artist profile: kent youngstrom

Where was your favorite place to live?
Easy. Chicago.

What’s your favorite room in your home?
Kitchen/Living Room open space. Lots of Art, lots of Action.

Who are you design icons?
Pollock, De Kooning.

Form vs. function?
Round dice do not work very well

What is your signature?
Circles. I paint a lot of circles.

What’s your personal decorating style?
Minimal but unexpected.

In your opinion, what is the best designed item of all time?
Other than the bikini? My back deck. It’s simple, comfortable and full of family and friends.

What are your sources of inspiration?
Sappy movies that really shouldn’t make me cry like Restoration. Stories of people coming full circle. Collections of things no one knows what to do with. The desire to be wanted.

What do you drive?
Ha. A mini-van with sto-n-go seats. I can carry a large amount of art & supplies along with my kids and their friends. Very artsy I know!

What one item do you wish you owned?
A large parcel of land with a Dwell style home and large studio within a few yards of the back door.

What are your interests outside of design?
Thursday night futbol. 5:30 am workouts. Laughing with the family. Scrambled eggs. Running the race to win.

What’s your favorite element/possession?
As far as i know, i can’t take anything with me when it is all over so i am not much of a collector. I will say that it would be hard to do what i do without my paint brushes and my Mac.

What’s had the biggest influence on you?
I think we are influenced by so many things in our life, but art-wise my grandfather could build/fix anything and he passed that on to my mother who has passed it on to me.

Do you have one low budget decorating tip?
Oops Paint. You know… the discounted gallons at the hardware store that have been returned because the color didn’t look right or it was mixed incorrectly…

What’s the best career advice you ever received? Ever gave?
“I think your time here is over.” —a former boss. It forced me to figure things out on my own.

I am often asked how i manage to survive as an artist. My answer is always the same. “Hard work, hard work, and a little luck.”

the novogratz in brasil

When did you first visit South America?
We heard Brasil was a beautiful place with beautiful people, so we always wanted to visit. Our first trip was 10 years ago after our friend Alex told us it was the next cool place—he was right!

What were your first impressions?
Brasil is a huge and beautiful country with great cities and amazing natural elements—not to mention the fantastic Samba music we listened to a lot.

Why did you choose Brasil for a second home—quite a distance from New York?
We wanted to expose our kids to other cultures and we have always loved to travel. With our big gang it gets expensive to stay in hotels, spend a day at a theme park—so the Trancoso house made a lot of economic sense. The bonus is that it allows us to have a lot of quality time together free from appointments, lessons, science projects.

Do you have a routine for visiting—planning the dates, packing, etc?
Everyone enjoys the journey but it is a long flight—thank goodness for in-flight movies. In general we’re able to pack light since it’s all about t-shirts, bathing suits, and bare feet.

Are there “must do’s” while you’re there?
Yes! Swimming, surfing, dune buggy rides, the Qadrado at night and all the great restaurants.

The house is very relaxing so it’s easy to just enjoy the views and never leave—but we’re always tempted by a day trip to check out more of the country.

What do your children love about Brasil?
They love the energy of New York City and Brasil is quite different—the opposite extreme—relaxed, casual, beaches vs calendars, homework, skyscrapers. We have high-speed web access at the house so everyone has the choice to escape or check-in.

We have great memories every trip we take, but we especially love lazy days on the beach, sunrises with great big cups of coffee, or just hanging with our crazy gang.

all photos by: Tim Gleaney

influencers: veronika scott at home

What is it about Detroit that makes you want to call it home?
In Detroit, everyone is doing something engag-
ing and of their own creation. The city is a hub of creativity, whether you’ve lived here your whole life or moved here to start something new.

We have a strong entrepreneurial community, where the people who own businesses and buildings have their own proactive ideas for the future of the city. People in the city recognize that for the success of the whole—we need to look beyond individual success and work together as part of a bigger system.

There are many issues that need to be tackled, and no one person can do it on their own. I have lived in many places, but Detroit will always be the one I call home, because I know that I would have never been able to start the Empowerment Plan in any other city in the world.

Tell us a little bit about the building you live in and how you designed your space.
People have many preconceived notions about Detroit, but where I live we walk around at night, ride our bikes around the neighborhood, and new businesses are always popping up.

