>> I WOULD SAY I'M A CREATIVE.

THE FIRST THING THREE LETTERS OF MY NAME IS ART.

I HAVE ALWAYS IDENTIFIED AS AN ARTIST.

I ENJOY BUILDING SPACE AND USING SPACE TO BE A BRIDGE TO COMMUNITY.

WITH THIS SPACE, WE WANT TO BRING BACK THE ORIGINAL BASEBOARDS AND JUST ANY OF THOSE HISTORIC COMPONENTS THAT WE CAN RESTORE, UNIQUE TO THIS AREA.

I FIND A LOT OF INSPIRATION IN HISTORY.

I WOULD SAY BETWEEN HISTORY AND TRAVELING AND BEING ABLE TO SEE DIFFERENT CULTURES AND JUST HOW THEY ARTICULATE THEIR SPACE.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.

AS WE TELL THESE STORIES OF WHAT WAS ONCE HERE PREVIOUSLY, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO BUILD UPON THAT.

WE DON'T ALWAYS TAKE CARE OF OUR HISTORY.

BUT BEING ABLE TO EXPOUND ON WHAT WAS ONCE BEFORE IS SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME, FOR SURE.

WE ARE SITTING IN BROWNSVILLE.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO AREN'T FAMILIAR, HISTORICALLY BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD.

THE BUILDING IS ABOUT 100 YEARS OLD.

AS WE PURCHASED OR AS WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS OF PURCHASING THE BUILDING, I SAT WITH THE OWNER FOR ABOUT AND HOUR JUST TALKING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

WE TALKED ABOUT HOW JEWISH AND BLACK PEOPLE WORKED TOGETHER IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.

A LOT OF TIMES THE JEWISH PEOPLE WOULD OWN THE BUILDINGS AND BLACK PEOPLE WOULD OPERATE THE BUSINESSES THAT WERE IN THE BUILDING.

THAT RELATIONSHIP HELPED TO STAND UP THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.

THE BEGINNING PROCESS IS A LOT OF CONVERSATION JUST UNDERSTANDING WHAT EITHER THE CLIENT WANTS OR WHAT I WANT TO GET OUT OF THE PROJECT.

JUST A LOT OF CONVERSATION AROUND IDEATION.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

ONCE WE KIND OF HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND FLESH OUT DIRECTION WE WANT TO GO, MOVING INTO LOOK AND FEEL AESTHETIC.

FROM THERE, WE ARE JUMPING INTO OVERALL DESIGN.

WHAT KIND OF FINISHES?

WHAT KIND OF LOGO TOUCHES?

IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE PROJECT.

THAT KIND OF GUIDES HOW WE APPROACH IT.

I WOULD SAY CONVERSATION IS THAT FIRST STEP.

AS YOU ARE COMING INTO THIS SPACE, WE ARE USING ALL OF THE SURFACES AS STORAGE BUT ALSO AS CREATIVE EXPRESSION.

BUT AS YOU LOOK AT THE WALL, IT'S A MIXTURE OF BOTH.

SOME ARE GIFTS THAT PEOPLE HAVE GIVEN US.

SOME OF THEM ARE ARTISTS' WORK FROM THE COMMUNITY.

SOME OF THEM ARE POSTERS FROM JUST MY TRAVEL.

I'M INFATUATED WITH PRINT.

HAVING PRINTED MATERIAL AND BEING ABLE TO TOUCH AND FEEL.

SO WHEN I TRAVEL, I'M LOOKING FOR BOOKS, BUSINESS CARDS AND POSTERS.

WHEN SOMEBODY WALKS INTO THIS SPACE, I WANT THEM TO SAY, I CAN CREATE IN HERE.

THE BARBER SHOP UP FRONT IS, I'M COMING HERE TO GET A TRIM.

WASN'T TO FEEL ATTRACTIVE OR HANDSOME AFTER I LEAVE HERE.

WHEN YOU WALK IN, THOSE ARE THE KIND OF FEELINGS THAT WE WANT PEOPLE TO HAVE.