We believe that good design can influence how we live and how we navigate daily life. We also believe that the simple act of paying attention to the nuance of daily life makes us better designers. Along the way, we will document some of that inspiration and share it with you here on BDBL – Better Design Better Living™.

DECEMBER 2014 – BETTER DESIGN BETTER LIVING™

WHAT A YEAR

What an amazing year for Kansas City. It recently received a lot of love from New York Magazine, the KC Royals captured everyones hearts in the MLB Playoffs & World Series and one of our friends (Tad Carpenter) launched a site (Made In The Middle) that captures it all and celebrates KC’s creative community. It’s also been a great year for us and we feel very fortunate to be working on so many dream projects with amazing people and clients. Thank you so much for all the collaboration, support and love. Here are just a few of the most recent things we feel exceptionally proud to be part of…

 
DWELL + NEXT PROGRESSIVES

A couple years ago we started working on a small house with an amazing client. This November Dwell Magazine published an article on that house. Also, in November Architect Magazine featured our studio as the Next Progressives.

 
WORK + PLAY

Last week we were awarded the Best of Year Award in New York City for the Académie Lafayette Playground, a pro-bono project built partially by volunteers. It’s so rewarding to design something built around one of the most important aspects of life – play! Remember to take time to play this holiday and have a great 2015!

FEBRUARY 2014 – BETTER DESIGN BETTER LIVING™

A COLLABORATIVE PLAYGROUND

When Académie Lafayette approached us about designing a playground for their new Kindergarten through 2nd grade campus we saw a huge opportunity to bring together volunteers, utilize crowdfunding, and work with some great companies (Centric ProjectsTAMKO and Zahner) while creating something new and different… A custom playground that encourages imagination and creative group play. Check out the results here, a video on it here and another video here.

 
INTERNATIONAL HOUSEWARES SHOW + KICKSTARTER

Speaking about crowdfunding, Jonathon Kemnitzer and Craighton Berman are teaming up to present Kickstart My Heart – A Motley Approach to Crowdfunding at the International Housewares Show in Chicago. The presentation will include best practices + future opportunities for Kickstarter and probably some music from Mötley Crüe. Check out this awesome blog post about it from IHA.

 
WINTER WHISKEY SOUR

It’s cold out there. If you’re looking to warm yourself up with a cocktail we suggest a Winter Whiskey Sour. 1/2 a squeezed lemon, 2 shots of Dark Horse Distillery* Reserve Bourbon Whiskey, a teaspoon of sugar, a dash or two of bitters in a cocktail shaker. Then shake (not stir) with ice, strain in a glass and enjoy. *they’re a new client

 

MAY 2013 – BETTER DESIGN BETTER LIVING™

BETTER LIVING – PUERTO RICO

We became mutual fans and supporters of EJKEI’s successful Kickstarter project (a documentary about skateboarding in Puerto Rico) when SKATE BENCH No.1 was on Kickstarter at the same time. We couldn’t make their premier, but we did get the chance to meet last month. Even though this was the first time meeting in person we were instant old friends and saw San Juan as it should be… from a local’s perspective. This post isn’t about anything earth shattering, it’s about celebrating new experiences, products and forums that make life better. In this case, thanks Kickstarter!

 
NOT SO NEW, SPRING PLAYLIST

Check out some of the older tunes we’ve been diggin in the studio through our NOT SO NEW, Spring 2013 KEM STUDIO Spotify Playlist.

 
DWELL + OTHER RECOGNITION

We were honored that DWELL recently interviewed us about our work on the Whitehill Residence and published this article about the project. We’re also excited to announce that Jonathon Kemnitzer was awarded the 2013 IDSA Midwest Honors Award for Outstanding Achievement at the regional conference in April.

SEPTEMBER 2012 – BETTER DESIGN BETTER LIVING™

ROYAL

It’s like Christmas in October! Next week is the annual American Royal Barbecue event, now right in the backyard of our new studio. It’s a slice of Americana… a little State Fair, Mardi Gras and BBQ all rolled up into a Kansas City experience that can’t be missed. Come down to the Stockyards District and enjoy the sweet smell of spice, wood and just about every meat that can me smoked. You’re invited to join us at the Burn Rate! tent for some beer and BBQ. Just bring 2 cans of food or a $10 cash donation. All proceeds are donated to Harvesters of Kansas City to help fight local hunger. Giddy up.

 

SCHOOLS IN SESSION

Maybe you heard about Kickstarter changing some of their rules for design projects. If you want to learn more about the changes and get the inside/behind the scenes of launching a successful Kickstarter project, we are giving a presentation for the Kansas City IDSA Chapter at 6:00 on Thursday, October 6th (seating is limited). We will be giving a tour of our new studio and the presentation is below our studio at Amigoni Urban Winery and the first drink is free.

