....ti...

5:56 AM

<b>A <i>C</i>onversation with Troscan Design + Furnishings</b><br /><i><br /></i><i>"I  think there is a real appetite for things really made still in America  by truly skilled craftspeople and sadly this is a dwindling trade. It is  harder and harder to find skilled makers who can work to a high level.<b>  We make our own pieces because so few workrooms can really achieve the  goals we set out for the pieces.  We are now working with musical  instrument makers because it is one of the last places makers devote  years of practice to acquiring skills in making. </b>" - Deirdre Jordan of Troscan</i><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMeoBIe623-lwsgNBpNn-tLS6ezJ_qmwf1pqYR8eKf06Rs6ALXgNAD67z9sukk-NbkMth29D-cu24W7ewLSK0lj0lq-9JYymoNEy-QUZr9iL07g2u75N2A9w7ASbu5eVVRc3tMu4oEMRX/s1600/IMG_2912+copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMeoBIe623-lwsgNBpNn-tLS6ezJ_qmwf1pqYR8eKf06Rs6ALXgNAD67z9sukk-NbkMth29D-cu24W7ewLSK0lj0lq-9JYymoNEy-QUZr9iL07g2u75N2A9w7ASbu5eVVRc3tMu4oEMRX/s1600/IMG_2912+copy.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><i>Shadow rises and you are here  </i><br /><i>And then you cut, You cut it out, </i><br /><i>And everything goes back to the beginning"  (Hollow Talk) </i><br /><i>(photo by Jim Warych)</i><br /><br /><b><br /></b><i><a href="http://www.troscandesign.com/"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Troscan Design + Furnishings</b></span></a> is husband and wife team, Deirdre Jordan and Bob Robinson, who together over the past 12 years have  created a stunning collection of modernist furniture from elemental materials of  wood, stone, bronze, and clay. South of Ukranian Village in Chicago, a  19th-century building houses their workshop on the first floor, and on  the second floor is the concept gallery and showroom, simply called "Room406." In late 2012, Dierdre and Bob created  Room406 to highlight the work of American and international makers,  designer vintage furniture, handcrafted accessories and rare artifacts.  Currently at Room406, the galley is hosting <a href="http://room406.com/blog/transcendent-objects-opens-september-19/"><b> “Transcendent Objects,”</b></a> an exhibition that explores how "vessels, textiles and designed objects  become communicators of ritual and meaning," which includes ceramic artist  Ryota Aoki, Portland-based ceramicist Lilith Rockett, photography by  Scott Fortino, and textiles by artist Sarah Nishiura. A huge thank you to Deirdre and Bob for this conversation on their work, their backgrounds, and their personal reflections on American furniture making. - David John</i><br /><br /><br /><b>Tell me more about Deirdre Jordan and Bob Robinson, and why did you decide to start Troscan? </b><br /><br />Deirdre Jordan: I  began my career as an interior architect but found that I enjoyed  architecture on a smaller scale – the scale of furniture and product  design where I could realize a design much quicker than the large  projects I worked on. Before starting Troscan I was design director at  <a href="https://www.hollyhunt.com/ShowShowroom.aspx?ShowroomID=1"><b>Holly Hunt in Chicago</b></a>. Bob is a master craftsman and luthier. In  addition to his work for Troscan, he has a passion for making guitars.  We are very different in our work talents and focus and yet perfectly  complement each other in what we each bring to the collaboration.<br /><b><br /></b>I  think there is a real appetite for things really made still in America  by truly skilled craftspeople and sadly this is a dwindling trade. It is  harder and harder to find skilled makers who can work to a high level.  We make our own pieces because so few workrooms can really achieve the  goals we set out for the pieces.  We are now working with musical  instrument makers because it is one of the last places makers devote  years of practice to acquiring skills in making. We are also focusing on  working with some craftspeople regionally in rural areas to fill in our  production gaps...we can't make everything and so we look to support  craft manufacturing where we can.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52ak9EWEGtp3WYhwKK208Vd5cvUqwakjYzkx6uyk6uvPLmF2HZX9U9TI6a-m2Wb0xG5uin2tQ8p6A4MxMVl1y2GAKZTtyT2W8I_yDsYW4VpCVR__Hgp_GXOEcnQFMclGquNArcDMI95T2/s1600/IMG_3290.