The Dwell 24: Adi Goodrich

Adi Goodrich approaches creative projects as a storyteller, which makes the pieces in Sing Thing, her young line of "small-batch furniture that would dance if it could," the protagonists. Take her Lina Dining Table—inspired by an Italian friend, its wavy pattern mimics the soft curves of a tablecloth at a big family dinner.

Goodrich’s background is in set design, producing environments from the ground up for film, commercials, and photo shoots, and more recently, retail design for highly photogenic stores like Wine + Eggs and Lisa Says Gah in Los Angeles. And her deep knowledge of building is instrumental in bringing her visions to life.

The designer left high school early to work with her father, a woodworker, and naturally became comfortable around construction at a young age. In the collection, you’ll see a mix of low grade materials like laminate with cherry wood. "I’m always interested in those clashes of contrast," she explains.

Her pieces also aren’t as expensive as you might think—because they’re pre-cut on CNC and assembled in her studio, side tables start at $500. "I made a furniture line during Covid because I wanted to start using my hands more and get back into woodworking, but also I wanted to create a line that was affordable."

Read the full Q&A with Adi Goodrich below.

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA.

Describe what you make in 140 characters... I design public-facing interiors in cities around the US, furniture and large scale set design for production and live events.

What’s the last thing you designed? I designed a small bar in Joshua Tree, California.

Do you have a daily creative ritual? I start my days not touching my phone or computer—I try to read interviews or biographies on artists, architects and designers before starting my work day. A little inspiration by my heroes and contemporaries helps guide my days for creative thinking.

How do you procrastinate? Before I get out of bed and start my actual work day designing I day-dream about designs, building them in my imagination while laying in bed before getting on the computer.

What everyday object would you like to redesign? Why? A garden tool caddy. I’ve recently joined an LA obsession of gardening with native plants and my tools have no great, beautiful vessel to keep them organized and near when I need them.

Who are your heroes (in design, in life, in both)? Gio Ponti, Josef Albers, Black Mountain College, Noguchi, Charlotte Perriand, Alexander Girard, my Grandma, Dorothy and anyone who chooses to use their hands to make things.

What skill would you most like to learn? Glass painting.

What is your most treasured possession? My coveralls I’ve had since I started woodworking when I was 16 years old. My dad bought them for me from Farm & Fleet in a nearby farm town in Illinois. There are so many layers of varnishes, paint and projects that have gotten me to where I am today. I still wear them!

What’s your earliest memory of an encounter with design? My dad was a woodworker and we’d watch Bob Vila every Saturday morning. I became obsessed with the simple fact that anyone can create built environments or objects if they research and put in the effort and time.

What contemporary design trend do you despise? I really detest Zellige tile.

Finish this statement: All design should... Be rooted in storytelling.

What’s in your dream house? My partner, Sean Pecknold and a large bathtub.

How can the design world be more inclusive? Keep high school wood shops open and enroll females at an early age. Giving females confidence in building when they are young means they'll have a choice to follow a career in design or construction. We need all genders represented in our industry.

What do you wish non-designers understood about the design industry? Beautiful things take time and human hands build these objects and environments.

You can learn more about Adi Goodrich on Instagram.

View the 2023 Dwell 24!

—

Head back to the September/October 2023 issue homepage