Where do you find design inspiration?
I draw on a number of sources for inspiration - other projects I’ve been involved with, historic buildings, new buildings, the built environment around me, or sometimes something really random can serve as inspiration. For example, we were designing a suite for Rolex at a national golf club and developed a floor pattern in a long hallway that would mimic the watchband of a Rolex using a variety of stone tiles. Sadly, that idea never made it to reality, but we try our best to think outside the box and pulling from the visual environment is one way to make each project fresh and unique.

How do you approach the design process?
Sitting down with tracing paper and a black magic marker is a big part of the design process for me. I turn all my attention to that one project, start drawing, and ideas begin to flow onto the page.

What is your biggest challenge as a designer/architect?
While collaboration is always an important part of the process, there is a point at which the architect needs to return to the quiet of their design space and pull together all of the elements and develop a design that looks cohesive even though it is actually an amalgam of a multitude of ideas proposed by lots of different people.

What does the Sub-Zero and Wolf Kitchen Design Contest mean to you?
Sub-Zero and Wolf make wonderful products that our clients love to use in their homes and that we love to use in our designs. For us, we feel that they have been a real partner in the industry in that they not only produce the highest standard of quality but they continually evolve their products to lend themselves better to the designer and architect and, in turn, the successful final outcome. Sub-Zero and Wolf are outstanding in their field and it is an honor to be recognized by them.

What are some of the current design trends?
Currently everyone is wanting a much cleaner, simpler, streamlined look. Clients want to focus on the natural beauty of the materials and are not as into the “eye candy”. They want each item to work quietly in a composition but also be “luxe” in its own right.

Where do you see kitchen design going in the next 5 years?
For a lot of homeowners the kitchen is like the Birkin bag of their wardrobe - it’s the place in which they take a great amount of pride and want to show off. They invite all their guests to be in the kitchen and, while entertaining, the kitchen is front and center. A family space, it’s often the hub of congregation for the majority of each day.

In an effort to drive the kitchen toward more of a ‘living’ space than a ‘working’ space we have begun to develop elaborate side kitchens in areas tucked away from the main kitchen to hide the more unsightly elements of a highly functioning kitchen like coffee makers, mixers, etc. I see this trend continuing as the kitchen strives to become not only the heart but the centerpiece of the home.

I really think that the next client group that’s coming up - the millennials, who are so comfortable with accessing everything instantly online - will demand that the industry react. As technology has become such an integral part of our lives, the kitchen has begun to respond in kind with everything from docking stations for all your electronic devices to kitchen appliances that communicate directly with your smartphone relaying information regarding refrigerator contents, suggested recipes, and beyond. I see this trend already and only see it becoming more prevalent in the next five years.