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52ak9EWEGtp3WYhwKK208Vd5cvUqwakjYzkx6uyk6uvPLmF2HZX9U9TI6a-m2Wb0xG5uin2tQ8p6A4MxMVl1y2GAKZTtyT2W8I_yDsYW4VpCVR__Hgp_GXOEcnQFMclGquNArcDMI95T2/s1600/IMG_3290.jpg" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The Gus stool and barstool, design by Deirdre Jordan</i></div><br /><br /><b>Your approach of "discovering luxury in simplicity."  Can you  explain this further, and define what is luxury to you? What elements of  luxury are you interested in  (materials, comfort, finishes, etc.). </b><br /><br />It  is pretty easy to use luxurious materials (fancy finishes and surfaces  like Macassar) to convey a kind of style people understand as luxury.  That is not what I am talking about. To do really refined work that has  simple lines, like the work of Mies van der Rohe for example, requires  such a high level of skill  to realize or else you see all the flaws. <b><i>To  realize super high craftsmanship with simple lines is it's own kind a  kind of luxury. </i></b>We also spend a lot of time on where surfaces join,  change, marry. They get a kind of focus on how that is resolved.  Sometimes those details take time to emerge for the person looking at  it...they are not apparent at first glance. Sometimes it is the way a  thing feels in your hand or the surface touch.  We know it intimately  and labor and fuss over those quiet details. An example I use is a  limited-edition bronze cocktail table called the Granada. It has a deep  returning bevel that is actually a different patina surface texture than  its polished face, which exaggerates the line where it recedes. It is  actually really hard to cast bronze large and get a great surface polish  without pits...so this takes a time commitment and skill level by the  maker.  It is kind of like when a painter uses certain painting  techniques to convey space or surface ...we care about that stuff and  that is a luxury.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWnNH0M4k3N1auTP25FL8cvWj4I-w2OiaQdS5tH5MUkKJuNJN1kqF9IEJKezhUPXo-635kkfoJ2pWyX7vOQY_fPwvdsKc8Hfc8gy68TYAlEeHO6JIBQu0lJPhi5riXSdgf6RV2EGlw5EYG/s1600/Troscan+Interview+Holly+Hunt+Chicago+Furniture+Design.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWnNH0M4k3N1auTP25FL8cvWj4I-w2OiaQdS5tH5MUkKJuNJN1kqF9IEJKezhUPXo-635kkfoJ2pWyX7vOQY_fPwvdsKc8Hfc8gy68TYAlEeHO6JIBQu0lJPhi5riXSdgf6RV2EGlw5EYG/s1600/Troscan+Interview+Holly+Hunt+Chicago+Furniture+Design.jpg" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b> </b></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgm3B0hfMFL1h98VaDYllr06ZvjgXpez8JBTpcVL2xsOCF0B0ewbyNvRL9GzUowI0o2ItBX-5YXcmhrDKaxKfDyfkxB8RDYvumitkh78_EGdhZTsVLcoYsSIi50nB_bw3ZPeW6aCviN6Z/s1600/Troscan+Interview+Holly+Hunt+Chicago+Furniture+Design+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgm3B0hfMFL1h98VaDYllr06ZvjgXpez8JBTpcVL2xsOCF0B0ewbyNvRL9GzUowI0o2ItBX-5YXcmhrDKaxKfDyfkxB8RDYvumitkh78_EGdhZTsVLcoYsSIi50nB_bw3ZPeW6aCviN6Z/s1600/Troscan+Interview+Holly+Hunt+Chicago+Furniture+Design+2.jpg" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Bob Robinson at work in the studio </i><br /><i>photo by Janet Moran </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><b>What do you see the reasons for your success? </b><br /><br />We  have maintained a kind of authenticity to our goals, our quality and  our aesthetic. Hopefully the designs evolve over time and we continue to  challenge ourselves with new materials, processes etc. Our work is a  natural extension of who we are and so hopefully that translate into  what others see as success. We just do what we seem to have been born to  do.<br /><br /><br /><b>I am interesting in hearing you talk about materials further<i>.</i> Any  materials that just get you beyond excited to work with? Or a material  you thought you could not work with but eventually found a way to work  with?  Any materials that are local to the Mid West that you are proud  to have in your work? The most sublime material? </b><br /><br />We  have worked in a lot of materials that sometime initially excited us  but proved difficult to maintain quality over time. We respond often to  our clients’ needs but love to work in new processes and combine  materials. For example we had a request from a great client to do a  large reception desk for a 5 star hotel project in Shanghai using real  tortoise. We could not ethically agree so we proposed the material used  by luthiers on guitars called "pic guard" which is a cast resin to look  like tortoise that we used as tiles. It was beautiful but challenging.  