That said, there’s still work to be done to make it truly “ours.” Paint. Carpet. Fixtures. General decor. It’s an ongoing evolution of opinions and ideas, but one that we’re enjoying. We’re tackling rooms one by one. So far, so good.

We’ve been getting a lot of inspiration from magazines and online photos. We’re doing our best to stay away from the ultra trendy looks since by the time we ever get to it, they’ll most likely be outdated. Also, we have three boys so this trend of ultra white everything won’t cut it, folks. Seriously, what the hell? In what alternate universe is that considered a good idea? At our place, that shit will have crayola and mac ’n’ cheese on it before the day is done — and that’s just from me, not our little guys. If you can pull that off at your place, cool. I’d take a million photos of it, too, I guess.

I know what I like

I’m no interior designer — by any definition. And as is true with everything, what I like and what is considered “good” are two very different things. Sometimes they’re the same, sometimes they’re not. I’m okay with it either way. But yeah, I know what I like and we know what general vibe we’re going for.

Lately, I’ve come across ultra minimalist photos of living rooms that have barely anything in them. Okay, I get it…that’s the point of minimalism. Clean. Simple. Not cluttered. Nice to look at. But how is this even an option for a room that is literally called a “living” room? Can you even live in there when there is only a seat for you and maybe someone else? Look, the exposed Edison bulbs you’ve got hanging down are dope and the rustic, white-washed brick wall is to die for, but yeah…I just came over to your place to hang out and now I have to pull up a pillow and sit on the floor? No, you shut up!

When design is so good that it’s bad

I don’t consider myself a “designer” at all, and maybe that has helped me see that just because something is gorgeous, doesn’t mean it’s right. When something is over-designed, to the point that it no longer does what it’s supposed to do, you know it’s all fallen off the tracks. These living rooms are great to look at in magazines, but if I invited a bunch of friends over and asked them to sit and hang out, but then had only two chairs in a clean, minimalist, well-lit room, I’d have no choice but to kick my own ass.

It’s easy to get carried away and over-design, especially when you have a great eye for design, but design is different than just “art” because design should support useful purpose, maintain or enhance functionality, and solve problems, all while looking totally amazing on the casual.

When I design eco-friendly music gear for Magic Room Brand, care goes into those details. The last thing I want to do is create gorgeous drumsticks and guitar picks that sound like shit and break easily. “But hey…they’re pretty to look at and are biodegradable!” Nope. Not gonna cut it.

The drumsticks have a high shoulder to offer attack and rebound while still bringing the advantages of lightweight bamboo. The guitar picks have a slight taper and beveled edges to improve grip, tone, and versatility for all styles of playing. They’re designed to do what they’re supposed to do, while also bringing musicians a viable, sustainable option for their accessories.

The “look” of the products are constantly under improvement (currently working on the next generation of gear), but simplicity is key. Having them be works of art is important, but that’s secondary to supporting musicians — the users — in the creation of their art.

Have some ideas that you’d like to see in development? Shoot me a note and let me know.

Grab a chair and have a seat. Let’s talk.

#bewhatyoumake