Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Name: Megan McGuinn & Brandt Hewitt (@medium__small)
Hometown:
Asheville, NC (Megan)
Ojai, CA (Brandt)
Studio Location: San Francisco, CA
Describe what you make: We design and make furniture and lighting, focusing on high-quality, small-batch production in our San Francisco workshop. Our collections are all made-to-order and semi-customizable. We primarily work in hardwood and aluminum, but love to experiment with other materials.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: The design process for our Colossal collection restructured our approach to product development. As former architects, we both have a tendency to agonize over every detail before fabrication begins. On Colossal, we took a step back and leaned into a more conceptual skillset—diagramming. We established a set of parameters from the initial sketch, working to quickly produce a prototype. With a focus on materiality and the logic of the build, it was rewarding to just trust our experience and move forward with a more direct approach.
Describe the problem your work solves: There is a long legacy of architects as furniture designers, and our background brings a kinetic, systems-based approach to the process. We understand connections, joints, material relationships, and how things are made. We live in a world where furniture is either cheaply built for the now-now-now, or elevated to the level of sculpture with an unattainable pricetag. We operate in the in-between, producing high-quality furniture using a combination of hand-craft and digital tooling. We share the process to connect people to the objects they interact with everyday. Our approach to design is integrated into our everyday lives, and we hope to inspire comprehensive, critical thinking about the built environment.
Share the project you are working on now: We recently released three new products—Metal Moto, Morphed, and Umlauf. As part of the launch (and because it was just time), we rebuilt our website and gave everything a good refresh. Medium Small was always intended as a flexible vessel big enough for all the things we do. As we move into a more product-based model, it’s interesting to watch it evolve.
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: We have several new things in the works! We are working on a new lighting collection that expands our material palette to incorporate cast glass. We’ll be adding an infusion of color with an adaptable new table collection. Over the past couple of years, we’ve been working on a number of collaborations with a friend that is resulting in the formation of a new business entity.
What you absolutely have to have in your studio: Order. We have a compact shop space, and keeping things organized is the only way it works. We both have pretty eclectic musical tastes, so we’re always tuned in to NTS Radio. A well-stocked snack drawer is critical for maintaining shop morale.
What you do when you’re not working: Together, we love biking to the beach, digging for records, and playing pool. People are often curious about how we balance living and working together, and we think it comes down to giving each other space for our individual interests.
Megan: Spending time at my bench (I’m also a jeweler), watercoloring, and haunting my local library
Brandt: Grilling, golf, Giants baseball games, and following the English Premier League
Sources of creative envy (dead or alive): We both try to be inspired rather than envious—comparison is the thief of joy, and all that. Of course we idolize the GOATs, Charles and Ray Eames, for their long, varied and prolific careers.
The distraction you want to eliminate: Social media
Concrete or marble? Concrete
High-Rise Or Townhouse? Townhouse
Remember Or Forget? Remember
Aliens Or Ghosts? Yes
Dark Or Light? Light and shadow
