How Meyer Davis became a global, 24-hour design firm

20:23Will Meyer:And Will, as you were just alluding to earlier, and we've talked about this in the past, Many designers think that, oh, if only I could do hospitality. Oh, I'd have, I don't know what they imagine, the better life, the better world, the easier work that they have doing hospitality. Maybe they think they have greater freedom or they have something. Shatter all those illusions for them. Will you help me out here? Yeah. Tell them what it's really like.

20:53Gray Davis:The grass is always greener. Yeah. I think what we've learned along the way is that, look, hospitality is very difficult. The scale of the projects is vast. The timelines can be very tight. There's a myriad of things that can go wrong in hospitality work. But I guess what it sort of brings me back to thinking about was, you know, we started designing homes for people and apartments and houses and kind of willed ourselves into the world of hospitality. But the same design things are true. It's, you know, you're designing spaces that make people feel comfortable, that make people feel like they're at home.

21:41Gray Davis:And with us, kind of making those qualities within a hospitality environment were things that people responded to. And then as we design the homes that we design, doing that in reverse where, you know, in a home you have to sort of think about the theatrics of hospitality. How do you bring that extra quality to someone's home to sort of elevate that? So our experience has been finding that overlap and that Venn diagram between hospitality and home. And we've kind of created, well, that's where we decided on the name of our book as the language of home. Because it's the language that we explore with our work, whether, you know, where hospitality and residential come together and what that language is about.

22:37Will Meyer:And that's what I'm eager to understand better. So, and the book, which is beautiful, and one of the things that's so interesting about the book is it seems that it was constructed out of a series of conversations with the two of you. And the book is very personal in several of your personal homes and where you live with your significant others. And that's fun to get to see and to learn more about. But in that language comes this discussion of there isn't a Meyer Davis look per se, but there is and has always been in my mind this very elevated taste level. And in the book, it references the word appropriate, like what's appropriate here?

23:36Will Meyer:And I wonder where that comes from and what that means and how you think about it.

23:45Gray Davis:We like to think of ourselves as kind of adaptive creatives. We're good listeners. We spend a lot of time thinking about place, about the way people live. you know, any kind of unique kind of features. And I think that's always kind of served us well. We don't have a specific look and we really dive in, you know, we spend a lot of time on developing a narrative on any type of project. And we use that as a guide and it makes it tougher because we don't have this knowledge that we kind of immediately just, well, let's use this. We've used that on that one. And so it really creates something that's very specific for that particular project.

24:32Gray Davis:You couldn't locate that project somewhere else. And, you know, we've always kind of lived by that. And, you know, that's something that I feel like has been driven into everybody here, and they all kind of understand that and work towards that.

24:52Will Meyer:Well, and that's what I'm curious about, Gray. And, Will, let me know if you have thoughts on this as well. How do you articulate that to your team? How do you pass that along to everyone who works with you? Because as you were saying earlier, you have to have this incredible team because it can't be the two of you executing on all of these vast projects that you work on. So how do you help them to understand what it is you're trying to do and how you're coming at it? And then how do you ensure that that is actually what happens?

25:23Gray Davis:You know, I think it's asking the right questions. and going in deep on the exploration of a project with the client on the brand at the beginning of a project. So we have a way of doing that, that you can see those early conversations in the creation of the narrative about a project. And if you have any questions about that as time goes on and designing is evolving, we always find if you go back to those original ideas and use that as a roadmap, you can always find out where the project needs to go by looking at where you began the project. And making sure you stay on that narrative is really important to us.

26:11Will Meyer:So Jenna Lyons, who writes the forward to the book, sort of tells this funny story of all the stuff that she shows up to when you guys first meet. And she's got all these images and she's got all of these different molding pieces and all this stuff. And yet she says, oh my gosh, immediately you guys understood her. And she just knew that she could work with you. So what did you have to do with her? How did you get your arms around what it was she was trying to tell you from everything she shared?

