{"id":4212,"date":"2024-08-23T20:07:37","date_gmt":"2024-08-23T20:07:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mymind.com\/?p=4212"},"modified":"2024-09-03T16:14:13","modified_gmt":"2024-09-03T16:14:13","slug":"into-the-mind-of-furniture-designer-justin-donnelly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mymind.com\/into-the-mind-of-furniture-designer-justin-donnelly","title":{"rendered":"Into the mind of furniture designer Justin Donnelly"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video interviewee-picture\"><video autoplay controls loop muted src=\"https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/frame1-1.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Justin Donnelly is the co-founder and furniture designer behind <a href=\"https:\/\/jumbo.nyc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jumbo<\/a>, an NYC-based design practice creating joyful, whimsical pieces you've likely stumbled upon online. With soft edges and thick forms, the furniture appeals to your inner child \u2013 you want to touch it, climb it, maybe even gnaw on it. We're big fans of Jumbo's approach to design, so we had to ask Donnelly what's been on his mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-custom_5dzmfzg0c\">What\u2019s the best compliment you received recently?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m a clothes horse, and I like it when people notice. In fact, I\u2019m so particular about my clothes that I order most of them from Japan, via a third party shipping company called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldshopping.global\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WorldShipping<\/a>. There is no exchanging the clothes if they don\u2019t fit, so it\u2019s a commitment. In return for this leap of faith, I have some very unique cuts and materials, and the piecework\/sewing is unmatched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-custom_ax59j2p7m\">Click the + button in your browser to save a website to your mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-custom_5dzmfzg0c\">What\u2019s the last thing you read?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For my birthday this year, our studiomate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kickiechudikova.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kickie<\/a> gave me a book <a href=\"https:\/\/www.diewithzerobook.com\/welcome\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Die with Zero<\/a> by billionaire energy trader, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bill_Perkins_(businessman)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bill Perkins<\/a>.&nbsp; The book outlines a framework for maximizing net fulfillment over net worth.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In childhood, I framed my life around curation of vintage clothes and objects rather than buying new stuff. As a result, I learned to save what I earned. Over time, it became more and more difficult for me to spend money. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Die with Zero is essentially a philosophy to spend down what you have saved, and for me, it has been very beneficial.&nbsp; In addition to loosening up about my material purchases, I\u2019ve begun to reframe my life around prioritizing experiences over achievements. This philosophy has helped me to turn down projects that aren\u2019t emotionally rewarding, and take on projects that aren\u2019t lucrative. I feel richer for the read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-custom_5dzmfzg0c\">What do you want to read next?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every week, it\u2019s the next issue of the New Yorker. I\u2019m a bit of an obsessive, so I tend to dive deep into a specific topic or genre (I\u2019m engrossed with what is happening with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2023\/08\/28\/climate\/groundwater-drying-climate-change.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">groundwater and water rights<\/a> and so should you). The NYer helps to curb these obsessions by exposing me to a broad range of subject matter that I might not seek out on my own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I subscribed to the magazine before I moved to New York, and the publication takes on another dimension when you live here \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newyorker.com\/goings-on\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Goings On?<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newyorker.com\/goings-on\">Tables for Two? <\/a>The NYer has so many great recommendations for what to see, do and eat in New York City. I try to read every issue cover-to-cover, which is ambitious, but I come close. And then I recycle them, so they don\u2019t take up valuable space in my apartment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-custom_ax59j2p7m\">To find articles you've saved later, search the publication or any keyword you remember. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-custom_5dzmfzg0c\">A quote that\u2019s meaningful to you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I recently came across a quote in a New Yorker article about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newyorker.com\/magazine\/2023\/03\/27\/balenciagas-button-pusher\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Demna\u2019s work at Balenciaga:<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center is-style-custom_2ckfb3b91\">\u201cThere is no excellent beauty, that hath not some strangeness in the proportion.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-custom_ax59j2p7m\">Highlight the text, quotation marks included, to save this to your mind as a quote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The quote was attributed to Francis Bacon.