Last October I was back in California, browsing the Oakland West Elm with my mom. There, I met Sarahjane Bernhisel, the graphic designer behind Bison Paper Company, who had been invited by West Elm to host a “pop-up-shop” that weekend in the middle of their store so she could take her Etsy-based shop into the realm of brick-and-mortar. Her work is intriguing, and despite the fact that it doesn’t quite fit into i+s’ usual mold of bringing you the latest in commercial design, I was able to state honestly in our December “Holiday Wish List” that I was hoping for her work under the tree.
In the last six months that I’ve been at the helm of interiors+sources, I have been asked numerous times what my vision is for i+s and what my favorite part of the job is. Well, this issue is it. The fact that we can highlight the People + Places that make our industry one of the best and most fun industries out there.
Being a design historian and theorist (Parsons MA Decorative Art History and Theory), the 30+ year legacy of interiors+sources is important to me. Where we are going needs to be in line with where we’ve been, and I believe our focus this year highlights that stance. But to do that—what I think is my most important job as editor-in-chief—we need to be aware of the latest and greatest who-what-where-why-when (and, of course, the how.). It’s important to me that i+s not only show you the newest from the tried-and-true industry favorites, but that we introduce you to the Sarahjanes of the world, setting up shop on a table in the middle of the Oakland West Elm. Or showing for their first time ever at BRKYLN Designs. (A few of which you can check out in our “Introducing the Future” Sources, page 52.) Or posting “Look what I made!” on social media.
That was the thought behind our new Designers to Watch Out For page (pg. 19). You know as well as I do that there’s a special freedom in those college studio classes that causes innovation which can—at times—be squashed under the foot of client deadlines and demands. Being in a position to be able to now “give back,” communicating with and broadcasting the brightest new stars in the industry is something I take seriously. I had the wonderful opportunity last month to visit the Virginia Commonwealth University design department and student show, which included plenty of time to sit down with students to discuss their work. Let me tell you—i+s almost lost an editor-in-chief to spending ANOTHER six years elbows-deep in late-night studio projects (kidding, kidding.) While there were times that I brought up the inevitable boring industry questions, (“So, where will fire extinguishers fit into this design?”) I left excited about the future of the industry, much as I do when I’m flipping through my Instagram feed, as Royce Epstein suggests in her Field Notes.
The future of the industry doesn’t just lie at the feet of those entering the workforce; IDLNY has been working tirelessly to protect the future of the interior design industry, lobbying to afford interior designers the same rights as architects and engineers.
All this to say: I’m excited about this issue. I’m excited about the future of the industry, and of i+s. I am grateful to my amazing staff who support my efforts in keeping our finger on the pulse of the industry and make miracles happen each and every month. They keep me sane and humble me in the gratitude that I feel for them.
If you haven’t yet—make time to say hello. (I’ll be the one at NeoCon foolishly believing she can make it the entire week in heels. Please bring coffee… and an ice pack…) My email and number are in the masthead. Let me know about the Sarahjane’s in your life. Let’s chat about what you’re excited about. Come sit on the floor and look under furniture with me to break down how it’s made. Because I can’t do my job without you. i+s can’t continually find the best and brightest out there without you. And, honestly, this industry is just so much more fun because of the people who are in it—including you.
Let’s go exploring and continue to build an industry that is so much better for all the bright and shiny who, what, when, why, where, and hows.
Kadie Yale | Editor in Chief
[email protected]
