Convo By Design®

In this candid conversation, Poppy Bourg and Shannon McGough of Poppy McGough Design House unpack the evolving Dallas design scene, the challenges of modern publishing, and the importance of integrating architecture and interior design. They discuss how their unique backgrounds inform their approach, client expectations in a shifting market, and why authenticity and craftsmanship matter more than fleeting trends.

Designer Resources

Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise.

Design Hardware – A stunning and vast collection of jewelry for the home!

TimberTech – Real wood beauty without the...

Austin-based interior designer Viki Chupik brings the city’s unique spirit into every project she touches. From its rolling hills and cultural quirks to its understated expressions of wealth, Chupik sees Austin as a place where authenticity and individuality still matter. In this conversation, she explains how to design for a city in flux. Like most of the cities people flooded to during and post-pandemic—balancing creativity, cultural heritage, and the realities of today’s economic pressures.

Designer Resources

Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise.

Design Hardwa...

Today, you are going to hear a deeply candid conversation with Phil Norman, principal of Norman Design Group, to explore the complex, often contradictory realities of luxury residential design. With over 25 years of experience crafting high-end interiors in Southern California, Phil brings both practical wisdom and an unfiltered perspective on the challenges designers face today. And part of exploring these ideas, is a willingness to be open and candid about the challenges as well as the solutions. 

Designer Resources

Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise.

We’re heading South today to hear from Melissa Lee of New South Home.  This Charlotte-based interior designer and former retail buyer pulls back the curtain on the real inner workings of running a design firm—from pricing strategy and client education to vendor relationships and market trends. Drawing from her experience in corporate buying, she has developed a clear understanding of profit margins, vendor management, and operational efficiency, which she now applies to her design business through practices like maintaining a vendor matrix and detailed time tracking. I don’t want you to think this is a business of desi...

When I was growing up, radio was my solace. I loved it so much that I chose it for my career. I can remember being 10 years old with my transistor radio listening to 10Q and KHJ. Later, it was KLOS, KMET, KNAC and KROQ. The call letters were cool, the music and bands remain bookmarks in my life. I can pretty much tell you how old I was, where I was and what was going on by the songs. But my friends were the dj’s. Jeff Goner, Steve Downs, Bob Coburn, Rita Wilde, Dangerous Darren, Richard Blade, Rodney on...

In this episode, I sit down with the incredibly insightful Rosa Santiago Zimmerman for a rich and wide-ranging conversation about the state of the interior design industry, the evolving nature of creative work, and the deeper values that guide us as professionals. Our dialogue spans everything from our recent experiences at major trade shows like KBIS and IBS to the strategic and emotional challenges that come with building and sustaining a design business today.

Designer Resources

Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise.

Design Hardware – A stunning an...

Design in the South is personal. It’s layered with heritage, shaped by hospitality, and built on relationships. Today, we travel to Starkville, Mississippi to explore the work and world of a designer who exemplifies what it means to design with heart.

The conversation begins with an emerging trend—dorm and sorority house design—not typically covered in design media, but a significant driver of business in Southern college towns. Sorority living, especially, has evolved into a lifestyle market, complete with high expectations, big budgets, and even bigger wear and tear. Designing for these spaces demands durability, perfor...

As hard as it is for me to believe, it’s August. It’s hard for me to believe it’s August because it just felt like it was January. I was feeling a little tense about a number of things on the horizon at that time. Thank goodness none of the feared chaos materialized. (6SS)

Okay, perhaps a little… Perhaps a lot. It might surprise you to know that it wasn’t Kelly Clarkson who came up with that concept. It was German philosopher, Fredrich Nietzsche. It can be found in his book, from 1888 called Twilight of the Ido...

I’m really excited about today’s episode because I had the chance to sit down with the incredible Corey Damen Jenkins. We covered a ton of ground—from how Corey manages multiple design projects and prioritizes what matters most, to his inspiring journey from starting his business in the mid-90s to becoming one of the most respected voices in interior design today.

Corey Damen Jenkins is one of the most vibrant and visionary voices in American interior design today. Known for his unapologetically bold aesthetic—full of lush textures, vivid color, and sophisticated pattern play—Jenkins br...

Welcome to the Convo By Design Icon Registry episode for the month of July, 2025. This month’s inductee is someone you certainly know, a West Coast design staple and someone with whom I have had a number of conversations. Jeff Andrews first appearance on the show was in 2019 and then again in 2020. Just before the world shut down. Jeff and I spoke form his Legends of LaCienega showroom window in May, 2019. He later appeared on a panel conversation at WestEdge in 2019. The last iteration of the show until 2022. 

