Field Trip to Tastemaker Eddie Ross' Studio!
How much do I love Eddie Ross & what can we learn from him? Let me count the ways! You will be richer for knowing him & his creative, entrepreneurial spirit, which has given me a real jolt of inspiration.
I recently got the chance to visit with Eddie in his INCREDIBLE new studio space, Maximalist Studios, in Yorkville PA. He was just as gracious in “real life” as he seems in the pages of House Beautiful (where he is a contributing editor).
His sprawling studio space comprises multi-functional space for events, both personal (note: weddings hosted here!), corporate (major national shoots for brands held weekly) or cool events in between ie; off-site meetings for creative teams, complete with private chef that caters to your every need (did I mention Eddie worked for Martha Stewart & went to culinary school? The guy’s a triple threat of lifestyle arts - DIYer, stylist & foodie all in one!)
My first lesson from Eddie was his incredible resourcefulness. Although he is at the top of the food chain of design, he is (like me) a thrift shopper. To wit, the gi-normous slab of let’s say 5+” thick white marble on his HUGE kitchen island was picked up for a song at salvage. The statement-making pendant lights? IKEA. Stock cabinets were dressed up with beautiful hardware from Addison Weeks, giving the whole space an added polish.
2.) My second lesson was that accessories are the real secret weapon for many of the images we drool over in magazines. I was already a little weak in the knees just seeing Eddie in action at the studio, but a peek into his 2,000+ square foot storage room cum prop house pushed me over the top!! Racks and racks of floor to ceiling accessories, all categorized by theme and color and purpose….
Note to self: organize my own accessories better so that I can find what I want when I want - i.e; I found several boxes of extra holiday decorations well after Christmas. Not so useful in January:(
I mean look how much the accessories set the mood here - brass & marble, geometric accents…he is a mix master! If you haven’t read his book, btw, you should: I have a bajillion decorating books but Eddie Ross Modern Mix really does train your eye & give you very practical tips….
3.) Third thing I learned was the importance of editing a space for maximum impact. Maximalist Studios is like a laboratory of interior vignettes — note in photos below how carefully chosen each color scheme or set of textures is…from a New England-y palette in the kitchen, to the richer black/white tableau below in the “living room” area.
Although Eddie is a self-declared maximalist, he is very disciplined & intentional when using color/form/texture to create a desired mood.
4.) Next lesson was perhaps my favorite — and that is to have some fun & dress up even what you might think of as “unlovable” parts of your space, i.e; in Eddie’s studio, the industrial freight elevator. Look at how he turned this into a mini-room, with sisal carpet & chairs…a place for a mini-cocktail party!:)
5.) Last but not least, give your displays some real love & attention & they will love you back. How many times do I walk past my bookcases or a table & think I’ll zhush it up later?? Do it now! It gives a space a feeling of instant completeness.
6.) OK, I lied - the REAL last lesson is to continue to push the boundaries of your lifestyle & career. Eddie Ross was a NYC tastemaker with full book of business there, but falling in love with a house (you call follow it on Insta — #Edgewood Hall) in bucolic Pennsylvania led him and his partner Jaithan Kochar to relocate to the Philadelphia area and launch the amazing concept of Maximalist Studios. His entrepreneurial spirit is strong & he’s trailblazing way for a lot of reinvention & growth in that area, which I hope to be able to help him with along the way.
Bravo, Eddie, & thank you for having me - I’m very inspired!!
Cheers,
Lee