The Canfield building is located in the heart of the city. The building is an old manufacturing facility that is now home to a beautiful loft space, as well as three different storefronts.

I have been a nomad most of my life, and this is the first time I have really settled into a home. Because of my job I travel quite frequently, and I am doing construction projects every few months. In picking a place to live I wanted a safe haven that was easy to maintain and relaxing.

When I moved in, there was a rather interesting color scheme—purple and green—I had to change it. I used white to open up the space and a relaxing yet vibrant blue instead of a more aggressive color.

The loft bed was already in place but I built the wall under it so that people wouldn’t be looking at a bed from the living room. Most people don’t even realize it’s there until I point it out.

Any tricks to living in just 750 square feet?
You have to have the ability to minimal-ize, which was easy for me because my possessions were few when I moved into the loft. But realistically it’s all about the hidden storage that you can create in a small space.

The bed is on top of a walk-in closet and there are shelves and bins throughout the space for everything else. I enjoy the small space because when I was in a larger loft, I felt like I couldn’t make it my own. I couldn’t afford to furnish a large space, and with my loft now I am able to personalize it and really enjoy it as my home.

We love your blue wall of art. Your collection seems very personal and original…any stories there?
All of the art in my space I have amassed slowly over time. The screen-print of the two men standing next to each other, one in a red jacket and one in black, are the poet Philip Levine and his twin brother Edward, who is a brilliant fine artist. This piece is one of my favorites and one of the most unique. They were born here in Detroit and have accomplished amazing things in their lives.

The charcoal of the horse and rider on my wall was done by Edward and was given to me years ago when he was cleaning out his studio. He and his wife Diane taught me to draw and paint, and were a big influence in my creative life. I spent hours in their studio as a child.

A piece of Diane’s work is on the wall opposite the blue wall, a watercolor of the blue sky and a train. Another of my favorite pieces is the H.G. Wells Time Machine print, done by one of my favorite young artists. He is not a Detroiter but I do love his work, and I love H.G Wells. The rest of the artwork is a mixture of Detroit artists.

It was a lot of fun for us to re-think your space. Does it “live” differently for you now? What’s your favorite thing about it now?
It lives differently in the sense that it feels complete. For someone who has lived a rather nomadic life, it is fantastic to settle into a place and have it feel finished. It is a very good representation of who I am and what I love, highlighting my record cabinet, my art, and my books.

My favorite thing about my space is definitely the living room area. It feels clean, relaxing, modern, and beautiful.

In support of The Empowerment Plan, CB2 is donating $5000 which will provide XX coat bags.
To see how Veronika makes a difference in Detroit, go here to learn her inspiration and work for The Empowerment Plan.

influencers: veronika scott at work, The Empowerment Plan

A coat that transforms into a sleeping bag? How did you come up with that idea?
This started as a class project at the College for Creative Studies here in Detroit. The assignment was to design a product that filled a social need, and the biggest need I saw here in the city was homelessness.

I started my research at a local shelter, the Neighborhood Service Organization, but was received with a less than welcoming sentiment on the first day—because they didn’t want a savior, they wanted to be treated like people.

So I went three days a week for five months.
I got to know them, started to gain their trust
after I proved that I was not going anywhere,
and was just there to listen to them. I spent
a lot of time walking around the shelter with
them, and I discovered that just 20’ away from the shelter was a playground that someone
had fashioned into a shelter of their own. I wanted to know why someone would risk their livelihood and well-being to provide for themselves what someone else was willing to provide to them.

The answer was pride and needing to have a sense of independence. The coat was to give people mobility, and having pride in having something new, not previously worn and used by someone else.

“The sleeping bag part came in because the shelters in Detroit are filled beyond capacity and tens of thousands of people are still out on the streets each night. This was meant to offer comfort and pride to those people.”
Veronika Scott, The Empowerment Plan Founder and CEO

The Empowerment Plan production space feels warm and homey—what do you attribute that to?
This is really due to the man who owns this building and the eclectic group of individuals who reside there. Phillip Cooley, the owner of a local Detroit restaurant and advocate for the city, garnered interest of a diverse group of people who volunteered their time for construction and restoration of the building.