The Convo By Design Icon Registry is presented by Pac...

Today, we are getting in the way way-way back machine, back to February of this year for a journey to Las Vegas for KBIS, the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show. It’s funny to me that even though this was only a few months back, it feels like a lifetime ago. So much has happened this year. But if you recall, in February, before protests, riots, big bills, big balls, tariffs, and all the rest of the chaotic shenanigans, there was KBIS. It was an extraordinary show this year. Part of that were the conversations that took place. I am...

This episode of Convo By Design is scheduled for the week of July 8th, 2025. Intentionally so we can begin thinking about what’s coming. It’s hard to forget trauma, like what we saw in Pacific Palisades and Altadena earlier this year. But not impossible. Traditionally, “fire season” in California begins in August and ends around the end of October. Over the decades, there has been a creep into July, then June on the front end and then into November and December on the back end. Sadly, now, there is no longer a fire season, only an ongoing threat. Part of...

Today, we’re taking you into the heart of the home—and into the heart of a crisis. This is part three of our special series on kitchen design in the context of post-wildfire rebuilding. But this isn’t just about appliances and finishes. It’s about resilience, emotional healing, and how design professionals are redefining what a kitchen truly means in the aftermath of disaster.

In this episode, you’ll hear from an extraordinary panel of designers and industry pros tackling some of the toughest questions we face when rebuilding from scratch—often under pressure, always with purpose...

New product discovery is one of the most important tasks designers face today. The challenge of simply working with the brands you know is hard enough. Today, we’re diving into a new brand to you and color, chemistry, culture—a whole new approach to what goes on your walls. You are about to hear from Maya Crowne and Price Latimer,, the visionary duo behind Alkemis Paint, a brand attempting to redefine the paint industry through sustainability, style, and substance.

Designer Resources

Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise.

This is Convo By Design—where we explore the ideas, people, and projects shaping the future of design. But you know that, I imagine this is why you listen each week… To hear stories behind the design. One of the things I have been thinking about lately is how ideas, feelings and purpose can change over time. When I started CXD in January of 2013, I thought I was speaking to design and architecture clients. Homeowners who wanted to learn about the stories behind design. From the response I received, almost immediately, I realized it was the trade I was spea...

This episode’s dropping in June—and if you’re listening the day, week, or even month it’s released, well, you already know that. I’ve been thinking about adding these time stamps to each episode moving forward. It just helps frame the conversation, especially considering how fast things are changing.

I just got back from a swing through California—starting up in the Bay Area and making my way down through Pasadena and LA. I met with some brilliant creatives and brand leaders to talk shop about the market, the mood, and where things stand right now.<...

In a thoughtful and far-ranging conversation, architect Mitch Rocheleau sits down with me to discuss the deeper layers of architecture, the critical importance of reflection in design, and the challenges—and opportunities—presented by rebuilding in the face of disaster. Throughout our exchange, Rocheleau consistently returns to one core belief: architecture is not merely about aesthetics or function, but about the human experience.

Designer Resources

Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise.

Design Hardware – A stunning and vast collection of jewelry for the home!

 – Where service m...

Twenty-twenty-five will definitely go down as a chaotic year. But listen, I am not going to complain because it’s not productive. Productivity, very difficult to achieve in any field without the freedom of creativity. Creativity is suppressed when worry and doubt are present. I read an article in Psychology Today recently called, How Anxiety Harms Creativity (And What to Do About It). You can find a link in the show notes. The article draws a correlation between anxiety and creativity that outlines why and how fear, exhaustion and doubt can hinder creativity. And how creative types can struggle fr...

How’s your weeK? If its anything like every week of 2025 so far, you are probably exhausted from all of the chaos in the world and the industry. But for the next hour or so, take a break and listen to someone who I am absolutely sure will calm you and help get you focused for what’s next. This is the Convo By Design Icon Registry for May 2025 featuring a remarkable creative who has appeared on the show not once, but twice.  During her first appearance in February 2019, here is what I had to say about this months induc...

I imagine you and I are similar in many ways. When creating my editorial calendar, I try to craft a broader narrative of the design and architecture industry. I view this show as a time capsule being both created and consumed in real time. But if you go back and listen to episodes from 2013 when this podcast was started until now, you will discover an illustrative exposition that both narrates in real time and looking forward to demonstrate where the industry is going by examining where we are. It’s a futuristic approach to the built environment. To be tr...

