Today we’d like to introduce you to Joseph Ferrugio.
Joseph, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
When I moved to Los Angeles in 2002 for a screenwriting career, I found myself designing landscapes in Silverlake. I had a really ugly front yard, with weeds and no design or thought, so I asked the landlord if I could spruce it up and then the neighbor asked me to do hers, then referred me to someone else and it just kept snowballing.
In 2005, I enrolled myself in Woodbury University School of Architecture with a focus on interior architecture and Art History as a minor. Upon my graduation in 2009, I started working for a hotel design firm in Santa Monica, where I worked on luxury five-star projects for Disney, Starwood, MGM & The Venetian. I left the hospitality company in 2012 to begin Ferrugio Design + Associates.
Since 2012, Ferrugio Design has designed the most exclusive and expensive properties in California. Majority of our clients are developers creating “spec homes”. We are proud to be the designers responsible for the most expensive homes sold in the history of Hollywood Hills, Beverly Hills & Bel Air…
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It took well over 10 years of passionate struggle to be where we are today. I think the hardest thing to overcome to date was developing the acute awareness of balance of not just giving the client what they want, but translating their desires to a stylish language that create a unique sense of harmony and belonging in their space while maintaining a signature approach to our design process.
For example, early in my career, people would say to me, “I want a red room with Moroccan accents”. and I would happily give them a red room with Moroccan accents. The problem though became that I was just giving people what they liked and not necessarily gave them a story or connection along the way. Now if someone asked me to give them a red room with Moroccan accents, I would ask them, “have you been to morocco? What’s your favorite part about your visit or what is it you imagine it to be like.” Listening deeply to their answer provides me with a window into a much deeper design aesthetic that can transcend their original “want” into a much stronger design than just painting their room red and throwing some “cute” meditation cushions in.
Please tell us about Ferrugio Design + Associates.
I am an interior architect. Our firm designs both interior and exterior spaces. We are most known for 1181 Hillcrest the home sold to Markus Peerson for $70million.
I am most proud of our most recent project 1251 Shadow Hill Way. We won best kitchen design in a German Kitchen design competition for it. We won out of 24 countries, 260 submissions!
I believe what sets us apart is that we approach each project uniquely and when we conceptualize the project, we do so in a theoretical way. If there is a family or business involved, we ask many questions to understand a deeper context to what is needed.
Our hotel design experience also streamlines the process. The plans that emerge from the conceptual design phase are easily read by all the humans responsible to fabricate and execute the design into a reality.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Have no regrets. Everything learned along the way granted me the life I lead today. Both good and hard lessons were all lessons learned.
Pricing:
- Initial monthly design retainer $10,000, then depending on agreed upon hourly scope we bill monthly.
- Hourly Consulting range of $80-$250 per hour.
- Project Management $150-$250 per hour.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ferrugiodesign.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ferrugiodesign/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ferrugiodesign?lang=en
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ferrugio-design-associates-los-angeles-4
Image Credit:
Simon Berlyn
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