&nbsp; I assumed, incorrectly, that it was penned by the 20th century, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Francis_Bacon_(artist)\">Irish-British figurative painter<\/a> known for his raw, unsettling imagery. Turns out that it goes back further \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Francis_Bacon\">to the 16th Century philosopher and statesman<\/a>, known as the father of empiricism.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s as true today as it was 400 years ago. Our fundamental appreciation of the natural world has not changed much in spite of all of our material and technological advances.&nbsp; Now that we have access to many centuries of art and design from different cultures and places, it has become more difficult to achieve an object that feels fresh or different. In our design practice, we use exaggerated proportions in an attempt to elicit surprise or delight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-custom_5dzmfzg0c\">Best gift you\u2019ve ever given?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A trip to somewhere new. There is no better gift than planning a trip for someone you care about. It doesn\u2019t necessarily have to be a long or expensive, it\u2019s the thought that counts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-custom_5dzmfzg0c\">Where do you want to travel next?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Maze in Canyonlands National Park is one of the most beautiful places in America and it is one of the most remote.&nbsp; I used to not talk about it, for fear that it would be overrun by adventure-seekers.&nbsp;But now that the Colorado River is experiencing historic lows due to drought and overuse, I'm not particularly concerned about the secret getting out.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, you have to really want it to visit.\u00a0 The best way to get there is by chartered fan-boat up the river, followed by a \u00bc mile vertical ascent up the face of a cliff, and a \u00bc mile vertical descent into the basin of a many-fingered slot-canyon.\u00a0 Once you have arrived at the canyon\u2019s floor, an evening breeze makes a whooshing sound that is otherworldly.\u00a0 It is untouched by modern man.\u00a0 And it\u2019s the only place I\u2019ve been in America where I did not see another human being for the entire duration of my weeklong trip.\u00a0No selfie sticks. No garbage. It is a place that was sacred to native peoples, for reasons that I won\u2019t get into, and I still get chills thinking about my last trip there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-custom_5dzmfzg0c\">What would you buy, if money weren\u2019t an issue?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think that private property is a crime. But yeah. I\u2019d buy a nice piece of land and build a house with a pool and collaborate with a landscape architect to make it look like the house has existed for a century or more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-custom_5dzmfzg0c\">What hobby would you take up, if you had the time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tennis.&nbsp;I would learn to play tennis. I just love everything about it.&nbsp;My design partner Monling calls all ball sports \u201csports-ball.\u201d&nbsp; But even she can\u2019t deny the aesthetic allure of tennis.&nbsp; We have even themed some furniture design projects around the sport.&nbsp; And for me as a New Yorker, attending the US Open each fall is a must.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ntc.usta.com\/\">Billie Jean King National Tennis Center<\/a> is like a microcosm of the City, which often acts like an exclusive nightclub; there is a grim approach to the complex where you are hemmed-in by thousands of other attendees queueing on a rickety pedestrian bridge over what looks like a graveyard for MTA subway cars. Or you can approach from Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, away from the sweating crowd, with the shadow of Gilmore Clarke\u2019s Unisphere at your back, knowing that you are a New Yorker in the know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-custom_5dzmfzg0c\">What\u2019s an image or piece of art you can\u2019t get out of your head?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few years ago, I corresponded briefly with the English painter <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/isywod\/?hl=en\">Issy Woo<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/isywod\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">d<\/a>. I discovered her via <a href=\"https:\/\/jackself.com\/archive\/review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Real Review magazine<\/a>, and thought she had the funniest and most charming essay. Her early works feature tightly cropped coats and jackets made from nylon and leather. And I love the way she lays down paint. For me, it is a perfect combination of subject matter and technique. We discussed exchanging a Neotenic Chair for a small painting, but the conversation ended prematurely, and now I\u2019m not sure we could afford her work today (hiiii Issy!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"731\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/CI-IW-0243-300-731x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4220\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/CI-IW-0243-300-731x1024.jpg 731w, https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/CI-IW-0243-300-214x300.jpg 214w, https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/CI-IW-0243-300-768x1076.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/CI-IW-0243-300-1096x1536.jpg 1096w, https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/CI-IW-0243-300-1461x2048.jpg 1461w, https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/CI-IW-0243-300.jpg 1855w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 731px) 100vw, 731px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"729\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/issy-wood-the-butter-5N6TS-729x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4221\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/issy-wood-the-butter-5N6TS-729x1024.jpeg 729w, https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/issy-wood-the-butter-5N6TS-214x300.jpeg 214w, https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/issy-wood-the-butter-5N6TS-768x1079.