We did explore using on some limited-edition pieces, but it never really  had enough response for us to get into major production. Clients love  the beautiful natural wood surfaces, the hand and feel of a thing with  soul. I think all our work that has been most successful has been with  pieces were you can see the texture, the surface with a hand rubbed or  burnished surface.<br /><br />We are exploring a range of cast  porcelain to combine with bronze and wood for lighting and  bronze with  large wood turnings. I also super interested in formed leather and  combining that with wood and bronze. I am very in love with opaque white  glass at the moment but it is another material with its own hurdles  because not many people work with it and sourcing workrooms is a  challenge.<br /><br />I think bronze is a material that  particularly resonates with us because of its longevity and it's  tactility. We work with an art foundry and the learning curve on  producing the desired results has been really exciting. We see its use  for so many different forms combined with our wood processes as a  growing part of our collection.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYoXsZlYQp35OEOJZ5YCH5B2EhnkdGP3rXBK17hnVfWIUyfJh4tGipm-bJh5CQOQXWyX5swnXT3Ufis1KcMT8gN5re-W5Mpa3oqp6-sEjlCOqE6Jf4KBjiP-AOum3Fur5ztkr0j6LHwtTW/s1600/BasiWalnutWithTray.fn.1235.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYoXsZlYQp35OEOJZ5YCH5B2EhnkdGP3rXBK17hnVfWIUyfJh4tGipm-bJh5CQOQXWyX5swnXT3Ufis1KcMT8gN5re-W5Mpa3oqp6-sEjlCOqE6Jf4KBjiP-AOum3Fur5ztkr0j6LHwtTW/s1600/BasiWalnutWithTray.fn.1235.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Basi Table</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />In  regards to wood, Bob has a very deep knowledge of this material as a  master craftsman and maker of fine guitars. We always find a way to try  to push this fundamental material – for example we were interested in  developing large-scale wood turned tables that could translate into a  more refined and less rustic spaces. Since it’s physically impossible to  dry solid-turned wood without cracking, we invented a proprietary  technique for hollowing the core of the table. After the initial  turning, the wood is dried over time in a custom-built kiln and drying  room. It can take up to six months to dry each piece depending on the  wood species and inherent humidity. Each piece needs to have multiple  turnings to keep the table round. Our hollowing out makes the piece  inherently more stable and holds the form without the cracks becoming a  surface detraction. It’s a very sculptural final form, which we call the  Basi. We love rustic turned pieces, too, but a lot of folks do that and  we wanted to remain true to our personal history and aesthetic<br /><br />Another  great thing about the Basi, which is representative of what we do, is  that is that we are able to source wood that is typically overlooked.  For this piece, we like highly figured pieces like tree crotches because  we believe it gives more character - this is the stuff typically  rejected by loggers and turned into firewood or pulp. So our interest in  materials often results in a more sustainable solution. We source the  wood directly form the logger locally and so have a truly green  process...not just the appearance of a sustainable product.<br /><br />If  you are interested in learning more about how we source our wood and  how it impacts our design we wrote a blog post about it. We always  support small sawmills and go to the source as we find this makes a huge  impact on the heirloom quality of our product.<a href="http://room406.com/blog/where-our-wood-comes-from/"> (more here) </a><br /><br />Another  thing I would add is that we seem to be moving away from some of the  more exotic woods to rediscover some of the beautiful native woods. Our  customers are requesting this as well. And this is exciting for us as it  means that we can go to the forests and sawmills where our wood comes  from and truly be a part of the very origin of the design process.