Benjamin Johnston: Secrets to Timeless Interiors

Summary

Dear Alice | Interior Design

Episode: Benjamin Johnston: Secrets to Timeless Interiors

Date: April 23, 2026
Guest: Benjamin Johnston, Principal, Benjamin Johnston Design

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Episode Overview

In this lively and insightful episode of Dear Alice, hosts Jessica Bennett and Suzanne Hall (with contributions from Ben and Corey) sit down with renowned Houston-based designer Benjamin Johnston. Johnston shares personal stories, discusses what makes interiors timeless, and delves into the process behind his highly anticipated book, Refined Interiors: Timeless Homes for Modern Living. He explores everything from his design philosophy and standout projects to practical advice for both budding designers and design enthusiasts.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Influences and Finding His Passion

• Benjamin describes his creative path as stemming from childhood:
  • Inspired by set design at ballets and movies (04:27).
  • Quote:

    “I was fascinated by movie sets. I was fascinated by just incredible... we'd go, my great aunts would take us to the ballet and we'd see all their gorgeous set design. And I just thought how spectacular the ability to create this environment, you know, really was. It was like magic to me.” (04:27 – 05:33)

  • His journey to interior design was not straightforward but built on a lifelong creative drive.

2. The Designer’s Own Home — “The Hardest Client”

• Biggest Challenge: Designing his personal home, especially during the pandemic (06:30–10:23)
  • Describes it as “harrowing” and “exhausting,” due to the freedom—and pressure—of having no client but himself.
  • The project took nearly three years, spanned supply chain chaos, and involved a fine balance of ambition and discipline.
  • Quote:

    “For my house, I was like, you know what? I'm going to do all the things that people told me I couldn't do...I would wake up in the middle of the night just in like terror, like, just, did I make the wrong decision?” (06:30–08:17)

  • Credits his partner Eric (also his business partner) and team member Mark for being essential collaborators and “true north.”

3. Client Collaboration and Alignment

• Most Aligned Project: The last chapter of his book spotlights a project where the client and designer “were so in sync” (11:55–12:59).
  • These ideal collaborations result in bold design decisions with less back-and-forth and more creative flow.
  • Quote:

    “We were so in sync that... it was always the first thing we showed them...when you get to know clients so well, it can just naturally happen.” (11:56–12:46)

  • Stresses the rarity and value of such partnerships.

4. Handling Challenges and Growth in Design

• A Career of Constant Learning:
  • Embraces challenges as opportunities for growth, echoing advice from his mother about “growing pains” (16:51–18:24).
  • Recommends young designers “flip the script” and find the why behind discomfort.
  • Quote:

    “Those challenges are growing pains...It’s a sign of growing pains. And the truth is, you kind of have to just, like, enjoy it—even if it’s uncomfortable, even if it’s painful, you’re being asked to grow.” (16:51–18:24)

• Teamwork:
  • No project is completed alone—collaboration is crucial at every level.

5. Superpowers and Teamwork

• Benjamin’s superpower: Empathy and communication—vital for connecting with clients and teams (19:12)
  • Quote:

    “Number one is empathy...Two is communication. I think that I have something that’s just been part of my nature always is to communicate, whether it be verbally, written, through drawings. That’s a skill that I’ve always been able to have, and it has served me my entire career.” (19:12–19:33)

• The hosts reflect on each other’s strengths, highlighting teamwork, creativity, and technical know-how as essential to their own collective success (21:25–25:20).
• Memorable Metaphor:

  “Don’t remember the Care Bears when they would, like...” — Benjamin (25:04)
  – referencing the idea of combining team “superpowers” for maximum impact.

6. Designing for Feeling: Beyond the Visual

• Creating Feeling in Spaces:
  • Focuses on engaging all the senses, much like Disney Imagineering (26:45–28:08).
  • Encourages thinking about “what memories are being formed here” and the role of time of day, activities, and ambiance.
  • Quote:

    “What does it smell like in this space? If there’s food…what sounds are you hearing? When you think from a sensory perception...you can start to tap into what these spaces might feel like and design more effectively.” (26:45–28:08)

• Spaces and Rhythm of Living:
  • Hosts discuss how some rooms only ‘sing’ at certain times—reinforcing the need to understand real lifestyles, not just aesthetics (28:25–30:29).

7. Advice for Designers Aspiring to Publish a Book

• Why a Book? A “love letter” to collaborators, clients, and the region—offering something tangible in a digital world (30:40–31:46).
• Technical Advice:
  • Use a consistent photographer and stylist for a coherent visual voice (31:47–32:34).
  • Be flexible with furniture arrangements to improve shots.
  • Don't rush the process; a book project is a considerable commitment (32:57–33:42).
  • Timeline: About five years in the making, but one and a half years of focused work for the book (33:42–34:16).

