Design dissect 1 - sean & Lizzie rad - home offices

AD (jan 2022) - jane hallworth design

User Bio - I feel like I know Sean Rad. As a Product Manager, I can empathize with juggling multiple personalities and responsibilities. In my opinion, Sean reads as busy, high-profile, intelligent, tenacious, and eclectic (something about him being the founder of Tinder makes me think he’s a little off-center in the best way possible). Lizzie is an Interior Designer. I also feel like I know Lizzie. Bold, creative, kind, interesting, and passionate. As a fellow creative person, I understand she’s made of something different. She won’t settle for anything less than perfect - especially in her space. Their lives have been driven by their intuition and Sean and Lizzie want their homes and offices to truly feel theirs. They need to see themselves in their space.

User Goals - Sean wants to feel inspired in his office, he needs space for new million-dollar ideas. Lizzie needs room to create - she has a fashion line to launch in 2022, and an existing Interior Design company to run. They need to be actively plugged in to their thoughts and activities. Productivity starts with the success of their office design.

Architectural Bio - Sean and Lizzie’s home is in Los Angeles. The home and offices are very LA with an overwhelming feeling of peace carrying throughout all of their spaces. The history of the home is unknown but some notable architectural features are windows that run from floor to ceiling and a visible open floorplan - felt by enfilades in multiple rooms. As I studied the design in Sean and Lizzie’s office, I noticed nods to these features - big windows with a lot of lighting and encouragement towards moving through the room.

Materials Bio - In this regard, there isn’t a ton of materials other than wood in each of their spaces. Lizzie pairs her woods with softer materials - such as fur, while Sean’s space feels a bit edgier through the considerable use of leather. The material choice both make sense for each Rad’s respective goals. Light reflects off of Lizzie’s disco ball while leather and brass detailings ground Sean’s.

Color Palette Bio - The most notable component of Hallworth’s design is the color palette. Muted and neutral but contrasting with the indoor plants, there is no doubt that this house is in LA. While Lizzie makes her space feel more air-y with fur materials in white and lighter neutrals to offset the darker browns in the woods of the furniture, Sean brings darker neutral green furniture and more wood elements to his office.

Furnishing and Art Bio - Sean brings heavier elements like Tobia Scarpa leather chairs, a stone-like center table, and a thick bookcase to his office. A couple of modern paintings tie the office - a huge one as a backdrop for his desk, and a smaller one in an adjacent wall over his bookshelf. Both paintings have a through line of muted, neutral colors, with one drawing the eye to forest green and the other contrasting the oak wall. Lizzie’s art demands attention in message but not in color. It takes up a whole wall, as it should.

Overall Impressions - If I had to describe Lizzie’s office in 1 word, it would be space. Space to create, space to move, space to think, space to explore. I feel Lizzie has no problem taking an open-minded approach to any problem. If I had to describe Sean’s office in 1 word, it would be grounding. As a founder and entrepreneur, Sean has reacted to a lot - market movements, consumer appetite, investor buy-in, and shifts in technology. I see his office as a metaphorical stake in the ground - Sean is entering a phase of driving a vision versus managing conflicting ones.