KLP: I like to say that journalism is in my blood. We’ve got lots of journalists in the family, so I figure it is my birthright to put words down on a page. I caught the editorial bug while writing my book and there was no going back. I started Standard a couple of years later and adored being the Editorial Director… since we closed in 2013 I’ve just been missing that kind of work so much! So when the opportunity came to be the Editorial Director of Trove Market—how could I resist?
When I lived in LA, there were lots of opportunities for on-camera designing and now for Trove we produce videos that are similar to that (but much faster!). I love designing with the challenge of cameras rolling.
I wear a lot of hats—designer, writer, editor, producer. In the same day I can be both on camera and behind the scenes. But somehow it all comes together to form a fairly seamless career and I’m really grateful for that.
JJ: These days it seems as if everyone has a book out! When you published your book, écologique back in 2008 did the market feel as saturated with design books as it does now? What was the process of putting the book together like?
KLP: There weren’t as many design books—and certainly not as many about sustainable design! I truly felt like there was a need for a book like écologique because there were many misconceptions about green design, at the time.
KLP: I’ve always loved vintage and I still do! I believe the greenest (and often, the most stylish!) thing you can do is to use something that is already existing. There’s no new environmental footprint—and that’s pretty fantastic!
Mid century chairs available on Trove
JJ: Your career path has been an inspiration to watch. Can you tell us more about your current venture with Trove?
KLP: Thank you! Like everyone, I’ve had my ups and downs and, truthfully, I was a little lost after closing Standard a couple of years ago. It took me some time to find my way to something that was a perfect fit. It was the first time I hadn’t just catapulted from one adventure to the next and I was incredibly frustrated by that.
Trove and I found each other organically, through mutual friends, and one thing lead to another. I was Guest Editor for a couple of months and then was offered the opportunity to stay on as Editorial Director, which just felt right to all of us. I deeply identify with our mission of helping people connect to vintage and other unique pieces that are local to them. There are so many cool technological bells and whistles that we make use of at Trove that encourage the local shopping experience—that means a lot to me because shipping has such a huge impact on the planet.
JJ: Since minimalism is the current topic on the Trove blog can you share with us what minimalism means to you and possibly a favorite minimalist space?
KLP: I’m definitely a less-is-more kind of person. I’ve always under-consumed and thought a lot about what I buy and what role it will play in my life. I want the pieces I own to bring me joy, every day—that’s a tall order and it sort of makes me a minimalist by default, although my personal taste is a bit more eclectic what one typically thinks of when they think of minimalism.
A designer who does a fantastic job of capturing my aesthetic is Lukas Machnik, who won American Dream Builders with his beach house design. It was a controversial win—his look definitely pushes the envelope and not everyone can envision themselves living in a space like that. But, to me, it was so spot on! He layered textures and merged styles to create an eclectic space but also kept everything relatively monochromatic, which gave the overall design a more minimal aesthetic.