<br /><br />As  far as Midwestern sourcing goes, we also source from a family-owned  tannery in Chicago. It might be fun to go there when you come! When  Chicago was the meat-packing capital back in the day, there were lots  and lots of tanneries. Sadly our tannery is one of the last in the  country. All that industry has gone to Asia in a rush for lowest  possible price. Our local tannery is a great source for us and has  beautiful, old, hand-applied and secret processes that make them the  coveted source for real cordovan leather for premium men's shoes.  We  have them make leather for some of our chairs since the type we want is  not really commercially available for upholstery.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUDTMafK_hkw82M7ez-cVTxtShT5wCUNg1btSvtSTIM5vjL0idZmwZfA4iKrtG6hqHKydNsaz17OKYRDsT6hp80_mwbjuXHcPs1SrI9ZUXpelxQHR6dxYePUD0gz2s9Bi8u9ADbqD-iGK/s1600/TabulaOcc_detail1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUDTMafK_hkw82M7ez-cVTxtShT5wCUNg1btSvtSTIM5vjL0idZmwZfA4iKrtG6hqHKydNsaz17OKYRDsT6hp80_mwbjuXHcPs1SrI9ZUXpelxQHR6dxYePUD0gz2s9Bi8u9ADbqD-iGK/s1600/TabulaOcc_detail1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9QxfSw28FvuHE5NArg2kvCs6C_MtjyIfQsllCnwS5yrAqJyJvoQUaWnPHHw614WRY8PKMjFYERj6ai-wMkfM0In-jjwrmW12xqOAYvX8oEHIb0_vhBonq8xRZa-LbzBczZV7BMMSWwjh/s1600/IMG_3094.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9QxfSw28FvuHE5NArg2kvCs6C_MtjyIfQsllCnwS5yrAqJyJvoQUaWnPHHw614WRY8PKMjFYERj6ai-wMkfM0In-jjwrmW12xqOAYvX8oEHIb0_vhBonq8xRZa-LbzBczZV7BMMSWwjh/s1600/IMG_3094.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Ferros Table designed by Deirdre Jordan</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2Rgwrfxj0HiIJuGy6lATy1fvS2Dq3yWm7sNH3iRXGmvJVz1mBIT_vX7kvb-l0JEBdFJLSYhWDshvSv6pDQSXN1Dd5hjQ8ofZENEXvfWu03GUL_XcssI-59pteDtpMhxGJxLN1qlEhIy1/s1600/IMG_3285.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2Rgwrfxj0HiIJuGy6lATy1fvS2Dq3yWm7sNH3iRXGmvJVz1mBIT_vX7kvb-l0JEBdFJLSYhWDshvSv6pDQSXN1Dd5hjQ8ofZENEXvfWu03GUL_XcssI-59pteDtpMhxGJxLN1qlEhIy1/s1600/IMG_3285.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><b>What were the early days of Troscan like, and how quickly were you able to find success? </b><br /><br />We  were represented right away by Holly Hunt and within the first year  Tiffany & Co. became a primary client for their stores  worldwide...so we were off and running from the very first day.<br /><br /><b>At what point were you picked up by Holly Hunt, and how has they helped their business?</b><br /><br />We  introduced our first pieces at a show called Chicago Design, which was  intended to compete with ICFF. It only lasted two or three years but it  was a great platform for us to present a collection. Holly came to us at  the show and offered us Chicago representation, and it grew from there.  It was a natural extension of my work I did with Holly and she was very  supportive of us. She has been a recognized force in our industry and  helped us to define a client base for the level we wanted to work at. We  were very fortunate to have her support and she has been an advocate of  ours for many years<br /><b><br /></b><b>Were there any specific growing  pains, and stumbles that felt too big to tackle?</b><br /><br />We opened our doors  right before 9-11 and those were scary times only because the world  didn't seem to be focused on design, and our sort of industry seemed not  that much a part of the zeitgeist, which was totally what we expected.  Luckily things picked up and we stayed very busy ...really too busy at  times when we grew faster than we wanted. We had to learn how to manage a  large group of woodworkers and that wasn't always easy.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41BrGscnF3ZmqATB6b7zeufz7nTpd0qX3nqnoGWY0cysG2qgnemW0_fd_lGRHPS5k-04ceELlYrnXApAwXpg7FiZrziUfMiodTEtxUsdmDjwp0UuuclZIieHmS2Wg3NymBWamXhzJZEOs/s1600/Room+406+Troscan_Cairn_0037.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41BrGscnF3ZmqATB6b7zeufz7nTpd0qX3nqnoGWY0cysG2qgnemW0_fd_lGRHPS5k-04ceELlYrnXApAwXpg7FiZrziUfMiodTEtxUsdmDjwp0UuuclZIieHmS2Wg3NymBWamXhzJZEOs/s1600/Room+406+Troscan_Cairn_0037.