8. Rapid Fire: Favorites and Design Opinions

• Favorite item at home: “Eric, of course.” (34:24)
• Material obsession: “I will always gravitate towards grass cloth.” (34:33–34:49)
• Overdone materials:
  • Not over boucle generally—just white boucle!
  • “All white, beige ecru brown houses...going to majorly date.” (35:26)
• Simple tip to elevate a space: “Clean it.” (35:53)
• Defining luxury: “Time is the greatest luxury in our lives.” (36:51)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “They say you want to make your 8 year old self proud and your 80 year old self proud. And I would like to say my 8 year old self would be very proud of where I’ve gone.” – Benjamin Johnston (05:40)
• “You have to fall in love with your client on some level or you’re not going to be an effective designer for them.” – Benjamin Johnston (25:44)
• “If it’s not a good time, it’s a good story.” – Jess, quoting her own motto (14:59)
• “Time is the greatest luxury in our lives. It’s the thing we don’t and we can never get more of.” – Benjamin Johnston (36:51)

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Important Timestamps

• 01:00 – 02:48: Introduction to Benjamin Johnston
• 04:27: Benjamin’s creative roots and childhood inspirations
• 06:30–10:23: The challenge of designing his own home
• 11:55–12:59: Client project truly aligned with his “design DNA”
• 16:51–18:24: Embracing discomfort and growth in design
• 19:12–19:33: Benjamin’s “superpowers” – empathy and communication
• 26:45–28:08: Designing for feeling, not just form
• 30:40–34:16: Book creation process and advice for aspiring authors
• 34:24–36:51: Rapid-fire questions, including materials, tips, and defining luxury

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Resources & Where to Find Benjamin Johnston

• Instagram: @benjaminjohnstondesign (37:31)
• Furniture: Chaddock Furniture (37:41)
• Textiles: S. Harris (38:02)
• Rugs: Madison Lily Rugs (38:02)
• Stone & Tile: Materials Bespoke (38:02)
• Book: ‘Refined Interiors: Timeless Homes for Modern Living’ (38:28)
  • Available everywhere fine books are sold; published by Rizzoli (38:37)

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Closing Thoughts

Benjamin Johnston’s perspective on designing timeless interiors is rooted in connection, empathy, and a celebration of process over perfection. The episode is rich with practical wisdom for both designers and design lovers, inviting listeners to value the stories, feelings, and challenges that shape beautiful, enduring spaces.

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Transcript

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[Ben]

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[Host Jess]

Hello everybody. Welcome to Dear Alice. Today we have a really special treat for you as you guys are gearing up for High Point Market. Those of you that are going, it's the end of this week and we thought it'd be fun to have one of our favorites come on. The podcast is kind of a market week. We have Benjamin Johnston here with us and we actually met Benjamin last fall at High Point at the Chaddock showroom as we were going in to see his line and such a treat to get to see him in his own area. And so it might be fun for you, those of you that are going to market. If you pop by Chad Benjamin, you'll be in. You have a whole bunch of lines. Are you going to be mostly at Chaddock or where else could they find you?

[Benjamin Johnston]

I will be at Chad most of the time, but because it's also the launch of our book, I will be doing a keynote on one of the fall market keynotes along with some other fantastic designers. As part of the dln, they're doing a special keynote on kitchen and bath design. So I'll be there for the keynote, but most of the rest of the time I should be in the Chatx showroom.

[Host Jess]

Amazing. Well, definitely stop by. His scene is obviously one of our favorites and he's just so personable and easy to talk to. So make sure and approach him because he's one of the designers that will definitely say hi, talk to you about design, and even explain his pieces to you, which he's worked so hard on. But those of you that maybe haven't heard of Benjamin, I just wanted to quickly give you a little intro. He is the creative partner of Benjamin Johnston Design, an award winning, internationally published firm celebrated for creating classic, curated and effortlessly cool spaces around the globe. He's also an author of brand new book Refined Interiors, Timeless Homes for Modern Living. A must read for anyone who loves sophisticated spaces with soul. Welcome, Benjamin Johnston, to Dear Alice. We're so excited to have you here and to have our guests get to meet you as well.

[Benjamin Johnston]

I am so honored to be here. Thank you for having me.

[Co-host Suze]

Do you go by Benjamin or. Yeah, what do you prefer?

[Benjamin Johnston]

I go by Ben, but there's a funny story behind that. And you can Google this gentleman. His name is also Ben Johnston and he looks remarkably like me. But he's a graphic street artist in Toronto and Canada and he does all this really cool design work. And a lot of times if people would Google me, they'd see him thinking it was me and seeing his work and being like, I just don't understand what it is that you do.

[Ben]

Like, what don't you do?

[Host Jess]

Exactly.

[Benjamin Johnston]

At that point, I do not have that talent. I just had to kind of adopt my full first name just so people wouldn't get confused when they were searching for me.

[Ben]

I think you guys should collaborate. I think that'd be fun. Have a meet cute.

[Co-host Suze]

Maximize that SEO.

[Ben]

He's so cute.

[Benjamin Johnston]

Yeah, but feel comfortably calling me then that's what I prefer.

[Co-host Suze]

Okay, well, since we're catching you mid work week, where are you at in the world right now?

[Benjamin Johnston]

I am in Houston, Texas, which is my home, and I am here at our offices and I have an amazing view of downtown Houston right in front of me.

[Host Jess]

Amazing.

[Benjamin Johnston]

Cool.

[Co-host Suze]

Thanks for joining us. Thanks for being on the podcast. Like Jess said, we're super excited to have you.

