Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Age: 30
Occupation: Designer and artist.
Instagram: @streicher_goods
Hometown: Raleigh, NC.
Studio location: Brooklyn.
Describe what you make: My work revolves around creating functional ceramic homewares, focusing on lighting design, with the goal of enhancing interiors through artful design, blurring the lines between art and functionality.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: I recently finished up pieces for a hotel in Kentucky, The Ashbrooke, which is opening soon. The hotel features several of my mushroom lamps throughout the bar/study area, and each room in the hotel has one of my colorful checkered table lamps. I’m stoked to see the final images of the finished space. These are the types of projects I want to do more of—collaborating with designers to create custom pieces for their spaces.
Describe the problem your work solves: My work brings playfulness into everyday functional objects. I don’t think I have a specific problem I’m trying to solve with my pieces—I just want to create things that I find fun and experiment, and hopefully they add personality to a space, and inspire people to have a deeper connection to the objects they surround themselves with or interact with each day.
Describe the project you are working on now: I’m currently working with a designer in Vancouver to create a line of sconces, table lamps, and a floor lamp which will be releasing in September. The collection of lighting will showcase translucent porcelain as the main clay body, giving the pieces a transformative glow whenever illuminated.
My next larger project will be a collaboration between myself and a woodworker/artist based in the Hamptons. We’re creating a set of home furnishings that blend ceramics and wood together. I’m super excited to start these and think the mix of our styles and materials will come together so well.
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: I just launched my recent collection, Deep Reflections, on June 6. The new collection is quite different from my usual work, leaning into darker, moodier aesthetics inspired by geodes I used to crack open as a kid, with their rough rocky outside and a shiny, reflective surprise on the inside. I explored alternative methods to add texture on the ceramic pieces, using acrylics and varnish to achieve the hand-painted faux-rock texture you see across the collection.
I want to use each collection as a capsule. I don’t believe all work I’ve created to date has to be related. This room for play and freedom allows me to not be boxed in by what I’ve made previously, and hopefully keeps things fresh and unexpected for people following my work.
What you absolutely must have in your studio: Music is a MUST! Music is always on when I’m at the studio, unless I’m trying to get some of that groovy ASMR ceramic making content. Music plays a huge role in creating a vibe. I usually blast house music when I want to get energized and get in the zone. Recently, I’ve been easing into my mornings with ethereal soundscape music like Rafael Anton Irisarri or kwajbasket.
What you do when you’re not working: I’m likely to be hanging out with friends and sitting outside to enjoy the nice summer evenings. I’m also a big car guy and love motorcycles, so if the weather is nice, I like riding up to Bear Mountain or an area upstate to go on a hike and get out of the city.
Sources of creative envy: There are so many to choose from, but my recent envy is for Geoff McFetridge. His work is incredible, and I’ve loved his stuff ever since I watched the documentary Beautiful Losers. His work is so simple, yet packs so much meaning and visual interest, and his color palettes are amazing. Definitely someone I’ve been jealous of and would love to someday meet and get a coffee with.
I’m also blown away by the insane level of finesse from Jin Eui Kim, a Korean ceramicist making some of the most detailed and clean graphic pots I’ve seen. The way he manipulates the patterns and tones to guide your eye around each piece is impeccable.
The distraction you want to eliminate: I’ve been trying to have “slow mornings” to eliminate the immediate anxiety of what has to be done that day. I wake up, make some coffee, light some incense, and just sit on the floor or on the couch in my living room while having my coffee. Just focusing on my coffee. This has been a great exercise for mental clarity, and at the end of the process, which is usually 15-20 minutes, I write out my to-do list for the day, and get crackin’.
Another is Instagram, or at least the ease at which I can just scroll on there looking at nonsense. It’s a great tool for advertising and making connections with creatives all around the world, but it can also suck away my mental energy and clog up my brain with things that do not benefit me. I’ve been actively trying to stay off my phone as much as possible, especially at the studio.
Concrete or marble? Concrete. I feel like marble is overdone. Concrete can be so brutal but also so elegant at the same time, and I love how the material can really balance out a space.
High-rise or townhouse? Townhouse. More personality and overall they just feel more cozy/homey to me.
Remember or forget? Remember. Gotta take note of failures and move on.
Aliens or ghosts? Aliens. I’d rather see some crazy being from another world than see some person who’s just no longer around. Hopefully the alien is friendly.
Dark or light? Dark. I find myself listening to sad music and overall enjoy more heavy, emotional things.
