Shant Madjarian is the founder of Juniper, a design firm based in Brooklyn, NY since 2011. Shant instilled his company with the ethos that good design is essential and has the power to change people’s lives. Juniper offer thoughtful solutions in furniture and lighting, each of which has been designed to address the way that people live. Their designs have also received a number of awards from Home & Gardens, Core 77 and Interior Design Magazine. So we are proud to bring you the Designer Insights of Shant Madjarian.
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1) In your own words describe your unique style and creative aesthetic?
I gravitate to objects and spaces that attempt to explore the origins of our collective existence. In other words, ones that touch us emotionally due to an, often subconscious, understanding of who we are and where we come from.
2) When starting a new project, what is your creative process?
There is more than one “process” for sure. There are great new design ideas lurking behind every place and object. Inspiration has never been hard to find. So once I start to feel really excited about an idea that I think is relevant emotionally and functionally to the way we live today, then I’ll put a brief together and start pitching it to people (designers) I think can help better define it.
3) Out of the creative people you have worked with, who is it that you respect and admire the most?
I now work with a lot of creative people on a daily basis. Still, I keep going back to the explosive creativity and unique visions of UK-based David Irwin and Seattle-based Peter Bristol. Their work is on another level entirely. You just know something important is happening here.
4) When looking for inspiration is there a particular thing you do to get inspired?
Like I mentioned, inspiration has never been hard for me to find – books, magazines, walking in the street, theater. My bigger problem is managing it, so that I can actually get work done. If not, then none of these ideas will ever come to life.
5) What has brought you to this point in your career? And what is your advice for people looking to follow in your footsteps?
I think about this a lot. I was an investment banker for 12 years prior to launching Juniper. Like many, I was drawn to the field by the promise of creative bounty. My advice for people looking to launch a business in design is to be prepared to take some big risks. Ideas are easy to come by. Execution is the real challenge.