26:44Gray Davis:We had been friends with her. And, you know, she's incredibly creative and a real force. You know, she made you look at things in a unique and different kind of way. And it's how do we, at that early point, let's listen to her. Let's see what, you know, we wanted to hear what she had to say, what she was thinking. And then kind of distill that and take that in and figure out how we can come up with something that really does reflect who she is and feels like it's a reflection of herself. And it was this beautiful, you know, it was an old artist loft down in Soho that was really kind of raw. And how do we put it back together in a way that has that same kind of beautiful loft feel to it, but in a Parisian type way.

27:36Gray Davis:So it's constantly kind of playing with and looking at different materials, looking at scale, really getting into all those little, what's that touch and feel like? And I would say it was a learning process for us, but an incredible experience. You know, you really understand how her mind works in a brilliant way.

28:00Will Meyer:And when work began on the book, and this book is deliberately residential projects, what was the thinking there? What did you want to express or have come from putting all of this together?

28:17Gray Davis:It was a way that we could show, we wanted to show kind of a range of our work. You know, we really had some unique projects that were very special to us that we really wanted to share with people. and I think when you look at you know you know most of our work tends to probably have more of a modernist edge to it but you know some of the projects there's a house just outside of Boston that is very traditional you know and then we've we've got some you know all the way to some of the the the yacht that we worked on so we liked we wanted to kind of put together something that really reflected who we are and how we like to, you know, kind of work and dive into lots of different types of typology of architecture and interiors on us.

29:12Will Meyer:Do each of you have a preference doing restaurants, doing hotels, doing residential projects? I mean, is there a kind of work that each of you prefer to do, or how do you think about it?

29:26Gray Davis:I like to think that a healthy balance between all of the above. I think doing all of one or any of those special sort of separate types of projects, typologies, would get, it would probably get old doing the same thing over again. But also just on a more sort of intellectual level, I think that as you kind of exercise your design mind, it makes it fun. I mean, you have to be agile and learn new things. And I think switching between typologies is very healthy for your kind of nurturing your design soul. It keeps it fresh, too. I think, you know, people working, you know, they'll be working on a resort somewhere, you know, for six, seven, eight years.

30:13Gray Davis:They're like, I'd love to work on a restaurant or a private residence because they kind of clip along a bit faster. And I think it keeps it fresh. And, you know, it's also the studio, we've really, We've allowed people the flexibility to kind of work on different types of projects. So you're not really kind of focused on doing one type of project, which I think kind of would get a little old or boring after time. And we want people to be excited about what they're working on. We have a phrase that we use all the time when we're working on stuff. Whoever has the best idea is the best idea. And we've used that from day one.

30:53Gray Davis:And, you know, we really believe in that.

30:56Will Meyer:So it's not your idea is the best idea, Greg? It's whoever brings it?

31:00Gray Davis:It's usually Will's. It's usually Will's idea. It's my way or the highway.

31:07Will Meyer:Will's got the best idea and everyone's like, oh, no, no, Will's idea is the best. I know, definitely, definitely.

31:13Gray Davis:No, I think we let everyone know that, you know, if they have a great idea, that that's, you know, that's, it's, I think that keeps everyone inspired and creative and it keeps great ideas flowing.

31:29Will Meyer:Well, and, and that, as you were just saying, Will, sort of nurturing your, your creative soul. I mean, it's, it, listen, it's hard. You're 20, you're 25 years in a little bit more into this firm, right? You've been doing all of this. And how does one nurture their creative soul? How do you continue to find freshness and energy? How do you sort of recharge and keep your battery strong and at a healthy level?

31:58Gray Davis:Well, I think part of it is just seeing how we look at ourselves as I think now we're happy with the arc that we're creating with our company because we do a critical mass of residential work. We do a critical mass of hospitality work, and we're becoming ever more comfortable looking at how the future might look and other ways to expand in that. And we're open to that. I think it's important to keep a mindset about the future to see what will unfold in the future.

32:39Will Meyer:Part of what I'm curious about is, and again, I appreciate the notion of mixing up the work. Listen, anyone that I talk to that has worked for you guys over the years, they're like, yeah, we work a lot. We work a lot there at Meyer Davis. And I'm like, yeah, and I'm sure you do. But they all say, but you get to have your hands in a lot of different kinds of projects, right? And so like the minute you think, oh God, I couldn't possibly do another residential. Well, good news. Guess what? We're opening up a restaurant in Mexico and you're going to be on the team. And so, like, suddenly it changes, like the weather in Scotland.