[Ben]

Yes. One thing, as an interior designer, you know, we do this for the love of the game. It's not the easiest job, which I think, which I think is very much like misinterpreted on TV shows. That and everybody that finds out you're an interior designer, right. They're like, oh my gosh, that's so fun. I want to do that. And it's really, really difficult what we do, but we do it for the love of the game, because we're passionate about it. What drove that passion for you? Like, where did this, like, start? Where was this born?

[Benjamin Johnston]

You know, it's interesting you should say that. I mean, I think for me, what motivated me then still motivates me now, but it also, it's kind of taken on different layers as I've gotten older. But when I Was a young kid, I just, you know, I was fascinated by this notion of being creative and just like creating things. I just, I think for me that drive has always been there. It's always been inherent to just my DNA. And I love the notion that we could storytell. I mean, I was fascinated by movie sets. I was fascinated by just incredible. We'd go, my great aunts would take us to the ballet and we'd see all their gorgeous set design. And I just thought how spectacular the ability to create this environment, you know, really was. It was like magic to me. So for me, I think I didn't really know that I wanted to be, you know, an interior designer and now with an architecture firm. I didn't know that that was going to be my path from a young age. But I found my way there and full circle. I just, I see obviously those influences and I see what I'm doing now and it's obviously interconnected, but the path was definitely a meandering one.

[Ben]

Yeah. So 10 year old Ben would be so stoked if he got a glimpse of what he was doing right now. So that's very, very cool.

[Benjamin Johnston]

They say you want to make your 8 year old self proud and your 80 year old self proud. And I would like to say that my 8 year old self would be very proud of where, where I've gone and what I've done. The opportunities that have been, you know, have come my way.

[Ben]

Amen.

[Co-host Suze]

That's cool.

[Host Jess]

Speaking of opportunities that have come your way, I think the designers would love to know if there was a project that really just stretched you so completely. I think about this, in our own firm, there was a certain project that we got in and it just, we were like Stretch Armstrong on this project. And because of that opportunity, it completely changed the way we worked. And you found out about yourself that this was a capability, but it was so, so hard. I don't know, did you have a moment like that that sort of took you from good to great or that kind of where you realized your greatness?

[Benjamin Johnston]

Well, I, I will never say I feel great, but at anything. I mean, I really, honestly, I don't think the thing I love about our industry and I love about the people that this industry attracts is that we're always striving to grow. We're always striving and we're always looking for new opportunities to be creative and new in different ways and express ourselves in new and different ways. So for me, I don't know if I'll ever feel that way, but What I will say is that actually doing my own personal home, after years of being able to do other people's homes, but just finally doing it for myself, y' all know this. You've done your own homes. It's like, it sounds like it would just be fun and effortless because you're designing for yourself and like, nobody's telling you what to do. But in a way, it is that much harder. And you have to think, like, for me, I went into my house saying, I'm going to do all the things that my clients never let me to do, let me do. I'm going to do all the things that I have wanted to try out. But it may have been because of money or because of complexity or because we didn't have the right level of craftsman who was able to execute it, I would hold back. So for my house, I was like, you know what? I'm going to do all the things, I'm going to do all the things that people told me I couldn't do, and I'm going to work through this and I'm going to learn how it's. How that's going to affect me. And as a designer, I got out of that experience thinking, oh, my goodness, like, I felt exhausted and like, I would wake up in the middle of the night just in like terror, like, just, did I make the wrong decision? So I would say that that was the project that I'm so proud of. I've grown so much through that process. But I will also say it was absolutely terrifying from start to finish. Harrowing, harrowing experience.

[Host Jess]

Let me just quickly give a shout out. So this on the COVID of Benjamin's book is his entryway and also, fun fact, he was just barely featured on Homeworthy and he takes you through his home on a long form content. It's probably around 45 minutes. And he will take you room by room, almost piece by piece and explain why and what. And it's just so fun to have a front row seat, especially knowing the background, what you just said, of just the complexity of doing a designer's own home, which is its own special kind of torture. And, and I don't know for you if you have some, you probably a lot of your employees on the firm, or maybe you have like a super trusted person where you're like, which one am I? Because I, I can't. Yeah, like you kind of have an identity crisis, or at least I feel like that. And so I'll be like, suze, remind me again. I. I think I could Be happy with both. And she's like, duh, you're the one on the left. I'm like, okay, thank you. That's, that's what I thought. Did you have anybody in your office? Or do you have a person or, or maybe it's your, maybe it's your partner at, at home. Who do you, who do you rely on? Who's your true north?

[Benjamin Johnston]

I would say my true north is, is always going to be my partner, Eric. He's also the managing partner of our firm. So we live and work together. It's our, was our house together. And he truly, I mean he is, he's one of those people. He's so we appreciate all the same things, but like he is just so focused and he like, there'll be a lot of news and noise in the world and he just like, he's able to just tune it all out and like keep me centered and focused throughout it. And so for me that has been. He was definitely the person I relied on. But I will also say I had so much fun working with our team. You know, we do architecture and interior. So we have these amazingly talented guys in our office and men and women, I should say. And one of the team members that I was working with most closely, his name's Mark. Mark. And I just, just like the best time hashing out details and sketching it and getting it just absolutely perfect. So I really enjoyed that, that closeness of that experience working on the house in that way as well.

