Mick De Giulio, owner of de Giulio Kitchen Design in Chicago, recently answered a few questions for 'Talking Shop', a recurring feature at KBCULTURE.
As a designer, my greatest responsibility is...
The principal responsibility of a designer is to always be thoughtful. Each design challenge presents an opportunity to improve people's surroundings and enhance their lives. This means going beyond the obvious or what may be asked for initially. We also have the responsibility to give our clients the very best of our efforts each and every time.
One of my creative touchstones is...
Finding the right combinations. I like to think that I am not afraid to put things together in unique ways; for me, that means mixing a lot of ideas, materials or vocabularies which can be harmonious or not. When ideas or materials are mixed, there is an exponential increase of the possibilities.
A current project I am exploring is...
I am working on a book about kitchen design.
If I had a week off from the studio, I would...
Just being with my family is the first thing that comes to mind. Sometimes just doing nothing helps regenerate the creative spirit; other times, it might be better to get away to a different environment to help unwind and see things in a different, more relaxed way.