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNhSOzAL90lFHUooXycxdnt83fCASkNk03dTgdyPh-Cw236L8Au8erbGL1ODamH5j2HdjBx-wIu1xlF6tZtZftIlasykLfOmmYMotLqxEqHBhR3J1m-KM26YLBapbF2L5ztKxcC34okFJ/s1600/Chicago+Design+Gallery+Ukranian+Village+Room-406.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNhSOzAL90lFHUooXycxdnt83fCASkNk03dTgdyPh-Cw236L8Au8erbGL1ODamH5j2HdjBx-wIu1xlF6tZtZftIlasykLfOmmYMotLqxEqHBhR3J1m-KM26YLBapbF2L5ztKxcC34okFJ/s1600/Chicago+Design+Gallery+Ukranian+Village+Room-406.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>the interior of Room406</i><br /><i>photos by Brian Guido and Julia Stoltz </i></div><br /><br /><b>What is the concept of Room406, the Chicago design gallery you opened up in late 2012? </b><br /><br />Room406  is a new concept venue and gallery for furniture and accessories. We  highlight the work of American and international makers, designer  vintage furniture, handcrafted accessories and rare artifacts.  We also  showcase the Troscan Design furniture line. The gallery is our home base  and is located just south of the city's Ukrainian Village. We are next  door to a boxing studio and across the street from a maker of pierogies  and borscht... So the true Chicago experience!<i><b> </b></i> Our  19th-century building houses our workshop on the first floor. On the  second floor is Room406. The gallery space has high ceilings and natural  skylights and exposed brick walls. The feeling is intended to be very  residential with a fireplace and open kitchen – most often people come  in and think it is our home!<br /><br /><b>What is the goal of this space?  </b><br /><br />There  are several goals but probably the overarching theme is to be able to  interact with people in a way that we haven’t been able to through the  traditional showroom model. We are able to truly show who we are and our  vision for how our spaces can reflect our interests, passions and  personalities. Also, we are also able to offer support to other makers  in this space and create a community. I also think the model for  aspirational spaces that typical showrooms present isn't necessarily how  people live and I wanted to show how one might truly live with design  where things with texture and patina mix with new materials and forms.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtb8laFoKFgcD9iUsug58J_g1GygcTIIBk0zm0sEWm1KTygSslzRP3C3rhPGh3rZo_bZC2-meE1jFVFOPQYf2eyKiRGiotfqqblaZ73KvjyY4AqKoEVhP6EZvLvFvSiRJsmeHcROZ5lzOS/s1600/IMG_3017.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtb8laFoKFgcD9iUsug58J_g1GygcTIIBk0zm0sEWm1KTygSslzRP3C3rhPGh3rZo_bZC2-meE1jFVFOPQYf2eyKiRGiotfqqblaZ73KvjyY4AqKoEVhP6EZvLvFvSiRJsmeHcROZ5lzOS/s1600/IMG_3017.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Ryota Aoki pottery at Room406</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLnDaJL0zvhFZXHWEHmSLwf5xmOTVo6MK4oVVOMdNsWHwOpRTg1QE8UsFMTTrKqBkaE92RgC3ajoG6nqrtl_YFfAUF26dyWak9FuTG1AmLBdIDrLrWoG_hSQR8_WJFBvs18Cld29FUX87/s1600/IMG_2996+copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLnDaJL0zvhFZXHWEHmSLwf5xmOTVo6MK4oVVOMdNsWHwOpRTg1QE8UsFMTTrKqBkaE92RgC3ajoG6nqrtl_YFfAUF26dyWak9FuTG1AmLBdIDrLrWoG_hSQR8_WJFBvs18Cld29FUX87/s1600/IMG_2996+copy.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>photos above by by Jim Warych</i></div><br /><br /><b>What collections does Room406 carry, and what are the plans in the future? </b><br /><br />Exclusive offerings include merino and cashmere throws by Brooklyn weaver <b><a href="http://www.hirokotakeda.com/">Hiroko Takeda</a></b>, a former designer for Larsen, hand-thrown luminous white porcelain vessels by Oregon potter <b><a href="http://lilithrockett.com/">Lillith Rockett</a>,</b> gorgeous recycled sari and silk, nettle and wool rugs by Germany’s <b><a href="http://jan-kath.de/">Jan Kath</a></b> and colorful handspun twill blankets and textiles by <b><a href="http://www.studiodonegal.ie/">Studio Donegal</a></b> from Kilcar County, Ireland. We also will soon have a variety of new ceramics  from <a href="http://www.tortus-copenhagen.com/"><b>Tortus</b></a> Copenhagen, and some new <a href="http://www.sophiecook.com/"><b>Sophie Cook</b></a> porcelain. We are working on a collection of new bronze, porcelain and  leather objects branded Room406 products that is currently in  development including lighting and domestic accessories. I’m extremely  excited about the new line that will most likely be launching in spring  2015. We of course also have the great vintage and antique pieces that  vary from Japanese iron "Tsubas " which are gorgeous sword handle  shields, kashigata cookie molds and vintage axe heads...all sharing a  thoughtfulness by the way they were crafted or designed.