This didn’t happen overnight—over nine months and thousands of volunteer hours were spent getting the building to where it is now. The homey feeling comes from the fact that the community helped to build and restore the space.

How did you empower yourself at such a young age to tackle Detroit’s homeless issue?
It’s not so much that I empowered myself but that I was empowered by others. Particularly my grandparents, who supported me through the entire design research process and connected me with any and all friends and family members who were able to aid me in furthering the projects—one of which helped me construct my first business plan.

I couldn’t have succeeded without the support of so many people—and having their input afforded me the freedom to fail, because I had so many people to help me and nothing to really lose. From the larger corporations like GM and Carhartt to my family and friends, everyone had something to risk, and I am so thankful for their support.

What is your hope for The Empowerment Plan in the future?
The most important thing for us is becoming a sustainable entity. That means financial security, as well as being able to support Detroit in a larger way.

We currently give out coats throughout the US—which are sponsored by individuals, corporations or non-profits through our website. As we grow, we plan to launch a for-profit business that will feature a buy-one/get-one model—where people can buy a coat for themselves and have one given out on the streets in a location of their choosing.

We are also working on developing a disaster relief arm and hope to become a model for sustainable and humane garment manufacturing in the US.

In support of The Empowerment Plan, CB2 has donated $5000.
To see how Veronika makes a small Detroit space home, go here.

CB2 + FLATS Chicago

With a common vision of stylishly and creatively outfitting soulful small spaces—and loving the communities they belong to—CB2 has partnered with FLATS Chicago by styling a selection of our top furniture and accessories picks to make moving into a small space as effortless as possible.

Starting with FLATS communities—which are based on the premise that living well is a necessity, especially within a community of shared philosophies—CB2’s furniture and accessories layered in naturally with their mandate of solving challenges inherent in small space living.

Small spaces have always been near and dear to our hearts at CB2. Many of our customers live in urban environments where space must be leveraged and planned very thoughtfully, and we’ve always been intentional about designing furniture that is multifunctional or contains hidden storage. Also, our furniture is scaled to fit urban footprints, so that it doesn’t overwhelm the space.

Chief Creative Jay Michael recently shared his thoughts on the collaboration:

What is micro-living and how does this model unit exemplify the concept?
Micro-living is a new trend in urban living, creating interesting and comfortable living environments in small spaces. This trend is becoming more and more popular and the FLATS project in Chicago is a great example of how a small space can still feel beautiful, comfortable, and stylish.

What do you think is interesting and great about the living spaces created by FLATS?
We love the concept of big style in small spaces. We share the belief that style and individuality can be achieved on any budget, and in any space, via smart design solutions.

Why is CB2 a good brand to turn to for micro-living oriented design solutions?
We share a philosophy of smart, double-duty design for small spaces—we’re also both based in Chicago—so we’re excited to partner and watch this come to life in our hometown.

Which pieces do you think really “make” this unit—why do they work so well in the space?
There are a number of pieces you wouldn’t expect to work in small units—like the cielo sectional. It’s incredibly efficient in that it provides a lot of seating yet fits in a small space—and pieces can be moved around to suit the way you live.

Multi-functional pieces are a must in tight spots. For example the contact stool can be used as a seat at the dining table, office, or as a side table.

Let’s not forget style—which is why the poodle pouf is on the list along with the colorful key rug. The pouf adds drama due to the scale of it within a 100 sf (?) room. As we said, we love the unexpected!

Other pieces have been suggested for small space living many times and there’s good reason why. The clear peekaboo media and the glass tesso bookcases ‘disappear’ so they keep rooms free of visual clutter while helping organize them. Bonus is the media cart is on wheels!

Mirrored or reflective pieces also multiply visual space so the infinity standing mirror and harvey chrome nightstand add style and fool the eye making the room feel bigger than it actually is. Bonus is the nightstand has a lower shelf with a high clearance to best maximize its footprint.

Valuing value, authenticity, character, curating, the unexpected—not to mention dogs and bikes!—these are the basic, shared tenets which make this collaboration a no-brainer. And we’re backing the partnership with a 10% discount* for new tenants of the FLATS on all the items mentioned above—plus a few more! For more information, contact FLATS Chicago here.

*To receive a 10% off coupon, a signed lease with FLATS Chicago must be completed. Limited time offer; terms and conditions apply.