 
SOUP FOR YOU

There are perks to having a talented chef working next to your office. We just heard that Todd Shulte, Chef/Owner of Genessee Royale and Happy Gillis, has launched his latest culinary adventure in partnership with Bill Haw… UNCOMMON STOCK. Todd is back in the soup business, and will be selling old favorites, and some new ones by the quart.

JUNE 2012 – BETTER DESIGN BETTER LIVING™

MOVING UP TO THE BOTTOMS

We were at our space on Main Street for nine awesome years, but we found a new space and neighborhood that fits us perfectly. Our studio is now in the Stockyards District of Kansas City. Some of our neighbors/friends include the Haw ContemporaryGenessee RoyaleLivestock Exchange and Plug Projects. The move gave us the opportunity to design our own space within the renovated Telegram Building that we share with DMH (an Advertising & Marketing firm) and Amigoni Urban Winery. Needless to say, we love being surrounded by great, optimistic, creative people. 

 
DRINK LOCAL

If you haven’t been down to see the new Amigoni Urban Winery space (conveniently located directly below our new office) it’s worth the trip. Their two-story tasting room has become a satellite meeting space for us in the afternoon. You can sample all of their wines, talk to Michael and Kerry about their vineyard, and if you’re not in the mood for wine they have Boulevard Beer on tap as well. Great space, Great people, Great wine… yet another reason to drink local.

 
SPEAKING OF DRINKING

A couple of years ago I saw a cocktail recipe in Tastebud Magazine that has become a tried and true party starter. The best part is it’s simple and to the point (potent). Mix 4 equal parts. One can of frozen limeade concentrate, one can of water, one can of vodka or tequila (I prefer tequila) and one bottle of beer (go with an IPA). Serve over ice and enjoy your party!

APRIL 2011 – BETTER DESIGN BETTER LIVING™

WHY GO TO MoMA…

when you can check it out Google Street style via Google Art Project (a link to a cool behind the scenes video).  This came out a few months ago and it’s pretty interesting.  The digital world continues to amaze, but it’s important that we remember the value of real experiences… there is no substitute to standing underneath Michelangelo’s David.  So shut down your computer and get out there!

 
I’M JEALOUS

This isn’t the first time we’ve mentioned Stones Throw Records.  What can we say, they’re good and they’re celebrating 15 years as only they could… with a series of live performances for 100 people that are recorded, mixed and mastered live and pressed on vinyl.  Mayer Hawthorne is first (all the tickets have been given away and I won’t be there) but keep your eye out for future performances.

 
A NEW REEL

If you’ve been wondering what we’ve been up to lately, here’s a link to our new 2 minutes and 39 second reel.  Enjoy!

MAY 2010 – BETTER DESIGN BETTER LIVING™

FARMERS?

During a recent vacation, I visited a few wineries in Sonoma. Many of them started their spiel in a Taj Mahal-like tasting room saying “as organic farmers we believe in complete sustainability”… organic farmers… sustainability… huh!?! Then we went to Prestons Vineyard where the design of their space, wine, wine labels and attitude completely synchronized with Organic Farming. Remember talk is cheap. If you’re going to make a commitment, make sure you’re all in. Walk the walk don’t just talk the talk.

 
SPRING MIX TAPE

Download our latest MP3 mix tape here. It’s designed for drives with the windows down, enjoying a cocktail on the porch or a good game of boccie. Happy Spring!

 
IT’S ALL YOU

Many of you have been reciprocating by emailing stuff we should check out. We’ve liked them for so many reasons that we decided to end our Better Design Better Living emails with them. So keep sending us the love and they might end up here… Swagger Wagon and Rube Goldberg Machine Music Video.

APRIL 2010 – BETTER DESIGN BETTER LIVING™
THEY’RE BACK

We’ve heard from many of you that you have been missing the Better Living emails and we want you to know we missed them for good reasons…for the second year in a row we taught our Collaborative Workshop at Virginia Tech, we’ve been doing a large research project for a 2011 product launch that has been taking us coast to coast and in between, Brad has been teaching an Architecture Studio at the University of Kansas and our staff grew by 33{c977a281fe87c071d2548944bf9d2ce7e2e88c90ff5bbd0265d31640e2e072f6}. With that and all the other work in the studio, we’ve been quite busy. But just like we’re excited for spring, we’re excited to pick these emails back up. Enjoy!

 
THE FUN THEORY

In previous emails, we’ve mentioned how simple ideas can have a strong impact. Along those lines, watch this quick video on how a fun & simple idea can change peoples behavior.