<br /><br /><br /><b>Who designed the space, and what was the space before Room406?</b><br /><br />It  was originally a machine shop and we designed and built out the space  to be our home base, design studio and entertainment space. The ground  floor is still functioning as a working making space, but the upstairs  was a complete renovation resurrecting the skylights, adding light  bleached oak floors and restoring what we could of the windows.<br /><br /><br /><b>How do you find the artists for the gallery shows? </b><br /><br />I  look for artists and designers whose work I would (and do!) love enough  to have in our own home. These are artists whose work we have  personally admired and who in most cases have become our friends through  Room406. I also work closely with a few curators we admire and who have  introduced to both local and international artists, so we have been  lucky really to find great artwork through our network. The artists have  all expressed how they love having a chance to step outside of the  white box and to have their work seen in context as to how people might  live with it. Collectors also love this new context for seeing what I  will call "real art" in a domestic sort of environment. Mostly showroom  art can tend to toward the kind of work with really broad appeal that is  not that interesting and is more decorative...that is not what we are  about.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vpUkm9Tc8dp9c1XxoPuHSZfaCFRd1JViDidJraTdyJ8gQraMwxVLYr3fX0OqFpJ3hYaHCbTp6VqS5ksSbV6H9GapPnfl8u3-HjAuOioT9o1VD1JJ4uFS8WqabnBzlNIfp7_jW9yk8aA7/s1600/Troscan+Workshop+Chicago+Furniture+3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vpUkm9Tc8dp9c1XxoPuHSZfaCFRd1JViDidJraTdyJ8gQraMwxVLYr3fX0OqFpJ3hYaHCbTp6VqS5ksSbV6H9GapPnfl8u3-HjAuOioT9o1VD1JJ4uFS8WqabnBzlNIfp7_jW9yk8aA7/s1600/Troscan+Workshop+Chicago+Furniture+3.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmiFi3RW_Pv1i2dvmb146RLY0xiXUqxZ9LQXmX19eMLthii9Nu6D8VevQbqxRSbwDylmoUt3T6tNZokzzKbv0j7uGBe9kqe0aIphxPU93HOOBMz3fn22sS2vlQ6r0hptTy3ZzbOcpdcbtf/s1600/Troscan+Workshop+Chicago+Furniture.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmiFi3RW_Pv1i2dvmb146RLY0xiXUqxZ9LQXmX19eMLthii9Nu6D8VevQbqxRSbwDylmoUt3T6tNZokzzKbv0j7uGBe9kqe0aIphxPU93HOOBMz3fn22sS2vlQ6r0hptTy3ZzbOcpdcbtf/s1600/Troscan+Workshop+Chicago+Furniture.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><b>Can  you share some advice for beginning furniture designers attempting to  grow their business.  A furniture design business  can be extremely  difficult to launch, and I would be very interested in hearing your  perspective. </b><br /><br />1.Though it is hard to do if you are a  creative person, establishing a routine and organizational method for  capturing and retaining ideas is super important. Simply sketching away  in notebooks works for some of us but not all of me! I really need  defined design problems and work best when I have parameters. It somehow  fuels my creativity more than having ALL the possibilities in front of  me. Bob works best as a focused problem solver, so for us that kind of  defined design with organization helps us be much more prolific.<br /><br />2.  Create a collection where the scale of the pieces works together. Many  designers look at doing only type of thing or working in limited palette  of materials, but for us we wanted a certain feel, weight and  refinement of details that maybe would not work great with different  scale or less refined lines and materials. The pieces don't have to be  realized as full working prototypes but can be 3 d modeled to show a  complete thought. I think then designers or clients can see how to use  the pieces instead of just as isolated moments or ideas.<br /><br />3.  