[Host Jess]

And when did you complete the home?

[Benjamin Johnston]

I completed the home two and a half years ago. Again, it was a 30 month build. And those of you, I don't know if y' all are familiar with Erin Stetzer. She's kind of a well known contractor who has an incredible channel on YouTube. Yes. So she was the one who built my home and it was a wonderful, wonderful experience. But it was also built during the pandemic. So it was also harrowing experience from the standpoint of we couldn't get windows, we couldn't get doors, we couldn't get our appliances. It was supposed to be like a 24 month build and it took 30, which in hindsight no big deal, but it was almost a three year process to build the house and I was very excited about moving in.

[Host Jess]

I bet, I'll bet you were. Okay, question for you. Is there a project that has felt completely aligned with your design DNA? And I, I guess for this, I don't know if it's maybe working with a client because that's such a Unique thing. We were just talking before we recorded about how you don't really know what you're saying yes to when you take on a project. You know, you're kind of both in this first date process of deciding if. If, you know, if we're the right firm for the client. Usually it's that. It's not usually, are you the right client for my firm? It's usually, you know, are. Are we right for you? And then we start to. We sign a contract and we get going and we're like, wow, okay, this. This is different than I thought. Right. Is there a project that you felt completely aligned with design DNA, really? Just. Just the work felt fun and the wind was like in your sails and it felt a little bit easier than normal.

[Ben]

You're excited to go there?

[Benjamin Johnston]

Yeah. No, I think that's a great question. I mean, we had a client who's actually featured in the book. It's actually the last chapter. And what was really interesting in the book, I should say what was really interesting about it, it was a client who just was fiercely committed to she TR with the vision. And she had done a fabulous job kind of expressing what she and her husband wanted. And so, like, we were so in sync that a lot of times when we would suggest things, it was always the first thing we showed them. It was not the 30th thing that we showed them that we could settle on. So it felt lighter and easier. And when you get to know clients so well, it just can just naturally happen. And we were able to take a lot of risk with that house as well. So it's kind of a bonkers house. And it was fun, fun to do it.

[Ben]

I love that when the client, when you can trust them, they can trust you. Like, things just go so beautifully and so seamlessly. Less expensive, quicker, you know, and usually. And usually a better outcome, the best outcome.

[Benjamin Johnston]

And you know, it's. It's really, when you. When those clients do come along, you just, you just have to like, just like hold on to them because they're. They're so kind and. Yeah. It's such a pleasurable, fun experience that I think that's something I'll cherish forever.

[Host Jess]

Yeah. And it's kind of addicting. I'm sure the client's like, so let's do it again next project. Because it kind of been. It becomes like their hobby. Yeah. And it's kind of like you can't quit each other because you're making this beautiful music together.

[Co-host Suze]

I'm always like, afraid to Jinx it. I'm just like, if things are going too smooth right now, there's always a. Like, I try not to, like, think about. I'm just like, okay, just let it be what it is, you know?

[Benjamin Johnston]

But yeah, I think that's true of just living in the moment as well, Cory. I mean, like, I think that you just have to, like, that's true of all things in life. If you get too far ahead of yourself or too far behind looking in the rear view mirror, you're gonna trip. So it's just like, you gotta, you just gotta soak it up.

[Co-host Suze]

Totally enjoy the moment. Yep.

[Ben]

I was about to say, when you have that person, like when you completely align. Right. They trust you. You trust them. That when things go hard, like when you don't get the appliances, when the windows don't come, when things go wrong, which in every project, there is always something. There is always, you know, salt thrown in the game. It's so much easier when you like the person you're designing with.

[Benjamin Johnston]

You also touched on something I think is so vital to our work as designers. Also setting some expectations and some ground rules from the very beginning about there are going to be those mistakes, there are going to be those hiccups, there are going to be those delays. You know, I try really hard early on, working with clients to weave a bit of romance around that and say, you know, it may be painful at the time when these things happen, but it's going to make for a really great story afterwards and just like, try to like, give them some of that million mile view where they're just really seeing the forest through the trees and kind of saying, okay, well, this is part of our journey with this particular project. And that seems, sometimes that sinks through to the clients and sometimes there's nothing I can do. It upsets an upset. But, you know, we try.

[Ben]

Yeah. Jess always says if it's not a good time, it's a good story.

[Host Jess]

Yep. So, you know, I mean, think of this as that, as that, as that first date that went really wrong. It's just, it's always a good story. You know, it usually might take a few weeks or a few months down the road, but if something, if we're going through something really hard, we'll be like, this will. This will be funny later on.

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[Benjamin Johnston]

But don't you all love it that in our industry and the work that we do, I mean, like, I have a lot of friends that do not do design work, and their lives don't look like ours. And their lives, you know, are. Sometimes I. They're always like, you don't. You do the most interesting things? I'm like, I get to work with some of the most interesting people and deal with some of the most interesting challenges. Like, our life is so much more colorful because of that experience. And I feel very blessed to do the work that we're doing. I feel like it's an absolute privilege,

[Host Jess]

I think, so Complete honor. And I feel like the challenges to. Obviously, they're the greatest teachers early on, you know, in our careers, we. We get the most challenges and we're being taught so much. But then I think that's what makes us really great, is our ability to solve problems on the spot, because we've encountered these other problems before. So I think one of one of the biggest portions of our audience is interior designers that listen to Dear Alice. I don't know if there's anything that you'd pay forward to them that are starting in their career as they're experiencing these challenges, you know, besides the fact that it might make a good story later on, how do they get through it?

