Duncan Smith on Upcycling, NYC Sidewalk Treasures, and Giving Discarded Objects New Life

Duncan Smith’s fascination with discarded items began in childhood, where he collected strange trinkets, wood shop scraps, and small shells in his father’s old cigar box. After moving to New York City from the UK, he faced the reality of expensive city living and high furniture costs. Being self-described as frugal, Duncan began picking up abandoned items off the NYC streets, repainting them, and upgrading them for his apartment. At the time, he was working as the head of video at a marketing agency, looking for a personal creative outlet. Encouraged by a visiting friend who was impressed by his upcycled home decor, Duncan began filming his process and posting short videos online.What started as a casual passion project quickly evolved into his full-time career. The moniker "Trashboy" was originally given to him by teasing friends whenever he showed up with sidewalk finds, but he eventually embraced the name as his official brand. Over the course of three years in New York City, Duncan transformed his living setup from making furniture inside a small East Village studio apartment to acquiring a dedicated workshop space in Brooklyn.Reflecting on his trajectory, Duncan credits the bold, proactive energy of New York City for pushing him to pursue his craft. Growing up with a creative director father and photographer mother, he absorbed early lessons that the core creative idea is paramount. Today, Duncan Smith continues to build his identity as a maker, taking on projects that blend functional design with artistic storytelling.

The Journey Long before finding his place in the art world, Valentin Renner dreamed of becoming a geographical explorer. Learning early on that the physical world had already been mapped was initially disappointing, but it ultimately ignited his creative calling to explore uncharted territory through imagination and artwork. He began drawing his own worlds and maps, discovering an infinite freedom in building landscapes that had never existed before.Valentin’s unique medium—thousands of nails and stretched thread—chose him rather than the other way around. Struggling with traditional drawing and painting in his youth, he found comfort during math class by drawing faces, figures, and architecture exclusively with straight lines on grid paper. When he set out to build a three-dimensional, interactive map of the world for his very first artwork, using straight threads strung between nails of varying heights became the logical way to represent topography.Today, Valentin lives as a full-time artist, balancing his intrinsic creative drives with international travel. Drawing from diverse past experiences—such as studying urban planning, assisting refugees, and playing first-division football in Germany—he integrates his life experiences directly into his art series. His journey demonstrates how childhood dreams of exploration can evolve into an adventurous, creative life built on passion and authenticity.

At its core, Karen Asprea’s design philosophy asserts that interior design is a living, continuous conversation between human beings and their physical surroundings. Rejecting the modern obsession with sterile perfection, Karen embraces patina, natural aging, and historical continuity. From sun fading wood floors to hand oils softening metal finishes, natural materials capture the history of a home. She views sustainable design not just as a technical checklist, but as the art of preserving and refinishing enduring natural elements—such as sanding down and re-oiling original solid teak wall paneling during a 40-story lobby renovation rather than sending it to a landfill.The conversation delves into the deep emotional state behind real estate transactions. Recognizing that major life transitions—such as births, deaths, career changes, or divorces—drive people to buy or renovate homes, Karen positions emotional comfort as the ultimate goal of design. She deconstructs client requests to find the underlying feeling, translating a request for a blue sofa into a desire for safety and childhood nostalgia.Ultimately, Karen believes that exceptional design should feel natural and almost invisible. When scale, proportion, light, and texture are correctly aligned, the design recedes into the background, allowing human life, family, and connection to take center stage. By replacing cold, high-contrast, sterile environments with rich natural textures, spaces foster genuine emotional peace and timeless elegance.

