Meet Brian Weathers | Interior Designer & Musician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brian Weathers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brian, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Well I think we live in a world where working is far more important than resting! I try to create balance by reminding myself to meditate, take long walks and listen to podcasts, read, write in a journal and practice yoga, boxing or soccer. It’s extremely easy to get consumed by work but I know if I don’t take time to reset and find balance in myself, I won’t be able to find balance in my interior design projects. Additionally, I won’t be performing at my best for myself or clients. So I try to be mindful of that and balance is one of the most important parts of our routine in my opinion. Playing the drums has always been a form of meditation for me and finding inner balance. So aside from interior design, drums have always been a very special part of my life and music is a hugely powerful piece of my being. Whether it’s just listening to music or playing drums, this has always been a therapeutic part of my life!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I started Design & Manage back in 2013 and along the way I freelanced for various design firms. Mainly, I started my own brand to focus on the design projects I liked personally as well as Airbnb’s I managed but also for work I’ve done with other firms on various residential and hospitality design projects. My interior design career actually started in 2012 working for a high end luxury furniture and lighting showroom in the La Cienega Design Quarter (LCDQ) of West Hollywood. There I learned about vintage furniture. Fast forward to the last few years; I started working for RH Chicago (Restoration Hardware) leading the RH Trade program for the Chicago Gallery. There I have worked with all the big interior design firms in the industry. However, I find myself always coming back to Design & Manage! I think that is because it’s mine. Now I am freelancing on a 5000 SF home in Minnesota and about to start a project in Chicago. Both residential. However, I am entertaining the idea of sub-contracting on some hospitality work as well. Design & Manage is more of a blog to my life. I post new projects, add inspo and it’s a place my clients can go to see a portion of the work I have completed! Always waiting on new photography and time to add more imagery but I have some stuff there that represents who I am as a designer and creative. I also talk about the importance of meditation and finding inner balance in a project or home.

For more information or availability on interior design consulting and project management, you can reach me there or IG @beatsdesignlife

If you had a friend visiting you in Chicago, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
RL Lounge (Ralph Lauren) is one of the coolest designed restaurants in Chicago. I love the space and the food. Might be my favorite steak in Chicago next to RPM, Maple & Ash and Bavette’s! If you are coming to Chicago for pizza definitely try Piece in Wicker Park or for deep dish go to Lou Malnati’s. I prefer thin crust and my favorites are Piece, Paulie Gee’s, or Boiler Room in Logan Square. I also like some of the classics like Italian Village for pizza. We have plenty of museums, I love the MCA and Art Institute but you can also find many small galleries around the city and street art walks with amazing graffiti murals. Definitely do the architectural boat tours and see all the beautiful and different architecture that is Chicago! Everything from Gothic to Art Deco, we have it all here! Lastly, walk through the park in Lincoln Park and go see the lights during Christmas at the Lincoln Park Zoo! Or Millennium Park to see Frank Gehry structures that will blow your mind! You will never have enough time to do all the things in Chicago because we have so many. But don’t go crazy, grab a nice coffee and just explore. So many sights to see and you can always come back! I like to walk around with an Italian sub from Lucia’s and just explore the city! Please reach out to me by email or Instagram and I will send more recommendations your way!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Firstly, I would shout out my first mentor in residential interior design, Steven. Steven Sarinana is a huge part of my education and love for modernism and transitional, custom, interior design. Steven is one of the most creative and unique designers I have met in the last decade. His design firm is called (Trebor/Nevets) and he specializes in modernist interior design in Long Beach/Los Angeles, CA. Now that I am living back in Chicago I have taken his learnings with me and my love for interiors is expressed throughout mid century design but also contemporary and transitional design projects. Chicago can have very traditional elements but I try to push the architectural boundary and express my design through all of my inspiration, vision and disciplines which I’ve learned over the years. I would also shout out my family of course for always being supportive of my drive to work in music as well as design. As a drummer it’s difficult to work consistently in the music industry but I found my way. As a designer I have found this can be similar in a sense. I have also learned from other influences like John Sofio (Built Inc), and Brigette Romanek (Romanek Design Studio). Priceless educations in hospitality design working with them both, and I found that I have love for hospitality as well as residential interior design! Lastly, I would shout out God for obvious reasons of my spirituality and prayer, and Andy Puddicombe from Headspace for changing my life with meditation. Meditation is a giant part of who I am today and I will continue to grow for all of the aforementioned mentors who have stepped into my life at a certain point. I hope I have inspired them in some ways as well!

Website: www.designandmanage.com

Instagram: beatsdesignlife

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianweathers/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bpweathers

Other: www.brianweathersdesign.com