[Benjamin Johnston]

I love, love that question, because I will also say, and I'll probably two things to share, but the first thing is that those challenges are growing pains. I remember when I was, you know, probably in graduate school, and I would call my. My mom and be like, oh, my God, it's so hard. It's so hard. And it's just like, I don't know if I can do it. And she would say, well, you're obviously being asked to grow in a way that feels uncomfortable. And so she would say, you know, that's a sign of growing pains. And the truth is, like, you kind of have to just, like, enjoy it. Even if it's uncomfortable, even if it's painful, you're being asked to grow. And so I try to, like, in my head, I try to flip the script and say, okay, if this is not something that's super enjoyable, then there's maybe a reason why, and I need to appreciate the why. You know, like, I gotta appreciate that aspect, and that helps me deal with it. And I would say, I would hope that other designers would also just learn to, like, love the discomfort and love the growing moments, because I will say, after 22 years of doing this, I still learn something new every single day. And I. That thrills me. That absolutely thrills me.

[Host Jess]

Yeah. I heard somebody recently say, pressure is privilege. It's kind of that same thing. Like, we're so fortunate to be stuck with a problem this hard to solve that people think I'm capable of it. And, you know, we have a team to rely on, and we'll. We'll figure out amongst our minds how to get through it, and then we'll have that skill. We'll know how to get through this rabbit hole, you know, because we. We had to figure it out.

[Benjamin Johnston]

You also just touched on something I think is so valuable in this. None of us that you just said, which is, none of us do this alone. Like, not one of us. Every one of us is relying on somebody else in some form or fashion. Doesn't matter. It matter if you're. You're a team of one person collaborating with a. With a. With a contractor or tradesman or craftsman or anything, and your client or you're a big team. You're. You're still working with other people, and you can rely on other people. I think that's the beauty of it.

[Host Jess]

Yeah. How big is your team, Ben?

[Benjamin Johnston]

We are 24, and we're. Four of us. Four of our team members are accounting and back office, and then the rest of them are split right down the middle. Architecture and interiors.

[Host Jess]

Oh, that's great.

[Co-host Suze]

What's. What's your superpower? And, like, within design, I would say superpower is.

[Benjamin Johnston]

Is empathy. Number one.

[Co-host Suze]

It's great.

[Ben]

What a great answer.

[Benjamin Johnston]

Two is communication. I think that I have something that's just been part of my nature always is to. To communicate, whether it be verbally written through drawings. I just. That's a skill that I've always been able to have, and it has served me my entire career.

[Co-host Suze]

That's awesome.

[Host Jess]

I love that answer.

[Benjamin Johnston]

What about. I mean, come on. Y' all have to. What's your superpower? Come on.

[Host Jess]

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[Host Jess]

Well, I'd say, I'd say Suze definitely has the ability. She'll always say she can draw better than she speaks. And so sis always has a huge sketch pad. 11 by 17. Yeah, a huge sketch pad. And she's always doodling in every presentation and it will be going along and then she'll just shyly hold it up and she'll be kind of like, kind of like this. And then everybody's just like, what? In a world of AI where you can render anything, this magic sitting over here. People love a hand doodled drawing. And not just doodled, but it really, truly is. Just, it's what's nice about it is it's loose enough. Suze will always say this, that it's not so exacting as a rendering. So there's still room for the unimaginable and there's still, there's still room for, for things to, to be tweaked and edited. But at the end of the day we frame this sketch and give it to them and there's still so much that Is the same about it. This is just in looser conceptual form. And I just think that's such a superpower of Susan's.

[Ben]

It's pretty magical. Yeah. Since you answer for me, I'll answer for Jess. Shoot. This is fun game you just made. Hers is her vernacular. Because sometimes when you think you have a podcast about such a visual medium, how does that work? And it's because I think Jess has led the charge with being able to describe spaces with her words. And that's such a beautiful thing when you are working with clients, because it's hard, because this isn't their vocabulary. That's why they come to us, is to be able to create something. And so to be able to communicate that both visually sketches all the things, but also just like, I think there's a real comfort when you have someone that can communicate things so beautifully and so relatably, you know, that doesn't. It can be a daunting and kind of what we do, I think, is. Feels unapproachable to most people. Interior design is something that only the wealthy can afford, but yet, if you can, like, say it out loud, it's something that we all experience. It's something that we. We all have space. Right. And so if we can say it in an approachable way, you know, where you can make your space beautiful, I think that that's our job. And I think Jess does it the very best.

[Co-host Suze]

Yeah. All my adjectives come from Jess. I steal all of them.

[Host Jess]

So that's so nice. Well, and Corey's great. He knows how everything's built. He worked in a door shop all through high school, and he can make his own cabinetry. He. He develops the product for our own. Our own Jay Bennett line, which is

[Benjamin Johnston]

beautiful, by the way. It's absolutely beautiful.

[Co-host Suze]

Thank you so much.