Lucarelli and Dane. Dane’s connection to organic materials started early in life while working for his father, a cooking professor, before transitioning to a greenhouse in Virginia and eventually pursuing formal studies at the Los Angeles Institute of Architecture and Design. Macy, coming from a background as a real estate agent, used large trees as memorable closing gifts for clients to keep his services top-of-mind. During the COVID-19 pandemic, while working out together in the empty parking lot of the Hollywood Bowl, Macy noticed a local nursery with long queues and proposed launching a plant business—unaware that Dane had just registered Green Vibes Plant Co.Combining forces under the memorable moniker "The Plant Daddies"—a nod to Macy’s history of planting passion fruit vines across Los Angeles—the duo set out to reshape the indoor plant industry. Early in their business, a pivotal moment occurred during an installation in West Hollywood. While unloading specimen plants, movers brought in an authentic Basquiat painting on loan from the Broad Museum. When the entire family gathered to admire the plants rather than the multi-million dollar art piece, Macy and Dane realized that curated greenery could serve as the primary design statement in high-end architecture.Through a shared work ethic, constant experimentation, and a willingness to break traditional horticultural rules, Macy and Dane have cared for over 10,000 plants and trees. Supported by a third business partner, Kenny, who handles financial and administrative operations, the duo has expanded their practice into a multi-location design studio with locations in Los Angeles and Orange County.Explore more at: theplantdaddies.com

Danielle Chiprut’s path into residential interior design began in the world of commercial visual storytelling. Before founding her firm, she designed retail environments across the country for major brands like Urban Outfitters and Free People, as well as trade show booths for companies like S'well. This background gave her an acute understanding of spatial proportions, human movement, and how different commercial materials interact. However, the pivotal transition occurred when she and her husband moved to the suburbs and purchased a 1930s Tudor home. Channeling her visual merchandising expertise into her own renovation sparked a passion that led her to earn an interior design certificate at NYSID while still working her corporate role.After her personal home renovation was featured on Apartment Therapy, Danielle experienced a surge in interest. As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, friends and city transplants relocating to Long Island sought her help to redesign their homes. Armed with what she calls a "design nest egg" of smaller photographed projects, Danielle built up enough momentum and confidence to step away from corporate life and establish Daniel Rose Design Company in 2019.Overcoming the fear of stepping away from a secure corporate career required taking incremental steps and betting on herself. Losing her parents around that same period further grounded her perspective on what makes a house meaningful, driving her to build a firm that merges historical appreciation with modern family living. Today, Danielle leads a growing team in Long Island, having successfully built a distinct niche in transforming historic homes into functional, beautiful sanctuaries.Find more at: daniellerosedesignco.com

Brittany Farinas’s connection to design began at six years old while spending time in the furniture showroom where her mother worked. By age 21, while attending college and trying to chart a lucrative yet passionate path, she launched her own firm, House of One. Lacking formal experience at other firms, Brittany built her business through sheer drive, balancing a real estate license, waitressing at night, and working in a real estate office by day, all while managing clients in between. Her relentless work ethic earned her early word-of-mouth referrals, proving that credibility comes from delivering value rather than age.Starting a firm at such a young age meant confronting industry biases, but Brittany Farinas channeled those challenges into sharpening her instincts as a leader. Over time, she shifted away from the initial "yes girl" mindset and hustle mentality that drove her early career. Early on, she felt the pressure to accept every project, hit external milestones, and constantly pitch new portfolio work. However, experiencing burnout and eventually becoming a mother transformed her approach, grounding her in intention, peace, and health.Today, Brittany Farinas leads House of One with confidence, authenticity, and selective curation. Reflecting on her evolution, she embraces every past challenge as a necessary learning experience that shaped her strategic vision. Rather than measuring success by the volume of projects, she focuses on delivering a high-value, deeply considered service for clients who align with her firm's standards and values.

Jeremiah Young’s path to becoming the principal designer and owner of Kibler & Kirch was anything but conventional. Having moved constantly as a child—living in 17 different places before age 17—Jeremiah found his early stability at his grandparents' house. That longing for a restorative environment planted a deep appreciation for the power of home. Moving to Montana as a teenager in 1994, he first stepped into Kibler & Kirch and felt an immediate aesthetic connection. Though he pursued an English Literature degree, worked as a librarian, and ran a clothing boutique, Jeremiah continuously self-educated in design, architecture, and textiles.In 2010, after discovering that Kibler & Kirch’s founders were planning a retirement sale, Jeremiah stepped in to acquire and reimagine the business. Drawing on the firm’s established reputation—originally founded in 1990 and named after the founders’ grandmothers—he preserved its core identity while shifting it from a retail store into a full-service design firm. Today, Jeremiah leads the 35-year-old firm, honoring its origins while guiding high-end residential and commercial projects across the West.Jeremiah's journey reflects a deep respect for historical continuity, hard work, and serendipity. From buying the firm he admired as a teenager to recently acquiring a historic 1905 Victorian home from its original family, his life’s work revolves around preserving stories and crafting meaningful spaces.