33:14Will Meyer:I mean, it just kind of moves along. Just wait a little while, and it'll change up. So it sounds like that ended up being part of what both keeps you guys motivated, but probably also keeps a bunch of your team motivated and sticking around.

33:31Gray Davis:Yes? It's kind of those fresh new challenges and, you know, looking at things a different way. You know, we've had, you know, some people that have, you know, worked here and left and ended up coming back. You know, they see that the grass is not so green on the other side. And, you know, that's important to us. But again, like Will said, I think we like to – we've always taken on kind of – we love these kind of unique projects that challenge us and that we learn from. And that's kind of really – for us, it's really rewarding. I think it would be boring to always kind of work on just the same old stuff.

34:21Will Meyer:We're taking a quick break from the show to remind you about Lalloy. This fall marks 10 years of Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines and Lalloy, a decade of design that has brought hundreds of rugs and pillows into homes across the country. To celebrate the anniversary, Magnolia Home and Lalloy have introduced a new season of original designs ranging from beautifully textured hand-tufted wool and natural woven constructions to relaxed, vintage-inspired patterns made for everyday living. The new collection, built on a decade-long partnership, rooted in thoughtful design, approachable style, and pieces made to feel at home for years to come.

35:07Will Meyer:Explore the anniversary season and the newest Magnolia home by Joanna Gaines by Lalloy Collections at laloyrugs.com. That's L-O-L-O-I rugs.com. And now, back to the show.

35:27For listeners who might not know, and this doesn't have to be an exact number, but let's say

35:33Will Meyer:you've got roughly 125 people on staff. Yes. Right? And offices in New York and Miami and LA and right? Barcelona, London.

35:47Gray Davis:And there's three studios. They're, you know, larger studios, but what it, the way they're set up is that they're, you know, kind of scattered about the globe, but there's also a team that's part of that studio back here in New York. So it really keeps a seamlessness to the studios.

36:08Will Meyer:Well, so, and is there some part of Meyer Davis that's literally just running 24-7, depending on where in the globe the firm is? I mean, is it almost to that level?

36:17Gray Davis:It is. I mean, you know, our team over in Europe, we're working here. They're resting. When we're resting, they're working. And so, it makes it, it really makes, you know, it, and the clients, I think, really appreciate that. And, you know, a real kind of hands-on approach. They love, We've been kind of strategic about where we've opened studios, where we've had work, or people have wanted to kind of relocate to certain areas. And we end up having projects there. And they love the idea that there's somebody close by, and they're there the next day. You get the perspective from different people in different locations of the globe that I think that I learn something from it almost every day from the people that work with us and the people that we work with as our clients and fabricators and artisans from around the world.

37:15Gray Davis:I think it gives us closer connection to this talent and perspective that we really love and thrive on that.

37:23Will Meyer:Well, and do you end up finding resources and fabricators and artisans, to your point, overseas that you suddenly want to bring back to the States and have them work on projects here and vice versa?

37:35Gray Davis:Absolutely. I mean, that's been one of the kind of great things about, you know, working globally is that, you know, you're working on something and you talk about a specific, you know, whether it's a metal worker or some, you know, beautiful ceramic person or something. It's like, we've got the perfect firm, company that can do that, or we need this. And we developed a really tight group of real craftsmen or artisans that we work with globally. And when we're working on something, I think the clients appreciate that we can have something that feels really grounded to that particular region. because one of the early things that we did is we send a team out that goes around and meets with a lot of these people that work with their hands, that really kind of do stuff that's really unique and specific to their particular area and really try to embrace that and support them.

38:35Gray Davis:So we organized it based on, I think Gray mentioned earlier, there are three large-scale studios, 25 people plus per studio, in a way where the managers of those studios are centralized in their region, but they're decentralized because they work with people that are not in the same location that they are. So I think that's a contemporary way to look at organizing business. It's probably, I think any larger business has some form of that. Look, we have great people that work with us. And we've really, when we've had to find people to sort of fill roles that we know we need, we put a lot of homework into that.