We have come to a tipping point in the business of design. The point of no return. There has been a debate about form following function since architect Louis Sullivan coined the term. A protege named Frank Lloyd Wright once said, “Form follows function, that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union.” This will most likely not go over well with the most ardent FLW supporters and fans, but I believe Wright misunderstood this as well. Sullivan suggested that form following function meant the design should speak to the intended purpose of a st...

This is the final installment of KBIS Confidential Creative Conversations LIVE from KBIS 2025 and for this one, we enter the Business & Trends track from the programming from the NextStge. In this session, we explore strategies for balancing client expectations with tight budgets and turn challenges into opportunities for growth in today’s ever-changing and challenging economy.

I moderated this program which was an honor and a joy for a number of reasons and the best part was the incredible group of creatives empaneled for this really important talk; Arianne Bellizaire, Owner & Creative Director, Arianne Bellizaire Interiors LLC, Ki...

Things are changing. Can you feel it? I can. The mood in the design, architecture, built space is changing in response to external factors. Those external factors are being felt in numerous ways. I’ll give you an example and we don’t about this much, not nearly enough. Hardening of the enclosure in architecture is leading to new ways architects are approaching the exterior envelope of projects to address the threats brought on by climate change. Remember ‘global warming’? That was a misnomer, it’s climate change. Design has and in large part is still focused on aesthetic, but that t...

This year, KBIS brought a whole new energy. This new energy and vibe was brought on by a number of issues on the minds of both design creatives, their clients and the brands that hope to be included in future projects. I think it was also fueled by a discomfort. One that many if not most of us are feeling by the political chaos created by this new administration. Now listen, before you get tribal on me, hear me out. Regardless for whom you voted, when a new administration comes in, they get to make the changes they see...

Application and practical application of tools and techniques. These are just a few of the topics discussed in today’s conversation with designer Maggie Griffin, founder of eponymous firm in Gainesville, Georgia. We are discussing more than design today. A lot more, actually. The changing landscape of the industry and staying ahead of the curve. Oh, that pesky curve.

Designer Resources

Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise.

Design Hardware – A stunning and vast collection of jewelry for the home!

 – Where service meets excellence

Timbe...

This is the Convo By Design Icon Registry episode for April 2025. I love these Icon Registry episodes for a number of reasons. At the top is the opportunity to show some gratitude for those who have made the time to share their stories, process and work with us on Convo By Design. They transcend design and architecture and their work is both inspiring and transformative.  This episode is desiccated to and celebrates the creatives, all who make up EYRC Architects. Ehrlich, Yanai, Rhee, Chaney, the names on the door and all those behind the badge who craft such extraordinary w...

Outdoor living, the new frontier for everything from maximizing enjoyment of external spaces, outdoor entertainment and outdoor kitchens. New modalities generating a renewed interest in cultivated design of said spaces by some of the most talented creatives working today. From entertainment spaces to full blown ultra-luxe outdoor kitchens and everything in between with opportunities available for just about any (realistic) budget. Outdoor design is changing rapidly due to a number of factors. Those factors include modified use due to changing circumstances, client desire, increased cost of goods all in an outdoor spaces that are not as predictable as they...

If you are listening to this episode the week it’s published, that would be the week of April 22nd, and you are planning on attending the Spring High Point Market, lucky you… You are going to hear from Victoria Holly, founder of her eponymous firm and one of this years Style Spotters at High Point Market, the Spring 2025 edition. What does it mean to spot style, differentiate emerging style from trend and further differentiate trend from trendy? Trendy, ugh.

Designer Resources

Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise.

The kitchen rEvolution is here…But is it more evolution or revolution.  Are designers developing contemporary kitchens based solely on new ideas or looking to the past for inspiration? Is it a wholesale revolution or a patchwork of ideas creating a whole new set of ideas and opportunities?. How is the evolving nature of kitchen design changing the way we think about the heart of the home? How are changing technologies and desired functionality reshaping the modality of kitchen use and design. We explore how new opportunities in appliances and technology have evolved the programming of a kitchen suite. How...

Topics that keeps bubbling up in conversations industry wide is burnout. Exhaustion. Dealing with the daily and unrelenting chaos. These feelings are coming from the stresses caused by the constant price increases, subscription increases, the lost art of customer service and yes, the overall chaos caused by a litany of factors and you know what I’m talking about.

Designer Resources

Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise.

Design Hardware – A stunning and vast collection of jewelry for the home!

 – Where service meets excellence

Timbe...

