Sunday, April 28, 2024

This Charleston Designer Likes to Break the Rules of Southern Style 1stDibs Introspective

cortney bishop design

I love to go to art fairs — like Salone del Mobile, in Milan, and Art Basel in Miami — where the artists push the boundaries of what can be created. I attend them to remind myself to be bold enough to mix things together and to go with what drives me. A unique request came from a client whose dogs were very much a part of their family. They preferred the dog bowls be hidden away so the pups wouldn’t’t clash them throughout the day. We built the bowls into a lower cabinetry drawer so when it was feeding time, the drawer could simply be opened and then put away.

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cortney bishop design

The budget spreadsheet also carries ETAs, locations, lead times, where is the product at this moment—that’s what the lead designer’s assistant does, she’s calling the vendors to ask, “Is this going to be in on time? ” I’m grateful that my father pushed me so hard for that business degree, because it’s really helped me. If we have a reputation for anything with our clients, I’d say it’s that we’re really organized and thoughtful about their money. What was the moment you knew you wanted to be a designer? My family moved about every two years for my father’s job when I was a young child.

Cortney’s design superpower

Especially with money, it’s never good unless everybody’s on the same page. I’m always looking at them and saying, “Oh, shit, I’m so sorry, what have I done? ” They know when to look at me and say, “OK, Cortney, that’s enough.” And when I get that cue, I know that I need to back off. This year has been an especially interesting one, right?

Do you have a favorite furniture designer?

9 Design Collabs We're Loving Right Now—From Bunny Williams, Brigette Romanek, and More - Architectural Digest

9 Design Collabs We're Loving Right Now—From Bunny Williams, Brigette Romanek, and More.

Posted: Tue, 26 Apr 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]

I was like, “I don’t know if I’m ready to do rugs, but I would love to do a textile collection with you guys.” And he was like, “Well, hell, let’s do it! ” So we chatted about business in general and I asked a few questions. I met him later that night and we never stopped talking about it. What business decision has been the happiest surprise? One of the best decisions I made was to start a receiving company with my husband about three years ago—which was really incredible for streamlining the logistics of the company. It was so easy, and the reason we did it was because I wanted my own installers who were at my beck and call.

cortney bishop design

I was flying to Morocco for rugs, going to Paris for the design shows, and now that’s all gone. It went away in one year, so we’re recalibrating. We’re also going to pause on [taking on] homes in New York or Atlanta or wherever it may be along the East Coast.

Cortney’s design vision runs the gamut of style and structure, balancing creativity, comfort, and

She credits her home’s soulfulness to an array of “interesting storytelling pieces. Such moments are gold mines for discovering outsider art treasures. Outsider art, which is work made by artists who create their own independent practices without classical academic training, holds a special place in my heart. I've integrated these unique pieces into my interior spaces, and they add a distinct charm while reflecting diverse cultures, providing a refreshing contrast to more mainstream and polished artworks. How did that require changing the way you worked? It’s a lot of work on the front end, and we put in the time.

Cool art is everywhere

Eventually, we started our own design firm, and for five years, we successfully ran Barlow and Bishop. Around 16 years ago, my husband and I relocated to Charleston, close to where I used to spend my childhood summers. At that point, I realized I needed to take the leap and start my own venture — and CBD was born. 'Comfort is a huge thing for me,' says Cortney. 'My mother (who is Greek) had very pristine homes. We couldn’t sit on the sofas, we couldn’t walk into the house with sand on our feet --so I had a very unique experience growing up.

Would you ever consider living somewhere other than Charleston?

She told the makers at Sawkille, who she had worked with before, that she wanted a cupboard with a bleached maple finish for freshness and details reminiscent of their coastal community without being kitschy. It’s hard to trade Charleston, but I could see having a little spot in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood of Paris for two or three months. I don’t want to have a home there, I just want to immerse myself in the culture and community for more than a week or ten days.

How to Create Your Dream Kitchen

Designer Profile: Cortney Bishop - Homes & Gardens

Designer Profile: Cortney Bishop.

Posted: Mon, 18 Oct 2021 12:08:31 GMT [source]

There’s nothing worse than having four storage units with furniture stacked up to the ceiling, where you don’t know what you have and there are lamp parts everywhere. I feel like we’re all reassessing what our boundaries and limits are right now.Absolutely. I’m grateful for the workload, and for the opportunities that we’ve received throughout this pandemic, but I’m also almost scared to choose what my next year is going to look like. The one thing I’ve decided is that we’re not going to travel to other locations for a home build or a commercial project unless it’s with one of our tried-and-true partners—someone who understands how we work. I enjoyed building the business almost as much as the work itself—strategically thinking about how to grow a brand was so exciting to me. The outreach part felt like it always came naturally.

And then, 16 years ago, my husband and I moved back to Charleston, [near where I spent summers as a child] on a barrier island named Kiawah Island. [That’s when] I decided that it was time to go out on my own. For Cortney’s work as a designer, vintage pieces aren’t just something that’s nice to have. “I don’t feel like the home is complete until you incorporate vintage,” she says. As an avid shopper with “four storage units full of finds,” she had a bounty of treasures to choose from, but what proved most important for giving her rooms a sense of character was more than just aesthetic appeal.

Just be thoughtful to account for enough storage space in the rest of the kitchen. You don’t want everything on display, after all. Right now, our clients are looking for anything to make their kitchens more family friendly starting with the largest island possible.

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