People will see one of my projects for the first time and well, I get this question a lot. “Where did you get your ideas?” they’ll ask. The simple answer is that first, I got inspired. And then, from somewhere, ideas started to fly in. But first comes inspiration. And it always happens. With every project. Because it has to if I’m to do my job and design the best house I know how.
Inspiration. I cannot over exaggerate the importance of inspiration as part of the creative process. Because inspiration brings passion. Integrity and honesty. Originality. And utility to every project. And long after I’m gone, inspiration stays behind to greet the homeowner, their family, and their guests ever time they enter the house. Or wake up in the morning. Inspiration is forever.
As to how the inspiration comes, the process usually goes something like this: I start thinking about the client. I ponder their… well their humanity, as strange as that may sound. What is this house going to mean to them. Usually the house is a dream… something they’ve been wanting their entire lives. It’s an ambition that has survived through time, through years. Often this house represents sacrifice and certainly a measure of success. I’ll even ask the client, “what does this house mean to you?” Usually, it means a whole lot. Enough, on occasion, to make eyes well with tears. There is a story behind every house because there is a story behind the people who want to build it and each story is uniquely, beautifully human. It is from that seed of humanity that I feel the need, and a commitment, to help my client achieve their goals. I feel inspired as my clients’ dreams become mine. And from that inspiration comes a passion that infuses the process with energy and originality.
