Good morning! If you haven’t had a chance to peruse the Phillips Collection over at Inmod, I encourage you to do so. They have a large collection of modern, whimsical pieces that add flair and conversation to your decor. Last year, I was able to ask Jason Phillips, vice president of the Phillips Collection and designer of the Whirl Shelving Unit above, a few questions.
1. Your parents founded the Phillips Collection. Can you describe your childhood in ten(ish) adjectives?
Creative, wide-eyed, lively, happy, structured, fresh, fertile, industrious, offbeat, and provocative.
2. At what pivotal moment did you know that you wanted to continue the family’s passion of furniture design?
I had been traveling throughout the world with my parents from a very early age. In my teens I started to pay more attention to the artisans, to the passion my father had to develop those resources, and the vision my mother had to put the products in our showroom. It was in this realization, when we were at a teak wood manufacturer in the north of Thailand back in 1996, that it all clicked that this was my calling. From that point on it was difficult to take algebra seriously!
3. Your bio states that you are a “seasoned global traveler.†What is the craziest experience you’ve had while trotting the globe?
I’ve been held at knifepoint on a few occasions whilst overseas but I wouldn’t say that’s too abnormal for the amount of travel I’ve done. This was more a result of being an American walking through back alleys. The craziest experience has to be making 5 hour daily commutes through Surabaya, Indonesia the last few years. They have a massive mud volcano that is spewing out steaming hot mud in incredible volume and have had to create a crude retaining wall that threatens to collapse on a daily basis. It is tough being in bumper-to-bumper traffic, moving at a snail’s pace, adjacent to the retaining walls!
4. The pieces that you have designed for the Phillips Collection, such as the Chunk Wall Tile and Wedge Cocktail Table, combine unique elements. How do find inspiration for each design?
Two good examples as the design development process is different for each. For the Chunk Wall Tile, I was working at the factory. They use production cuts of certified teak wood. I was noticing the irregular end cuts from furniture production. They usually mill this down into sawdust but I saw an opportunity to take them and repurpose them into a wall tile. By puzzling together the smaller pieces, we were able to create an entire collection of dimensional art.
The Wedge Cocktail Table takes cues from contemporary design. I was formally trained at the University of Michigan and have a degree in Industrial Design. That being said, I often take a concept to my CAD software and am able to realize my ideas very quickly and cleanly. The same factory that produced Chunk also did this table. In this case, a less simple but equally resolved design was born. Inset shelves and curious niches make the Wedge Table both whimsical and versatile. Bold colors and clean edges smartly juxtapose the hand-touched feel of Phillips Collection’s line of products.
5. What is your favorite piece in the Phillips Collection?
I am a lover of nature as much as I am of high design. It is difficult to decide. Right now I’d have to say the Bamboo Media Center. It employs both nature and design, utilizing eco-friendly bamboo and a sweeping arch that really captivates me. It is a perfect display for a flatscreen tv and the earth tones make it placeable in most interiors.
6. Finally, what else do you enjoy doing besides designing furniture?
I have three young dachshunds and my wife and I love to take them to the park. I also love to take my car out and just drive. You can also find me at the local bookstore, trend-hunting in the magazines, reading a novel, or surfing the internet and answering emails on my iPad.
I like his personality, very intelligent person!