#ICONICSHOWCASE DESIGNER SERIES: MEET FLOSS BARBER
Last week we announced our ICON Designer Showcase, aka #ICONicShowcase. If you missed last week’s post, make sure to CHECK IT OUT for all #ICONicShowcase details! To register for the May 31st event CLICK HERE.
Now, there would be no #ICONicShowcase without the amazing designers. So we thought it was important to spend some time with the designers who will be showcasing for your votes next week!
Our first #ICONicShowcase Designer Series features Floss Barber, Inc. Read our exclusive interview with its founder, Floss Barber.
Floss Barber
Kevin: Hi Floss, thanks so much for taking the time to talk today. Why don’t we start with your design style or the style that has most influenced you throughout your career?
Floss: Glad to chat – my style is that of the International Style, which is to say it’s highly detailed and fits very well with the Art Deco style of 1616 Walnut. The International style is from the 1970’s and you don’t see much of it today.
Kevin: Why not?
Floss: Well, because it’s 2014. Design comes out of the culture and they wouldn’t use that because it’s 2014. If you think about it, design is really a snapshot of time so it wouldn’t make sense to use something from the ’70’s in today’s design.
Kevin: Wow. I’ve never thought about it like that, but I dig what you’re saying! Tell me about some of your favorite projects.
Floss: I’m excited about all of our projects! We don’t take on work that we’re not passionate about. The fact that all of our projects are meaningful is what charges me and gets me out of bed in the morning. All of the clients we work with have a vision of what they want from us. Some of our projects are much larger than others but when it comes down to it all of our clients have a clear expectation on what we’re to deliver. We’re designing, not doing design.
“We’re designing, not doing design.”
Kevin: You’ve got my attention! Which of these visions are you currently working on?
Floss: Well, we’re working on the renovation and restoration of Hill College House on the University of Pennsylvania’s Campus with Mills + Schnoering Architects. It was originally designed in 1960 by Eero Saarinen, a famous Finnish American architect best known for his design of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and Washington’s Dulles International Airport.
We’re also working on a few residential projects like our “Traditional Rich Classic” which is a two-story penthouse overlooking Washington Square in Philadelphia, PA. And our “Modern California Style” which is a renovation plus designing the interiors of a Cape May shore house facing both the bay and the beach.
Kevin: Sounds like things are busy at Floss Barber, Inc – quickly tell us a little bit about your design of your ICON apartment.
Keep It Simple
Floss: They are! For ICON, we’ve designed a space that a prospect can see themselves living in. In everything we do, we’re taking the space and accomplishing a goal. It’s important that we respect the building and are gearing what we do to the client’s marketing plan or the brand they trying to enhance or develop.
Kevin: What does that look like in respect to ICON?
Floss: Keep it simple. Keep it light. The strokes are bold and the color palette is narrow. Colors and patterns are highly personal. If you grew up in a house with a green basement and it reminds you of a childhood with no friends then you probably won’t ever want to paint your house or apartment green. Same goes for a color or pattern you might have had with an old girlfriend.
We wanted to create a sophisticated space that appeals to both the masculine and feminine. For example, the baseball chair is masculine and the white sectional feminine. Our tip to residents moving into ICON is to find a nice blend of both. Keep things simple. Keep things light.
Kevin: Remind me never to paint my apartment green. Thanks so much for you time, Floss! We can’t wait to see your finished design on MAY 31ST!