Welcome

There's been a lot of anxiety of late about the economy, particularly when it comes to the residential and commercial building sectors. We all hold our breath, scan the headlines and listen to economic pronouncements in an effort to sort things out, to remain positive.

For me personally, it took a phone call from one of my favorite people, Dennis Hopper, to put the current situation into perspective. "There's a lot of bad news out there, but people are still doing good business," Hopper said.

No, Hopper's not an economist (and not the actor, either). Rather, he's the principal of Scottsdale, Arizona–based Hopper Finishes and the second generation in a family stucco and plastering business that dates back to the 1930s. In other words, someone who's weathered his fair share of market peaks and valleys. In our brief conversation, he updated me on his firm's move to new quarters, a penthouse project at the former Barbizon Hotel in New York, a major residential job in Connecticut and a country club in Newport Beach, California.

"When it comes to getting jobs, the harder you work, the luckier you get," philosophized Hopper. Perfectly said, Dennis, and thanks for the call.

Here at Sources+Design, we have been working harder and getting luckier in terms of the projects we'll be sharing with you in the coming months. Publisher Janice Blount and I just returned from WestWeek at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, California, for two days of lectures, panels, showroom receptions, new-product introductions and more. We learned a great deal and met many talented people.

On a personal level, during WestWeek I got to meet one of my design heroes, architectural photographer Julius Shulman, who gave a talk and hosted a booksigning for his new tome, Julius Shulman: Palm Springs (Rizzoli/Palm Springs Art Museum, 2008). He's 97 years young and still working.

In this issue, we're featuring the first of many Southern California subjects, a "Project Walk-Through" of YogaWorks, a serene yoga studio designed by Marmol Radziner and Associates of Los Angeles, a firm known for its Modernist aesthetic. We're also touring three new residential projects that exemplify the softer side of modern living. In the hands of seasoned professionals such as interior designer Claire Ownby and architects John Carney and Stephen Dynia, modern design can be rich, warm and tactile. We're also touring winners of the Arizona Masonry Guild design competition, a program that emphasizes architectural excellence.

Join us also in Denver, as we tour showrooms One Home and Decorative Materials, and in real life at the Rocky Mountain Designers' Market May 6 and 7, which takes place at the Denver Design District. Look for showroom events, new product launches, talks, seminars and networking opportunities. We'll be there.

Nora Trulsson and Julius Shulman at WestWeek. Photograph by Janice Blount