Community Highlights: Meet Ben Rousseau

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Rousseau.

Hi Ben, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I grew up in the UK’s oldest recorded town, Colchester and as a kid just didn’t respect history, all I was interested in was the future. I was obsessed with James Bond from an early age, I loved the slick futuristic interiors of the bad guys lairs, the gadgets, the cars, the vehicles, the girls the whole package – the other early influence for me was Star Wars and Blade Runner, these films of the future with sleek shiny interiors and modern design felt as far away from Colchester castle as possible and I knew I had found my calling. At 11, my dad had a 1955 Chevy hot rod which was pretty rare in the UK, I’d help fix it up and do work on it and so I had a desire to do something creative somewhere between vehicles and modern buildings but wasn’t sure what it was. My mum was an artist and my dad was very practical so got the grace and finesse from my Mother and the practical engineering side from my dad.

After art college, I went on to study film special effects, model making and set design so I could experiment with designing and building these fantastical futuristic spaces and props. I realized that the whole industry was moving out of the physical art and into computer graphics at a time I just wanted to get hands on experience. I was dj ‘ing and putting on parties at my University, designing small scale stage productions, etc. and spending a lot of time in night clubs, I felt there was a means to bring a more high tech and sleek design aesthetic to these venues and so I changed my direction of study to Product and industrial design, looking to design modern furniture and interiors for hospitality venues, such as night clubs, hotels, and bars, etc. I graduated in 2001 and set up my design Studio in London with the sole intention of making the very coolest modern art, interiors and luxury products for the very coolest venues and coolest people.

I always had a specialism in lighting design and technology in my interiors and my product design, combing beautiful materials with modern lighting and digital control. Embracing modern machining processes to create precision pieces of furniture, art and design. My Family Left London in 2017 so after 2.5 years in Nor Cal’s Silicon Valley designing high tech homes for clients up there I am now in So Cal’s Manhattan Beach bringing my modern design aesthetic to the south bay and vibrant city of LA – the mecca of modern luxury property design. As an avid surfer, dirt biker and with my own patented snowboard design, I see the damage human s have on the planet so I intend to do everything I can with my work to help save the planet. I’m very much into using recycled plastics from the Ocean to turn into luxury products such as my Tempus Timepiece Collection.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Moving to a new city with family just before a global pandemic was pretty strange but the community is wonderful.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Since 2001, I’ve run a small specialized design studio focused on producing high-end, high-tech interiors, custom lighting and futuristic interior products and art installations. I have had work regularly featured in the international design press, and exhibited work in the V&A museum, built projects at the Ice Hotel in Arctic Sweden, Burning Man and even represented the UK at the world fire sculpting competition. Most proud of my bubble chair collection and my Tempus Illuminated timepieces.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I was once kicked out of the Play Boy mansion for taking my clothes off and doing a backflip off the grotto into the pool after a night out with the Jack Ass boys during the Gumball Rally. I have a small specialist snowboard company making patented v profile boards that surf in powder.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.benrousseau.com
• Instagram: @ben_rousseau_art_design
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BenRousseauDesign
• Twitter: @rousseaudesign
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVjVW0_vT43RLh9UpDVkuig
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/benrousseau/_created/

Image Credits:
laser car – Jake Curtis Kitchen – Jack Fitzjones Ice hotel – Adrian Nordenbourg Burning Man – Alex Haw Sculpture – Ben Rousseau Bubble chair – Joe Mcgorty Pool – Walk Through Productions Living Room – Walk Through Productions