i + D - May/June 2020 - 30
Designing the Future - By Brian Libby
Finding Normal and
Retrofitting Home
For interior designer Benjamin Huntington, just getting into quarantine back
in New York was an ordeal. He'd been visiting a project in the Highlands
of Scotland by himself when the travel restrictions set in, and he ended up
stranded alone for weeks. But even then, Huntington was active, be it in
reaching out to clients of his firm, Veritate Design, or to colleagues and
partners as president-elect of ASID's New York Metro chapter.
"The very first thing to do was to create a framework of normalcy for those
within the community to help them protect themselves," Huntington says.
With the ASID New York Metro board, Huntington began by setting up
weekly Zoom meetings available to any designers, regardless of whether
or not they're members, "about how to deal with the crisis: how to deal
financially, how to access relief packages, what essentials we need and what
we can do without," he explains. At that same early stage, Huntington began
connecting with clients electronically and not talking about work. "It was just,
'Are you OK?' That's all we needed at that moment," he says.
Once he and clients got back to talking about projects, Huntington found it
difficult at first. "As an interior designer, it's normally so important to be face
to face," he explains. Yet early in the quarantine period, he found himself
having a two-hour video meeting with a client, who was moving her screen
throughout the residence to discuss different rooms. The process suddenly
began to feel a bit more normal. "Although it took longer, by the end of the
call, the client said, 'I think we'll be OK here,'" he recalls.
Looking ahead, Huntington believes society, including designers, will find
ways to maintain social distancing over the long term. "The first step will
be to visit a client's house with mask and gloves and sanitizer," he says.
"The client may not be there, or may be in a different room, and we're
communicating via phone. Or maybe they're just 10 feet away. But each
way allows me to be in the home, performing my task much more efficiently.
Only over time we will then be able to converse normally."
Designers like Benjamin Huntington
quickly adapted to conducting client home
walkthroughs via video conference.
But what about the spaces themselves? For decades, homes have been
becoming increasingly more open. Will that end? Huntington, who is also
a feng shui master, doesn't think so.
(Image: Courtesy of Benjamin Huntington/Veritate Design)
Designer Benjamin Huntington
believes an open flow among
spaces in a home will continue
in the future.
(Image: Courtesy of Benjamin
Huntington/Veritate Design)
30
378_021_i+D_MayJune_v1.indd 30
Benjamin Huntington,
Veritate Design
20-05-20 17:08
i + D - May/June 2020
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https://www.nxtbook.com/asid/asid/design_product_guide_2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/asid/asid/design_product_guide_2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/id/20211112
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/id/20210910
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/id/20210708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/asid/design_product_guide_2021
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20200910_french
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/asid/design_product_guide
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20200708_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20200708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20200506_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20200506
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20191112
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20190910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20190910_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20190708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20190708_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20190506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20190506_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20190304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20190304_french
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20181112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20181112_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20180910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20180910_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20180708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20180708_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20180506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20180506_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20180304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20180304_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20180102_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20180102
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