Creative Focus: Chad Dorsey Design
Chad Dorsey is a gift in the design world. He's a breath of fresh air in a growing sea of sameness, pushing a narrative of masculine comfort, similar to his personality. When you are in one of Chad's homes, you just want to stay there because everything just feels right. He was trained as an architect and his design is a fluid relationship to the architecture where proportion, light, and scale are as essential as taste and lifestyle. He believes furnishings should be impactful without being overwhelming and rooms should flow and transition seamlessly. I have been fortunate to have photographed Chad’s designs over the past decade. He is the recipient of numerous awards and accolades (scroll down for the long list) and we are excited to share our Q&A with him as well as some of the imagery I have shot for Chad recently. Enjoy!
Chad, tell us a story…
Recently at a shoot I mentioned to Stephen I needed a new portrait for an event. He appeared to hear the comment but really didn’t acknowledge this comment….. I am thinking should I be wearing something else or maybe I am just not portrait worthy?
Stephen went about the day, shooting the project and taking great shots…. When I least expected it, he said “Hey Chad, get on the bed”.
Shocked, I wasn’t sure if he was being funny or not.
Thoughts to myself-
- we have worked for the past hour to perfect the bed for the shot, and now Stephen wants me to destroy this?
- Should I act like I am sleeping?
Stephen says, “Just do it…… RELAX….. Act like Kelly Wearstler”
Not sure I ever relaxed, but somehow Stephen always finds a way to pull out some sort of character or spirt in each shot. This is the really cool unique angle Stephen has. His humor is another. I feel like this image was the Telenovela of the entire shoot.
If you need inspiration for a design project, what do you do first?
I like to think of all of my travel and remember experiences that I have had that maybe relevant to a project.
How would you define your work in three words?
Relaxed, Bespoke, Timeless
Favorite piece of clothing you own?
I have this old grey hoodie that has a cool lining in the hood…. The company that made this hoodie is no longer in business, and well my hoodie isn’t long for this world either. I wear it all year long…. Inside during the summer…. Outside during the winter… I have even worn it with a sport coat on top.
What modern design trend makes you cringe?
Anything purchased as a set or collection…. No matter the budget, find things that make the space unique to the person.
What is one thing no one knows about you?
I am not sure that this is a surprise, but I really have to work at being social. This also goes for social media…. I am super critical of my own work, so one single post takes a lot of thought for me… I have been trying to be more spur of the moment and think less about them and just go with it….
Favorite city to recharge?
I love Los Angeles right now. I go there and become so inspired, yet so relaxed and at ease. It feels good.
If you had one more hour in the day what would you do with it?
Sleep.
What’s inspiring you in life (in the industry) right now?
I really like seeing the texture, details, and layers coming back into interiors. This is happening in both modern and traditional spaces. I think we are all ready for a lot more dimension after a long more minimal period.
Awards-
Recipient of three Paper City Design awards in 2018.
Best Overall Interior Project over 3500 sq
Best Kitchen
Best Entertaining Space
Upcoming National Features in
Interiors Magazine (Sept/Oct 2019)
Western Art & Architecture (Oct 2019)
Thank you Chad for sharing your creative spirit and talents with us. To learn and see more of Chad’s talents please visit his website www.chaddorseydesign.com/
Are you a client of ours that would love to be featured on our blog?
Shoot us an email at hello@stephenkarlisch.com to find out how.