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/issy-wood-the-butter-5N6TS-1093x1536.jpeg 1093w, https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/issy-wood-the-butter-5N6TS-1458x2048.jpeg 1458w, https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/issy-wood-the-butter-5N6TS.jpeg 1487w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 729px) 100vw, 729px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-custom_ax59j2p7m\">Right click an image to save it to your mind, or long press and share it to the mymind app on mobile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-custom_5dzmfzg0c\">A product of any kind you\u2019ve been appreciating lately?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is almost an impossible question for a furniture designer.&nbsp; There are so very many products that I appreciate.&nbsp; Curveball\u2014I\u2019ll start with a trash can. I love the lidded bin by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=Perigot+for+Rossignol&amp;rlz=1C1VDKB_enUS1057US1058&amp;oq=Perigot+for+Rossignol&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBggAEEUYOzIGCAAQRRg7MggIARAAGBYYHjIICAIQABgWGB4yDQgDEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgEEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgFEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyCggGEAAYgAQYogQyCggHEAAYgAQYogQyCggIEAAYgAQYogQyCggJEAAYgAQYogTSAQgyNjMzajBqNKgCALACAA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8#vhid=hn_QQdHLYQzn-M&amp;vssid=l\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Perigot for Rossignol<\/a>, the ski manufacturer\u2014it\u2019s precise engineering and fun colors, and it has a luxe mechanical operation. It\u2019s unfortunately no longer made, so good luck hunting them down.&nbsp; Every day, I eat from what I consider rather-neutral tableware by the Bouroullecs for Alessi. Silverware is one of the few things in the house I don\u2019t want to be overdesigned. This particular design, <a href=\"https:\/\/alessi.com\/collections\/ronan-erwan-bouroullec?srsltid=AfmBOooR3_tg76GiyceFhNuMxEBNwuzmq_zMWFYJxORJDpQyAm_GNQN-\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ovale<\/a>, has slightly nicer proportions than Jasper Morrison\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/us.alessi.com\/products\/knifeforkspoon-cutlery-set-24-pieces?variant=34003820806284&amp;tw_source=google&amp;tw_adid=&amp;tw_campaign=19868775056&amp;tw_source=google&amp;tw_adid=&amp;tw_campaign=19868775056&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjw2ou2BhCCARIsANAwM2HzNRLbey8Bv4DYPx6TtrofCLqVpqNEvhvcZCl6PgQQt37OVBxcZkgaAi1rEALw_wcB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">KnifeForkSpoon.<\/a> But if I was in the market for a new set, I would go with <a href=\"https:\/\/hivemodern.com\/pages\/product12574\/itsumo-flatware-naoto-fukasawa-alessi?gad_source=1&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjw2ou2BhCCARIsANAwM2FIs2rOf0sSUHpAjcSELQLZfvlo36EhYWzA3EjokF7i6ftf7BYBrAcaAhZeEALw_wcB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Naoto Fukasawa Itsumo Flatware<\/a>, because it is a little bit softer and rounder. It\u2019s a bit cuter. And I love anything designed by <a href=\"https:\/\/aldobakker.com\/work\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Aldo Bakker<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-custom_ax59j2p7m\">To find a product later in your mind, search \"products\" or any keyword you remember. \u2028<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-custom_5dzmfzg0c\">The funniest thing you\u2019ve seen or heard lately?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I followed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/shittynewyorkercartooncaptions\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">@shittynewyorkercartooncaptions<\/a> on IG for over a year before I discovered that one-half of the submissions are penned by an old friend. It\u2019s male. It\u2019s juvenile. It\u2019s ridiculous. I think they might have discontinued the feed earlier this summer? If you are reading Matt, I\u2019m hoping you just took a holiday for the summer.\u2028<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-custom_ax59j2p7m\">With the mymind browser extension installed, enable Instagram integration. Then hover over an Instagram post and click the +Save button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-custom_5dzmfzg0c\">If you could build an extension of your own mind, what would it look like? How would it work?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My mind? An internet browser with too many damn tabs open. \u2698<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Justin Donnelly is the co-founder and furniture designer behind Jumbo, an NYC-based design practice creating joyful, whimsical pieces you&#8217;ve likely stumbled upon online. With soft edges and thick forms, the furniture appeals to your inner child \u2013 you want to touch it, climb it, maybe even gnaw on it. We&#8217;re big fans of Jumbo&#8217;s approach [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4225,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[10],"class_list":["post-4212","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-thoughts","tag-interviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4212","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4212"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4212\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4263,"href":"https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4212\/revisions\/4263"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4225"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4212"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4212"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mymind.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4212"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}