[Host Jess]

Such a privilege that we. You get to do this. We get to do this. That we get to create the we wish existed. But we're fortunate to have Corey because he speaks. He can speak to any factory and say, no, I think. I think they should be. The drawers should be joined this way. I think the glides would be better if they were this. I think, you know, if we applied the finish like this, or if we had watermarks like this, then we wouldn't have these issues. And so he just is always looking at the very best way to construct something. And traveling, you know, to Indonesia and working with our factories just has a really great working knowledge of how things are built, which is great. And then it's also so fun. To have a male point of view, I think, think on the podcast, because he sees things differently than we do. Corey, also, you have a high level of excellence, I would say, too.

[Co-host Suze]

And so make me feel so good.

[Benjamin Johnston]

Yes.

[Host Jess]

So it's just going. It's just like the quality control piece as you're developing the product, that he just is really going to be like, no, that doesn't pass. This has to be. This has to be perfect. So it's just so nice to have somebody so discerning on the team with us that we trust so much.

[Co-host Suze]

And I feel like we've all learned that kind of together, too. So it's like we're. Yeah, we. We work really well together. Like, we all collaborate well together because we know each other's strengths and weaknesses and can counterbalance those. So. Yeah, well.

[Benjamin Johnston]

And you said you'll make a beautiful team. I kind of feel like. Don't remember the Care Bears when they would, like. Yeah,

[Co-host Suze]

That's amazing.

[Ben]

Yeah. So great.

[Host Jess]

I love it. We'll have to choose which.

[Ben]

I know.

[Host Jess]

I'm so care a lot.

[Ben]

There you are, Carol. I. I love that, though, because I'm like, collectively, I'm like, I think we can. We all have these superpowers because we love people. We all do what we do, and we can do these things together and collaboratively because we love people.

[Host Jess]

Right.

[Ben]

And that's why we can, like, love the client that we're designing. Even when things get hard, everything's figureoutable when you love people and you care about the outcome.

[Benjamin Johnston]

And I will tell you, that is actually something I've said to my team many times. You have to fall in love with your client on some level or you're not going to be an effective design designer for them. Like, you've got to find the thing that's beautiful about them. You've got to find the thing that you enjoy. You've got a something, because otherwise it's. It's. You're just not going to be great at it.

[Ben]

I think that shows, too, through the interior.

[Benjamin Johnston]

I do. I. I think you can feel it. You can feel it in the energy of the interior as well.

[Ben]

Speaking of feelings, we all have stepped into beautiful rooms. We can look through a beautiful book. We love, you know, how it looks. But we all. I think the spaces that are the most memorable have a feeling, and, like, that's something that we're always going for. I think we have moments in our own home where we have that feeling where something like some magic happened, you know, with this you know, trifecta finishes or just a story or art or whatever it is. Explain to people how do you get that feeling in a space, be it your own space. I would love to hear about your own home where you may have had that feeling, or in a client's home, and then how people like the audience members, designers, can help bring a feeling into a space.

[Benjamin Johnston]

I think that's a great idea. You know, it's interesting because I was listening to this guy who used to be with Disney and, and Disney would always talk about, like, they would do an entire scheme for anything that they were designing and they would kind of go through and like, okay, what does it smell like in this space? Like, what is it? What is, what is it? Like, if there's food in there, what are the kinds of foods that you're enjoying? Like, it was this, like, full sensory, like, what are the sounds that you're hearing when you're in this space? And I think one of the things that I try really hard to do and try to also tap in with our clients is kind of saying, well, what memories are being formed here? And like, what time of day are you using this? Is this a space that you're using and you're entertaining a lot of people in? Does it also need to transition into something just for you and your family? You know, is this something that you just enjoy with your partner? You know, how. What does that look like and what does it sound like and feel like? And, and so for me, I think that when you think about things from a kind of a sensory perception and you try to tap in and ask those questions of, like, what music would be playing in this space if. If it had music. You know, I think it's it, it, it unlocks a part of your brain, much like so your sketches unlock a part of your brain and leave something open to interpretation. Like, you can start to tap into what these spaces might feel like and design more effectively that way. So that's something we try to do at least in our creative process.

[Host Jess]

I love that. One of the fun things, as I was looking or watching your homeworthy tour just right off to, I guess it depends on what, what side of the house we're talking about. But right off to your left, they take you into this teal living room. And I just recently painted my living room teal.

[Ben]

She painted her grass cloth.

[Host Jess]

Yeah, yeah. So last May, about a year ago, I painted the. These dark peacock walls and I did like a high, high gloss peach ceiling. Well, you're talking about the Times of day when you use the space, and what's it going to feel like? What's it going to sound like? All of this. So we were like, oh, well, let's. We're going to be shooting this collection here anyway at home. Let's shoot. Let's shoot the living room. We haven't shot it yet. It's brand new. So we shot it. I just barely got the pictures back, and I'm like, this is all wrong. This is not. This is not. This doesn't look like the room. It goes back to what you were just saying. I couldn't put my finger on it. And I think you just hit it. And it's that this room. I've never. Home in the middle of the day. I don't use the living room in the morning. I'm at work all day. I'm rushing out the door in the morning. I'm also not a morning person. We shot this. We shot this room in the morning, and I'm like, this looks wrong. It's just not the room. And I thought, I need to come back and do a night shoot. That's when this room. This is when. I love the color of the walls. I love the ceiling. This color. I love the room with the lamps on and nothing else. And it's. It's the feeling. I love the fireplace on. It's. It's like this feeling of being home at night when it's slow and more thoughtful and you can take time to have a conversation. I'm like, this is just not a morning room. And the feeling I have about this room isn't the morning. So why did I shoot it in the morning? I don't know. There really is kind of a time of day and a rhythm to how we live. And that should all be considered as we're designing the house.