Learn about the market, the business, the industry. Often would-be  furniture designers get seduced but the star designer that has that  cult  "it " design and then works to emulate that success with their own  hoped for rock star moment. It is work to make beautiful pieces with  design longevity and staying power and not like a lottery.<i><b> It  sometimes takes a lot of bad ideas to get to a well resolved, thoughtful  and beautiful piece...and at is work much like a musician practices  their music or a dancer works out...albeit it is pleasurable work for us  but it is work.  </b></i><br /><br />4. One more thing....learn  from the makers wherever and whenever you can! Design is not an  aesthetic concept. Design is the verb of making the thing come to life  after the concept and the people who make the pieces can SO bring much  to the final outcome. <br /><b><br /></b><b><br /></b><b>Furniture designers of the top of your head that you look to for inspiration?  </b><br /><br />Poul  Kjaerholm, Joaquim Tenreiro, Prouve, and Eero Saarinen. The anonymous  vernacular designer is usually the best. Christian Liaigre really  figured that out and made it his own aesthetic. The best designers can  see the beauty in the simplicity.  That is inspiration in its self.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0XBfWI9RhF3W4OrU83WlueyHavvRj5bndgSB0GsbBznkS9qbKVjAHUZ8zRWS41klopxZ1rEsEc3MLMCTWz8KqzCuEx6UX-cAWrkLnNR5cmrafuXN7Gt5881s7_XacImb3lgPvHt6cvTy/s1600/Room406_Troscan+0838_HR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0XBfWI9RhF3W4OrU83WlueyHavvRj5bndgSB0GsbBznkS9qbKVjAHUZ8zRWS41klopxZ1rEsEc3MLMCTWz8KqzCuEx6UX-cAWrkLnNR5cmrafuXN7Gt5881s7_XacImb3lgPvHt6cvTy/s1600/Room406_Troscan+0838_HR.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><b>What  has been the most successful piece of Troscan Collection, and is there a  signature piece in your collection?  A personal favorite is the  Sumo Table</b>.<b> I think this table is such an incredible statement of how rusticity can be in full harmony of modernity, and inform the other</b>.<br /><br />We  are working more in the vein of the Sumo. It is definitely our favorite  kind of work we do. We have many more in that collection coming out in  the next 4-6 months if we can keep ahead of orders on the Sumo!<br /><br />Sometimes  the most successful pieces are the bread and butter...but they support  the other work so it is all good. <a href="http://www.troscandesign.com/bella-arm-chair/BLC-01.php"><b>The Bella chair</b></a> has been our single  most successful piece. It fits all body types and has a sort of classic  appeal, I suppose. The Weekend Ottoman too. It is an easy piece to live  with and people tell us they love it because its one unusual feature is  that you can put your feet on it and the tray top moves. I never  imagined that years alter we would still be selling so many of those! I  have dogs and a young child so we have one too because it is also family  friendly!<br /><br /><br /><b>Where is your work sold? National and international?  </b><br /><br />We are sold nationally through <a href="https://www.hollyhunt.com/"><b>Holly Hunt </b></a>and <a href="http://www.desousahughes.com/"><b>Desousa Hughes</b></a> and Town. Our projects live all over the world and include 5 star  hotels, high end retail like Tiffany & Co, restaurants  and  private residences . We consider ourselves primarily a residential  furniture company but more than 30% of work ends up in commercial  projects where the clients require a certain level of design and quality  atypical of contract projects.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7SYny9EHNi5qlymSuN9jU348f7o15UbOq_OGgwHSxNytC2-DbWwD3Ym8IUmkFU49g9iGChr1qSp_Diw0qJ0METArw-FXu9FxH8Ba2mt2Qq6U-BOOISJKh3XwDOzx7DrJ7l9tBU766bzu/s1600/Room406_NolanTable_0053_HR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7SYny9EHNi5qlymSuN9jU348f7o15UbOq_OGgwHSxNytC2-DbWwD3Ym8IUmkFU49g9iGChr1qSp_Diw0qJ0METArw-FXu9FxH8Ba2mt2Qq6U-BOOISJKh3XwDOzx7DrJ7l9tBU766bzu/s1600/Room406_NolanTable_0053_HR.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.troscandesign.com/"><b>Visit Troscan Design + Furnishings here. </b></a><br />Thank you Deirdre Jordan and Bob<b> </b>Robinson!<b><br /></b><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">--------------------------</div><br /><br /><br />

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