Many if not most clients will confess that the reason they employ the services of a designer, architect and landscape architect is because the way they live is not congruent with the way they wish to live. What many clients don’t realize is that a superpower great designers bring to every project is the ability to reduce costs through product knowledge and application of skill. Explore the rapidly changing design space and learn how to craft that perfect environment on a budget through strategic choices, waste reduction, strategic customization and an understanding for how the industry is changing. Stay...

Patience. It’s hard to navigate around because everything is seemingly delivered almost overnight. Actually, it’s more like two days thanks to Amazon. So, after I return from a show like KBIS, I have hours and hours of content to cull through and produce. I want to share some of my process with you. While there is an overwhelming urge to publish everything right when I get back, I have found that a more deliberate approach to content deployment. I have actually found it similar to how many design professionals stage their work on projects. Interesting and something we w...

The series is called KBIS Confidential – Creative Conversations LIVE from KBIS 2025. This 7-week series will be published every Wednesday.

Many of the worlds most innovative brands began with an “aha” moment. Moen’s “aha” moment came in 1937, Seattle when Al Moen’s old fashioned handle broke off in his hand. That moment led to the inspiration for the single-handed faucet, a revolutionary moment in plumbing and the beginning of a story that continues to evolve. It’s been said that industrial designers are a combination of engineer, therapist, artisan and sales professional.

Where does the next big...

One of my favorite places in the world is the Coachella Valley. Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells. The valley is thriving as new residents move in, the are is mountainous and arid desert blended in an oasis of mixed architectural styles blended with cultural influence from music to fashion and everything in between. I love the Coachella Valley because as a teenager, I would go to Palm Springs for spring break. Something then mayor, Sonny Bono did not care fore and eventually drove us out. Then it was the architecture, followed by Coachella Music Festival combined...

There are some guests that you hear on the that transcend design. You will usually find those guests here, on a very special episode of the show called the Convo By Design Icon Registry. These episodes air Thursdays toward the end of each month and feature past conversations with those who so deservedly receive enshrinement into the Convo By Design hall of fame.

This months inductee is Cliff Fong. Cliff has been on the show twice. The first time was in May of 2016 and the most recent was his appearance at WestEdge Design Fair in 2023 where he...

Part One – Pitch to Published: Best Practices and Strategies to Get Your Projects Published

Learn what the pros know about getting projects published and how professional photography, narrative creation and knowing your audience can set you apart. Learn how can brand partnerships help get your designs promotion and exposure to potential new clients as well as new branding and revenue generating opportunities.

Featuring: Vanessa DeLeon – CEO & Principal Designer | Vanessa DeLeon Associates, Kathryn Given – Style Director | LUXE Interiors + Design and Amy Chernoff – VP of Marketing | AJ Madison

This is a comprehensive co...

In a bygone time, we had celebrated architecture critics, historians and thought leaders like; Ada Louise Huxtable, Lewis Mumford, Jane Jacobs and Vincent Scully. These were gifted thought leaders with a willingness to share their views, good or bad, but never indifferent. They and others influenced the manner in which we looked critically at the shape and purpose of the spaces where we live work and play. Arch Daily wrote a piece in 2012 called The Architect Critic is Dead (just not for the reason you think). Is it. Is it, really?

I don’t think the architect cr...

Californians have perfected outdoor living, largely due to the favorable climate. As weather patterns change, the design industry has adapted with sustainable materials, inventive building practices and creative use of space including outdoor kitchens, theaters, plunge pools, functional landscapes, and unique approaches to sport courts.  From pickleball to a pickle martini, design meets entertainment with the new innovations in outdoor design.

All of these programs took place in the WestEdge Theater presented by Pacific Sales Kitchen & Home. The stage was designed by Julie Beuerlein of JKB Home Design. This program was sponsored by TimberTech. A fantastic partner/ s...

Words matter. They are important not just for the sake of clear communications but to showcase the specific skillset one has in an effort to attract a suitable client. Suitability. If you are a regular listener to Convo By Design you know what I am talking about. If not, first, hopefully you will be a regular listener, second, the idea of suitability in all endeavors is more important now than ever before.  Suitability means vibing and open to new ideas through a mutual trust. A mutual trust allows someone to communicate with another, without having to masque every idea u...

For the past 12 years, it has been a mission to bring you voices and stories of talent in design, architecture and the arts. There have been so many twists and turns over these past 12 years and many of you have been with me since the early days of the show. A few ideas that often come back to me when presenting these conversations. Two major themes are authenticity and suitability. Two words that you don’t hear often. The first being authenticity in design and the other, which you never hear, except here is suitability. Were going to drill do...