[Benjamin Johnston]

I literally, in the book, I talk about nighttime spaces and daytime spaces. Like, not all spaces are daytime spaces. Like, sometimes you need that. That extra, you know, layer of ambiance and light and everything. You need it. And that's when the room feels so magical. I think about even spaces like the Polo Lounge, you know, in your. That's not a space that's ever meant to be enjoyed in day, even if it was during the day. You want it to feel dark and moody and sexy. That's how it's supposed to feel.

[Host Jess]

Totally.

[Ben]

Such a great. Such a great tip.

[Host Jess]

I love that.

[Co-host Suze]

Before we run out of time, I want to talk about your book. Can you tell us about it? The why? Maybe. Yeah. Advice for designers maybe dreaming about a book, maybe an interesting story you have, like, when putting it together.

[Benjamin Johnston]

I love that question, because I think that the reason why you do a book can be for multi layered reason. But for the reason I did it is that it was really on our vision board as a team, and we really wanted to kind of be able to create something that was tangible, that you could hold and you can feel in this increasingly digital age, these images slide by us and we don't ever have anything. We can kind of, at the end of the day, kind of have a physical manifestation of. So it was really meant to be a love letter. It was meant to be a love letter to our collaborators. It was meant to be not just our team, but our clients and the incredible builders we worked with and craftsmen and artisans and. And all the furniture makers. I mean, like, it was really. We wanted to do right by them. And we also wanted to. You know, so much of the design that you see in the world is in, at least in the United States, is happening on the east coast or the West Coast. And as you all know very well, there's beautiful work happening all over the country. So we also wanted to do this for State of Texas, but, you know, say that we're strong creative voices right here at home.

[Co-host Suze]

That's awesome.

[Ben]

It's great.

[Host Jess]

Yeah, it's beautiful. I think one piece of advice that we've also dreamt of, a book. And I talked to our good friend David Phoenix. I don't know if you. David Phoenix, who designs for Hickory Chair. I was talking to him about a book and he said, one thing for sure you should do is use the same photographer when you're shooting your work, because otherwise one has to go back and reshoot the whole book with the same photographer. Is this the case for you?

[Benjamin Johnston]

Our entire book was photographed by our. My dear friend that I've known for 20 years, Julie Soffer. And so she was the one who photographed it start to finish all. All eight projects.

[Host Jess]

Amazing. And I. I think that's good advice for any designers that dream of doing this work. And I don't know, if you had to go back and reshoot it, maybe you were grateful to go back and reshoot because, oh, you didn't have to. You just used the same one the whole time. Oh, gosh, that's so brilliant.

[Benjamin Johnston]

You literally didn't even start the layouts of the books until we had finished. All the photography that was really integral to the whole process was just using one photographer start to finish, and the

[Host Jess]

same Stylist as well, and the same stylist. That's great advice. Yeah. Any other little nuance, things that people should keep in mind as they're shooting their first project? Or maybe it's, you know, once they found their rhythm and their photographer.

[Benjamin Johnston]

I think that, you know, obviously don't shoot towards television and if there's a television, find creative ways of hiding it or post editing it out. I'd say don't be afraid to disrupt the arrangement of the furniture for the betterment of the shot. I would say that's always something. Most rookie, rookie designers that are shooting their first project are like, no, you can't move that chair. That chair's not in the space. Or it's not. You can move the things. And you have to trust your stylist and your photographer to really guide you through that process. So I would say that's a strong one. And then I would just say be up for adventure. It's a full time, full time job. It takes a whole lot of work to put together a book and you just need to be aware of that and just kind of make sure that you're mentally prepared to go into it with, you know, with that energy.

[Host Jess]

Yeah. How long did it take you from, from really starting to like work on it till it was published?

[Benjamin Johnston]

I would say a year and a half. So we had, we had the eight projects. We were all finishing within a year of each other and we needed to make sure we shot all of them as they were wrapping up and completing. So it was about a year and a half from start to finish. Once it was actually, I mean, five years of conversation, but a year and a half of, of development.

[Ben]

So it took you as long to do your book as it does to build a house? Like five years as far as the dream, all those things. As far as like, instead of building, you built a book.

[Host Jess]

Yeah.

[Ben]

That's neat.

[Host Jess]

Yeah, that's great. Okay, let's do a quick round, rapid round of questions.

[Co-host Suze]

What's your favorite item in your home?

[Benjamin Johnston]

Eric, of course. Yeah, he asked.

[Co-host Suze]

He told us.

[Benjamin Johnston]

Yeah, he asked us to ask that.

[Co-host Suze]

So what's, what's a material that you're loving right now?

