There's an obsession with making rooms pretty in the design industry that I don't quite understand. I'm not moved by pretty. Flipping through the pages of any popular design magazine, I'm continually shocked at the glorification of over stylized rooms, without personality, but with lots of perfectly plush pillows in hues of floral pastels. One published project after the other, it reminds me of watching a blockbuster movie where you know exactly how the story's going to end from the very first scene. Especially in LA, it seems that there's an absence of designers who take more of an artistic approach in their businesses, expressing themselves outside of a need to create pretty rooms. In my observant opinion, one such designer who's filling the void for LA based design with heart and soul is Gary Gibson.
Last week, I sat down with the native Angelino in his retail showroom to discuss his trademark look, and to pick his brain as an integral player in the design game. The following Q&A’s are insightful snippets from our conversation:
SY: How do you describe your aesthetic?
GG: "My aim is to create interiors that are timeless and classic, but at the same time comfortable and usable. Contrasting surfaces, colors, and textures that excite the eye are always the goal. I'm driven in creating spaces that make people comfortable in the emotions they like to feel. I love juxtapositions, like a gorgeous silk rug on a concrete floor. I think playing with history is fun... designing a modern space, but placing something vintage in it [...] something old brings it back to a human factor.”
SY: What was your goal for adding a retail aspect to your design business?
GG: "I wanted to create an extension of my art studio. The store is a collection of objects that are one of a kind, handmade, mass-produced, vintage and antique [...] this is all the stuff that inspires my design work. I wanted to create an inspiring work environment that could also be accessible to the public; a functional place that's aesthetically pleasing to all who enter. I wanted to put together all the elements of what Gary the artist, interior designer, and product designer are all about. “
SY: What’s your earliest memory of wanting to be a designer?
GG: “When I was a little kid, my parents gave me permission to do whatever decorating I wanted to do in my bedroom. I had a huge bookcase that spanned the entire length of my wall with lots of shelves, and I would display my toys, rock collection, and all sorts of objects in this bookcase. I'd always change the way I displayed my stuff, and in a sense, I think this was my earliest attempt at creating vignettes to inspire the viewer. “
SY: How has being a native Angelino affected your design sensibility?
GG: "Well, there's definitely a less formal approach to design here. I think there's a casual elegance about my work that is related to being from the west coast. We are all products of our environment, and there's a low-key, organic quality about LA that affects your approach as a designer when you grow up here. I was initially an art major and later made a switch to the design department at UCLA, so even my experiences in formal education and training were done here.”
SY: Have there been any shifts in your clients needs in this last year of disarray?
GG: “The economy has been a really big influence, of course, but surprisingly our business increased last year. I think that people are making an effort to turn their homes into a safe place, physically and psychologically. It has become more essential to have a beautiful, inviting, comfy surrounding to call home. I find that clients are looking to simplify things, and are looking for a Zen-like quality in design.”
SY: Who would you consider an important artist that has been forgotten in recent years?
GG: “Jack Larsen. I think that Jack Larsen’s work as a textile designer is something contemporary designers may have forgotten about. I find that contemporaries take textiles for granted as a form of art. Larsen was influential in opening up the world of textiles to the American public. I’m very proud to be the only retail store in the country to carry Larsen’s textile re-issues from the 50’s.”
SY: Any tips for young designers?
GG: "Work for someone before going out on your own, and realize that there are other positions out there outside of being THE DESIGNER."
SY: I enjoy…
GG: "I enjoy…mornings at my showroom. I love the way light filters through the drapery, and how the changes in light throughout the day affect all the furniture and objects in the store. I enjoy… the days when new shipments of stuff come in. I feel like a kid in a candy store, like Christmas morning every single time. I love playing around with how I place things, and creating vignettes that provoke emotions."
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