39:22Gray Davis:And we found great people. I feel like we're truly hitting a great stride right now, and I think we really recognize that, and it's our time. It's a good time right now.

39:34Will Meyer:Well, so let's talk about the two of you because in all of this is this incredible partnership and friendship and long-term relationship. And what has made this work all of these years? And did you quickly identify different areas that you could both focus on or have strengths in? Or what has been the key to making this relationship last as long as it has in what I assume is a healthy way? I mean, you tell me, but I mean.

40:07Gray Davis:Very much so, very much so. Gray and I, we're great friends, but we also, we're really good at completing the design sentence of when we're working on something, of a sketch or an idea or a narrative or a reference. So I think it allows things to sort of naturally flow in a nice way. I think what's cool to watch is when Gray is drawing a plan, it's beautiful. And he immediately, he'll draw the plan and draw two-dimensional elevations that kind of relate. And then it's inspirational to me. I'll just start doing a perspective sketch. And those iterations with pen and ink, they create flow for a project.

41:01Gray Davis:And then referencing and things that tie that project together with a narrative of what language it wants to be and how we define that language is all part of it as well. It's a really fun creative process. Right. It is. It is. we we we laugh a lot and you know when we're working on things but you know our travel i feel like you know we're constantly traveling which is always inspiring and we're constantly texting stuff back and forth about hey just saw this what do you think about this or what if we're working you know constantly sketches going back when we're on the airplane kind of going somewhere but it's So we're fortunate that we love what we do.

41:48Gray Davis:And it's been a remarkable experience.

41:54Will Meyer:I wonder, do you feel, does the industry, and we'll talk about technology, but I mean, does the industry feel dramatically different from when you first got started? And is that challenging for you? Or does it feel like it's changed a lot?

42:11Gray Davis:You know, I think the industry is definitely very different from when we started. But look, I mean, design is design. And I feel like when you look back at historically a design, I'm just mesmerized and just in complete reverence of work that was done by our heroes and their sort of commitment to design. So I think given the new tools that are at our disposal, I hope that that makes design better in the future. It may make things go, some certain phases of projects go faster and more efficiently. Because certainly, I think the industry could use more efficiency. I mean, we ask anyone that stays up all night doing the same thing and fixing stuff.

43:05Gray Davis:And it's just so time consuming. I mean, I would like to think to be optimistic that the new technology helps refine things and makes things better and ups the quality of design for everyone, for our clients and everything.

43:24Will Meyer:What do you think about the new technology, Gray? What do you think about AI and everything that's coming along?

43:29Gray Davis:It's a tool. And I think the more you use it, the more it understands how we think and approach things. And we're using it quite a bit when we're looking at efficiencies. And it's kind of amazing what it can do. You know, is it going to replace what we do? Absolutely not. But again, I think the more you put into it, the more you're able to get out of it and you prompt it and you can get several variations. And it's helpful to see how they approach it and how it looks. And then you can kind of edit it and develop it from there. Hey, you learn something. The best idea is the best idea, no matter where it comes from.

44:21Gray Davis:But who gets to decide? I mean, I think that's the thing.

44:24Will Meyer:Yeah.

44:25Gray Davis:Yeah.

44:25Will Meyer:Well said. Yeah. Hopefully, AI won't have the best idea in the future. Hopefully, it'll still be. But I mean, it's interesting to see how the technology is creeping into the industry more and more. And listen, lots of firms say, oh, it's creating wonderful efficiencies in the back of house. And a lot of firms look like they're looking at procurement. Are there parts of that that we can make easier, better, more efficient? It certainly sounds like there are ways before it comes to annihilate us all, which, I mean, we've 10 years. We still have 10 years before it comes.

44:59Gray Davis:They said that a week ago, so it's getting less every day. Look, I think a hand sketch is sort of a metaphor for everything. It's a way to convey an idea. and whatever tool we use to convey an idea, I think that's what people want to have as a quick way of learning what the idea is. And we're all for any way to make that happen. So bring on new technology, but let's not give up the old technology.

45:33Will Meyer:Yeah.

