A3 thoughts Blog

After many years in business – it can’t be 40! – our team has gained a certain notoriety for the type of work that we do. Commonly coined as green or sustainable, it seems that this phrase is so overused these days that I’m hesitant to use it at all when discussing who we are and what we do. Instead, I respond by placing more emphasis on beauty, nurturance, healthy and responsible – words that embrace a more holistic style.  These better describe our approach, directly address why some are drawn to us, and are absolutely what turns our cranks.

A student of dance for years, I often compare the discipline of design to the discipline of movement. Dance consumed my days and nights through my teens and into my early twenties. Similar words had the same impact and motivated my work then as now – the personification of grace and beauty; how it nurtures the soul and spirit, bringing health to dancer and onlooker. I felt a great responsibility to be a strong and clear conduit then, as I do today in communicating about the design of interiors, watching our team crafting spaces that hum with life, soothing and supporting wellbeing on every level. That speaks to me far more than the term green design.

And that brings up the question of what next?  So…..what’s next?

We’re always looking for the next door to open, anticipating the next brilliant design idea to be what lies beyond. As we explore new paths, we know they are taking us way past green and require that we embrace our role as design leaders more fully and without hesitation. With every interaction, we peel back the layers of our craft like the proverbial onion, we see how to make our services more meaningful and of even greater value to others.

Collaboration is definitely next. A lot more of it. Drawing others in and forming deeper creative relationships that allow room for the incubation of dreams and for exceptional design ideas to emerge and develop. We see this platform as one of the ways to make this happen!

And let’s not forget bravery, that’s definitely required too. Maybe each of us are bold explorers of this new domain, willing to step out, to speak up, and to search, stretch and share what inspires us while strengthening our connection and deepening respect for our planet.

We seek to thrive and flourish, very much like the spaces we create, and to do so with gratefulness in our hearts, with a smile and a skip in our step. We look forward to enjoying whatever lies ahead, for what it teaches us and the wisdom it reveals. Brings to mind the saying about experiences not being about the destination, rather the journey.  How true!

— Debbie Hindman