Amy Courtney’s entry into interior design wasn’t an intentional career detour—it was the environment she grew up in. Raised in New Rochelle, New York, by a mother who was an interior designer and painter, and a father who worked as a carpenter, Amy lived at the direct intersection of construction and aesthetics. Her parents operated a general contracting business and flipped every home the family lived in, resulting in Amy living in approximately 20 different houses in the same school district before heading to college. By simply observing her parents, attending client meetings, and visiting fabric showrooms, she absorbed the fundamentals of craftsmanship, finishing touches, and job-site tools early on.Her formal career began in Connecticut, where she worked for seven years as a designer in an interior design retail store. While that role provided foundation and experience, Amy found the prevailing regional style—dominated by coastal neutrals and repetitive light woods—uninspiring. Seeking broader creative opportunities, she moved to New York City, where she encountered eclectic clients who embraced bold color palettes, pattern mixing, and custom designs. This transition allowed her to draw directly from her mother’s artistic influence and lean into her innate love for vibrant, expressive spaces.Reflecting on her years working within larger firm structures and retail sales settings, Amy eventually identified what she did not want for her own business. She rejected corporate environments driven purely by escalating sales quotas and rushed deadlines, choosing instead to establish an independent practice focused on intentional work. Today, Amy brings her full background—from childhood job-site exposure to city-driven creative boldness—into running a specialized firm that balances construction rigor with detailed interior styling.

Noz Nozawa’s awareness of how spatial environments shape human emotion began during a challenging childhood. Growing up in a difficult domestic situation where she was not permitted to alter or personalize the common areas of the house, her bedroom became her solitary sanctuary. It wasn't until she went away to college and moved into her very first apartment in San Francisco that she experienced the transformative autonomy of shaping her own living quarters.That initial taste of spatial independence was immediately put to the test by a notoriously messy roommate. Noz recalls an extreme living environment marked by neglected appliances and mold growing on abandoned iced tea containers left on the floor. During a Christmas break, Noz gifted her roommate a complete clean-up of the apartment. The immediate, palpable relief they both felt upon returning to a clean, ordered home provided Noz with her very first visceral lesson: physical surroundings directly dictate mental health, emotional clarity, and daily sanity.This early realization served as the underlying foundation for Noz Design, which she established 12 years ago after transitioning out of marketing. Over a decade later, Noz has built a celebrated, multi-faceted practice known for its vibrant, deeply expressive interiors. Her journey illustrates how navigating early personal constraints can cultivate a profound empathy for human living spaces, fueling a multi-decade career centered on wellness and personal sanctuary.Find more about Noz at: nozdesign.com @noznozawa

Kara Childress’ illustrious career in interior design has spanned over four decades, tracing back to her professional beginnings in 1984. Operating long before the advent of digital mood boards, Pinterest, or internet algorithms, Kara’s early career was built on the foundation of hands-on physical discovery and pure relationships. Based in Houston, Texas, she began her design journey with a deep curiosity for European design history, establishing a clear lane that would guide her studio's signature "old-world meets modern living" aesthetic.Her early path was shaped by a distinct work ethic and the dual challenge of growing a high-level business while raising a family. Kara candidly reflects on the early days of juggling school carpools and client presentations, admitting that she used to battle a sense of guilt about balancing her demanding career with motherhood. Decades later, however, those same children have grown up to follow in her entrepreneurial footsteps, showing her how deeply her passion and dedication influenced their own lives and career trajectories.Today, Kara stands as one of the Southwest's most celebrated design figures, leading a tight-knit team of women who she warmly refers to as her extended family. Her journey from the analogue design landscapes of the mid-1980s to the cusp of publishing her first major monograph is a testament to the power of authenticity, patience, and a refusal to compromise on quality.