 
2010 VIRGINIA TECH COLLABORATIVE WORKSHOP

Check out what happens when you get 25 students coming from Architecture, Industrial Design, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture and Visual Communication in one room, for ten days, working on 3 different group projects… Strong dialog, some hair pulling, a better understanding of collaboration and a lot of amazing work!

DECEMBER 2009 – BETTER DESIGN BETTER LIVING™
FOOD> ART> SENSE OF PLACE, PART 2

The same article in the KC Star that reminded us of our favorite place to eat also connected us to an artist that made us contemplate the idea of “Place”. As architects and designers we often talk about Place being bricks and mortar, long lasting and concrete. Outstanding in the Field founder Jim Denevan’s art provides an example of how Place can be extremely powerful and temporary. He creates massively scaled, totally compelling, freehand drawings in the sand using primitive tools like a rake or piece of driftwood that last only as long as the ocean’s tide takes to change. Experience and memory are as equally powerful as the Place itself. This is why we strive to design for the human experience in our projects. And if that results in a building or product, awesome.

 
GOODBYE NAUGHTY BUT NICE

We really love the neighborhood our studio is in… it’s eclectic, urban and has a lot of character. You may notice the next time you visit us that it has a little less character, but in this case it’s a good thing. Naughty But Nice, the one story building to the north of ours was demolished recently during the course of a day. We caught it on video and reduced it to 1 minute and 17 seconds. Enjoy!

 
YARD LIGHTS NO. 1

Whether you put up holiday lights or not we came up with a quick and cool solution to make that tradition a little more whimsical… and cool enough that they can have a second life enhancing a summer evening party in your back yard.

SEPTEMBER 2009 – BETTER DESIGN BETTER LIVING™

FOOD> ART> SENSE OF PLACE, PART 1

A recent article in the Kansas City Star Magazine got us thinking about, Justus Drugstore. Chef Jonathan Justus only serves food that comes from a stones throw away, is super high quality and simply prepared. But that’s not really the thing that is most memorable. It’s the “story” that Justus personally shares with all the diners. By making it personal, you get the passion he has for what he does and you want to be a part of it… I know i do.

 
DANCING ON GLASS

Where should a performance be performed? Quixotic Performance Ensemble says anywhere. In fact their latest performance included live original music, video projections (short amazing video), and dance performances IN FRONT and ON the actual buildings of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. It is an amazing group and event that we are proud to be a part of (Jon Taylor is Quixotic’s Board President). Check out these additional photos and remember to think differently like Quixotic did with this performance!

 
MAYBE SO, MAYBE NO

Mayer Hawthorne met Peanut Butter Wolf at a party through a mutual friend, gave him a two song demo and never expected to hear from him again. But Peanut Butter Wolf was blown away, immediately signed him and released those two tracks on a translucent red heart shaped 45. Mayer Hawthorne recently released his amazing first full length album, A Strange Arrangement which has been getting a ton of press. Here’s a toast to those who put themselves out there and for those who believe in them… Maybe So!

APRIL 2009 – BETTER DESIGN BETTER LIVING™

PERSONAL CONNECTIONS

When you purchase a carton of eggs from Campo Lindo Farms (a local free range farm) at the grocery you always get a personal connection to the family, their farm and the hens… “ladies”. It’s quite smart how they’ve created that connection. Through a small piece of paper placed in each carton they let you know if the “ladies” have been enjoying the warmer weather, if a new calf was born or if their kids have been helping out around the farm. It’s undeniable how much a sustainable, caring and honest message can improve our lives. In this case it even makes the product taste better.

 
EAT BETTER

Next time you are in Portland, Oregon make sure you take time to visit Pok Pok. This restaurant started out as a street cart after the owner honed his technique on the streets of Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. Fast forward two years and his cart has become a cool restaurant in an eclectic part of town and was awarded restaurant of the year in Oregon.

 
DREAM BIG

Never stop thinking differently & dreaming BIG. A QUICK VIDEO

 

MARCH 2009 – BETTER DESIGN BETTER LIVING™

GOOD TUNES

Lately we’ve been listening to a couple of great free podcasts. First is Freddy Anzures (a friend from the design world). Second is STONES THROW RECORDS, especially their Hawthorne Radio podcast. Also, Daptone Records released a really good, toe tapping, free compilation including Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings – check it out.

 
EAT BETTER

The IDSA Board met in Las Vegas for the transition meeting at the end of January. While there Jonathon Kemnitzer got away for a quick breakfast at BOUCHON, Thomas Keller’s restaurant. Whether it’s food, a product or a building, it’s always a great experience when somebody can take something so simple and make it so amazing. In this case it was white sausage, scrambled eggs and a croissant.

 
THINK. PLAY

Right now our lives are pretty complex, but remember to play like Kevin Carroll. A QUICK VIDEO