An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Spend at least ten minutes a day in the sunshine. It’s easy to forget to take care of the basics, and we forget that like plants, sun and water are essential for our wellbeing. I love this advice because it’s a good reminder that caring for yourself involves going back to basics, and our basic needs are tied into nature.
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sarah Barnard.
Sarah Barnard, WELL AP + LEED AP, is a leading designer of personalized, sustainable spaces that support mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing. An advocate for consciousness, inclusivity, and compassion in the creative process, Sarah’s work has been recognized by Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Vogue, HGTV, and many other publications. In 2017 Sarah was recognized as a “Ones to Watch” Scholar by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
I have always been interested in architecture, textiles, and nature. My design practice is founded on an appreciation of precious spaces, both natural and built, and a desire to preserve and protect them. Working as an interior designer exposed me to a wide range of design materials and the importance of designing with the environment and wellbeing of the resident in mind. Creating custom textiles, wall coverings, area rugs, lighting, and furnishings to meet my clients’ ethical and aesthetic standards has always been a part of my practice. I founded Kale Tree to make these specialized, healthy home products more accessible. Our online shop shares our California nature-inspired home aesthetic with the world.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
My goal is to make lifestyle products by considering environmental and personal wellbeing at every stage, which requires more methodical production methods, and sustainable sourcing rarely seen in manufacturing. We live in a fast-paced world with high expectations for speedy results. While it can be convenient and rewarding to acquire something you desire quickly, the processes behind the pacing we’ve become accustomed to are rarely sustainable. Good things take care, and care takes time. Many of us are interested in knowing how our food got to our tables but are quick to overlook how materials made their way into our homes. We work with local artisans and sustainable methods to create products from materials considerate of home health. We also look to nature for inspiration, using Biophilic design practices to foster wellbeing and beauty in the home.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I enjoy baking and was inspired by elevated chef-made biscuits to perfect a biscuit of my own. In my early trials, despite my best attempts, I wasn’t achieving that flakey fluffy texture that makes biscuits so wonderful. I consulted recipes from several sources with varying techniques. I repeatedly diced butter into pea-sized bits, folding it gently into the flour, each time blending beyond the shaggy texture I desired. It wasn’t until a friend advised me to freeze the butter, grate it into curls, and freeze it again that the mystery was solved, and my biscuits forever improved!
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
Phyllis Birkby was an architect and feminist activist in the 1970s. Her work and activism overlapped as she fought against gender biases and stereotypes and explored a feminist theory called “women’s environmental fantasies,” which encouraged women in the US and Europe to “define their ideal living environment by abandoning all constraints and preconceptions.” She is credited with being a trailblazer in the architectural sphere and feminist movement and bringing attention to LGBTQ+ artists, architects, and interior designers while the country was going through a cultural shift towards liberation and acceptance of all people in every industry. As a designer, her integration of social activism into her design practice is a source of inspiration.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
Disruption, while often valuable and necessary, can sometimes create unexpected consequences. Revolutionary shifts in production brought quick product turnaround and streamlined manufacturing, disrupting industry standards at the time and increasing consumer convenience. Demand for comfort and the pressures to meet that demand have only grown with time. While this may feel positive for the consumer, it often is accompanied by a decrease in high-quality products and fewer supportive workplace environments and may be harmful to environmental wellbeing. Disruption may cause more harm than good when the big picture is ignored. Disruption can become positive when it pushes against practices that have become habitual and offers new perspectives and methods to shift thinking and processes.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
Spend at least ten minutes a day in the sunshine. It’s easy to forget to take care of the basics, and we forget that like plants, sun and water are essential for our wellbeing. I love this advice because it’s a good reminder that caring for yourself involves going back to basics, and our basic needs are tied into nature.
Intake is as important as output. There is a time to bloom and a time to nourish ourselves. Many of us experience pressure to constantly produce and neglect the time needed to seek comfort, explore curiosities, and find inspiration. It’s as important to spend time to absorb information from our experiences and surroundings and to take in art and nature as it is to be creating something new.
The process is the point. I consider this to be good life and design advice. It’s easy to forget that the “end” product in design is often the start of its life, whether a freshly designed room or a newly upholstered sofa. In the early stages of designing, considering the function and lifespan of an item can help make thoughtful decisions in terms of an item’s emotional and environmental impact. It also offers an opportunity to ask questions and take stock of our current habits and choices. Thoughtful design can be a profoundly mindful and inquisitive experience towards change and discovery. Taking time to embrace each stage of the process is essential for creating something extraordinary and lasting.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
I specialize in highly customized spaces in my design work and creating bespoke items best suited to my clients. I love the experience of working closely with clients to create personalized spaces and decor, and my goal with Kale Tree was to make these items more accessible. While our products are available as shown, we also offer the opportunity to work with us to customize any of our products to fit a client’s specific space. It’s particularly exciting to be able to work with other designers and architects to assist in providing products and materials for residential, hospitality, and commercial design projects.
I’m looking forward to the next stages of our store and expanding our offerings, whether that’s new applications for our biophilic textiles or an expansion of our California flora and fauna inspired home decor.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
Part of any movement towards true disruption involves uplifting often overlooked voices. It can be challenging to find community and essential to seek and create opportunities for connectivity. I feel fortunate to have had the chance as an ASID Ones to Watch scholar to connect with women in my industry and push towards a more supportive design community. As the ASID website notes, “the Society prioritizes participants whose backgrounds are currently under-represented in management roles within the interior design industry, including women, members of racial and ethnic minority groups, LGBTQ, and persons with disabilities.” Finding and creating new opportunities for support and connection is crucial for any change to happen.
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
I’m deeply inspired “What is Cosmopolitical Design?: Design, Nature, and the Built Environment” edited by Albena Yaneva. Cosmopolitical design asks us to consider our role as a component of a larger environmental system. The book encourages me to consider the bigger picture at every stage of the design process.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would love to see a shift in value towards the natural home, emphasizing home health and environmental impact. I see Kale Tree as a step towards that, with designs that inspire a love of nature and promote wellbeing while considering the environmental impact of production. I hope for an increased demand for natural products and a public embrace of healthy, organic materials, shifting towards slower, more thoughtful production that considers world impact.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
There is a quote by naturalist Lorrie Otto, “If we care about the Earth we could heal it by removing lawns, by finding alternatives to lawns. You can do wonderful things on your own property to protect the environment. Each little island, each corridor will help bring back the butterflies and birds.” It’s a good reminder that even small changes can make a big impact. By focusing on our little corners of the world and making positive shifts considerate of the environment, we can move towards a more prosperous future for ourselves and our planet.
How can our readers follow you online?
You can visit my online store at www.kaletree.com, or follow us on instagram at @kaletreeshop. My interior design work can be found at www.sarahbarnard.com
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
Female Disruptors: Sarah Barnard On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.