designer profile: stephen crowhurst

Where was your favorite place to live?
It would have to be in the 3000 square foot loft I used to rent about 10 years ago. A handful of artists living under one giant roof. Loved it. Sad those days are over.

What’s your favorite room in your home?
To be honest it has to be my bedroom. I love sleeping.

What do you drive?
Proud owner of a second hand bicycle. I’ll never go back.

What one item do you wish you owned?
Enough solar panels to get my condo off the grid.

What are your interests outside of design?
I’ve been obsessed over the past couple of years with cooking. I’ve made the final switch over to eating nothing but organic raw food and it’s totally changed my life.

Your personal decorating style is _____?
Recession chic.

What are your sources of inspiration?
Music. Every time I sit down to make something I always owe the result to music. I don’t design to music.. it just becomes apart of me in that moment and it brings things out that I don’t think I could do without it.

What’s your favorite element/possession?
I love my vinyl record collection. They’re utterly useless but I love them all.

Form vs. function?
I think at this moment in our culture these terms are just selling points. The discussion had it’s day in the 60’s. To me the new discussion and admittedly a less sexier one… should be influence vs mediocrity.In other words, does this design or does this product have a profound influence on my life or does it swell in the mediocrity of the prevailing majority. Let’s have that discussion.

Do you have one low budget decorating tip?
Well I picked this up from art school—Trash Day! Find something someone is tossing into the bin and refurbish it.

What’s the best career advice you ever received?
Don’t let one person’s perception of reality overtake your own.