August 11 brought a packed house to Room & Board’s spacious Manhattan showroom for a conversational panel of outstanding designers. Keith Baltimore, Owner & Founder of Baltimore Design Center; Everick Brown, Founder and Principal of Everick Brown Design; and Diana Mosher, Principal Designer at Diana Mosher Associates, made up the panel. Our Chapter’s Communications Director, Susan Tully of SKT Interior Design, moderated it. Each panelist presented images that inspire their designs or their design process. For example, Diana chose an unusual purse to demonstrate the potential beauty of everyday items, Keith showed a Moroccan courtyard to emphasize the importance of socializing, and Everick picked an album cover to illustrate the similarities between the rests in music and the quiet spaces in design. The panel shared their personal journeys in interior design. While rearranging furniture as a child was a commonality, Diana came from publishing and Everick from the retail sphere, while Keith always knew he was meant to be an interior designer. Travel as inspiration was another common theme—Keith showed a picture of the inspiring Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, while the hot pink tones used in part of a Paris airport inspired Diana.
Everick took us in an unexpected direction by championing the use of EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization)—a means of evaluating a company’s operating performance that challenges the way many designers do business. This led to a broader discussion of how design firms need to sustain their profitability, as well as support the creativity of their designers. Diana detailed her experiences in the multi-family sector, where design is increasingly important, while Keith shared the benefits of owning a well-stocked store—including the fun he has regularly rearranging displays! It was a free-wheeling and open discussion of our industry, marked by many thoughtful insights from these dynamic and experienced professionals. The dialogue sparked further conversations with many of the attendees. The audience included a number of newcomers to our ASID community, and we hope to make this format an annual event.