[Benjamin Johnston]

You know, what's so funn material that I'm loving? I'll just, I think I will always just love grass cloth. I mean, in all of its shapes, forms, and you know, I just, I will always gravitate towards grass cloth. And I love that there's so much variety out there.

[Co-host Suze]

What's one that feels overdone? To you material.

[Benjamin Johnston]

Well, you know, every single designer is going to say boucle right now. I do want to say for the record, I'm actually not over bootleg. I'm over white boucle. But there are so many incredible boucle's and I love how they can optically mix color together, and I just love the texture. And I think it's actually just a really great upholstery material. So I am going to say that I am not over boucle.

[Co-host Suze]

Okay. The sheen plays in that to me too. Yeah, the sheen's a part of it.

[Ben]

So, yeah, the pile, the thickness, the

[Host Jess]

density, is there something that's overdone? That's not boucle?

[Benjamin Johnston]

I think that what's really, really overdone right now are these all white, beige ecru brown house, where they all look like they're done by the same designer. And it doesn't matter. It's like they're all drinking from the same punch bowl. And I feel like that is going to majorly date, you know, in years ahead. So.

[Co-host Suze]

Yeah, totally agree.

[Ben]

Cheers. Cheers.

[Co-host Suze]

One simple move anyone can make this week to elevate their space.

[Benjamin Johnston]

Clean it, clean it. That's all they have to do. You know what? It is so funny to me. I have clients who literally are just like, like, you know, what should we do about the space? I'm like, well, you could start by cleaning it and you're gonna feel instantly better. That's awesome.

[Ben]

And then light a candle. That's what you're gonna do.

[Co-host Suze]

Hey, you know what? Maybe dim the lights, light a candle. Forget the cleaning for the cleaning.

[Host Jess]

It is so true, though, what that can do for your mind. Even if you just go in and, like, organize your closet, just, you know, it feels. You walk out and you're a new woman. You're like, I feel like I've lost £20 because it's. It's like my brain isn't so stuffed. I don'. It really is. It's like therapy. It is. Great advice. Great advice from Benjamin Johnson. Clean your house.

[Co-host Suze]

This question we ask everyone that comes on, it's the last question we ask. And it's. How do you define luxury?

[Benjamin Johnston]

I define luxury as about time. Time is the greatest luxury in our lives. It's the thing we don't and we can never get more of. It's the thing that also when I talk to clients, I say, you know, the greatest luxury that we could have right now is that we take our time with the design and make sure we're not rushing it, that is. It's like the slow process is luxury.

[Host Jess]

Great answer. I love that. Well, will you tell the people where they can find you on Instagram and also your all of your different collections? Because when you were taking us through your home on Homeworthy, you have rugs like you have a lot of different lines. So take them through your lines as well. But first tell them your Instagram handle.

[Benjamin Johnston]

My Instagram handle is benjaminjohnstondesign. Yes, we have collections with Shaddock Furniture, which is a Morganton, North Carolina furniture brand. They make all of their furniture there.

[Host Jess]

And do you have a new collection coming out, Ben?

[Benjamin Johnston]

No. So my big collection just launched this last market, so I am continuing. We'll do some introductions here over the next year, but nothing new for this spring.

[Host Jess]

Okay. So if you didn't go to fall, it will feel new to you when you're there this week. Okay, great. So make sure and check them out at Chaddock and then tell them your other lines.

[Benjamin Johnston]

Fabric and trim and wall covering line with S. Harris, which is part of the Fabrica family of brands. And then I also have the rug line with Madison Lily Rugs, which is a Houston based company of hand knotted wool and silk rugs, which are which I love and use all the time. And then the final one I'm working on is actually a new line of fireplace surrounds and mosaics for materials, bespoke stone and tile. So I'm really excited about that one.

[Co-host Suze]

That's right.

[Host Jess]

Congrats.

[Ben]

That's so great.

[Host Jess]

Yeah, that is so great. Amazing. And also, you guys, you can buy his new book, Refined Interiors. Right? That's available everywhere.

[Benjamin Johnston]

Yes.

[Host Jess]

Yeah.

[Benjamin Johnston]

Available anywhere. Fine books are sold.

[Host Jess]

It's such a beautiful book. Beautiful cover. I have to say, when you take the jacket off, it's a beautiful fluted column linen. Gorgeous. We also love an open book sitting in a book cradle. Every page is gorgeous. So you're going to want to get your hands on Refined Interiors by Benjamin Johnston, published by Rizzoli.

[Ben]

Thanks for painting the pages. The edge page gold.

[Host Jess]

Yeah. Also, yeah.

[Ben]

I mean,

[Benjamin Johnston]

if you open up the inside jacket, there's a photo of our bookcase in our home. And that's the really the reason why we, we decided.

[Host Jess]

Yeah. Every detail. Every detail.

[Benjamin Johnston]

You.

[Host Jess]

Well, thank you so much for coming on, Dear Alice. I know everybody's gonna love this. Go check Benjamin out at market if you're there and if you're not, you can go find him all the place places we just, we just shared. You're a delight yes, you are a delight. And if you guys have any questions, please send those Into Dear Alice alicelanehome.com and we'd love it if you'd leave us a review. And we will catch you guys next time. Hey, thanks for listening. If you like our show, please leave a five star rating.