45:34Gray Davis:If you can draw something, it doesn't need to be, you know, like I think you can tell an idea executed well on a sketch. If you have the ability to do that, then you have the ability to direct another technology. And if you don't, then you probably don't have the ability to make good decisions, regardless of how fancy your software is.

45:57Will Meyer:Right. So maybe this isn't the industry for you if you can't. There you go. There's Will weeding them out for you right there. Listen, buddy, if that's going to give you trouble. I mean, so finally, as we sort of wrap up the conversation, We talk a lot about this has been a challenging environment in the home industry for a long time. It doesn't seem like it has slowed business down for you guys. Have you found mortgage rates don't seem to matter to people who have multiple homes and plenty of liquidity and all of that? Are there things that do matter to high-end clients? I mean, is it tariffs?

46:40Will Meyer:Is it interest rates? I mean, does any of that put a pause on any of the kinds of projects that are going on for you? Or have you learned that anything matters to your clients that kind of causes them to pull back or reconsider?

46:56Gray Davis:Look, I mean, the industry ebbs and flows. It always has, and we expect it to always do that. So just being kind of ready. We like to have different projects in different regions and different types of projects for different people. So our works sometimes have incredible budgets where you don't have to think about anything. And a lot of times there's very, very tight budgets. So I think the message here, and even for the same clients, there'll be certain things that they really want to do just to the nth degree. And others where they expect the same level of attention and design, but on a tighter sort of budget.

47:39Gray Davis:But I think just having that same level of taste and ability to make something look beautiful regardless of the budget is something that we have always valued. You don't have to have a giant budget to make a great project out of it. That's right. Right. That's right. So the point is you can make it look that good regardless of the budgetary constraints. Well, anybody can if you just look at it the right way. I mean, it's just another parameter or challenge. Another challenge. I'm not saying you could, Dennis, but.

48:13Will Meyer:No, no, I know that I certainly couldn't. That's why I admire you both as much as I do. And I think that you make it look far easier than I know that it really is. But it's remarkable the consistently high level of your work over the years. And often when one puts together a book and they look back on work of 10 or 15 years ago, sometimes they cringe a little bit and go, oh, I can't believe I did that or I would have changed this today. I don't know if you went through that same process yourself or if you felt that way, Gray.

48:50Gray Davis:It was a little overwhelming when we started looking at what we wanted to put together for this book. And you're like, wow, that's a lot of work. And, you know, I completely forgot about this particular project or, you know, but it's exciting to see. And, you know, when we, whenever, I feel like whenever we're pitching for a new project or putting a portfolio together, you know, to go back and kind of go through the stuff, it's quite deep. The well of residential work and hospitality. And, you know, when you look at one of those images, it kind of takes you back to that time when it was under construction and kind of what you went through.

49:37Gray Davis:And I don't know, it's touching. So you can tell Gray's kind of welling up as he goes up.

49:46Will Meyer:He's such a soft dude. Yeah, yeah. No, no, I mean, I'm sure you go through a lot. And as I say, I mean, in this particular book, both of your homes are in the book, and I'm sure that that does bring up a lot of emotion. The book is called The Language of Home, and it's coming out. It will already have come out by the time that this show airs. But for you guys, it's being released tomorrow. So congratulations on that. It's very exciting. And it's fun to look back on your remarkable career and all that you've built. I'm in awe of you both, really.

50:29Gray Davis:Thank you, Dennis. It's been so much fun knowing you over the years. I really love what you do. And it means a lot to us to be on your show. Just love that history that we have and happy to be on your show. No, it's an absolute honor. And, you know, you make it so easy. You do make it look easy. It's hard to be an interviewer. And it's hard to get inspired to talk about what, you know, what I do, what we do personally. And you bring it out. You bring out the best in everybody.

51:05Will Meyer:Thanks for listening. If you'd like to keep up with the latest design industry news, visit us online at businessofhome.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter, browse job listings, and join our BOH Insider Community for access to online workshops, a free print subscription, and much more. If you have a note for the podcast, drop us a line at podcast at businessofhome.com. If you're enjoying these conversations, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps others to discover the show. This show was produced by Fred Nikolaos and edited by Michael Castaneda. I'm Dan of Scully. Thanks again for listening, and I'll see you next week.