Podcast Summary: Talk Shop with Ariel Okin - "Revisiting A S1 Favorite: Jake Arnold on Design and Storytelling"

Date: November 26, 2025
Host: Ariel Okin
Guest: Jake Arnold

Episode Overview

In this special episode, Ariel Okin revisits a fan-favorite interview with designer Jake Arnold, a celebrated AD100 designer and co-founder of The Expert. The wide-ranging conversation explores Jake’s remarkable journey from London to LA, his philosophy on design and storytelling, the balance between creativity and business, and practical advice for aspiring designers. Jake candidly discusses the transition from working for others to founding his own firm, the challenges of building a brand from scratch, his sources of inspiration, and the importance of editing and intuition in design.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Jake’s Style and Career in Brief

• Describing His Aesthetic:
  • "Livable, impactful, and unexpected." (Jake, 03:13)
• Origin Story:
  • Born in London, moved to LA in 2012.
  • Co-founder of The Expert—an e-design platform connecting clients to top designers.
  • Well-known for collaborations with Crate and Barrel, Parachute, and Lulu & Georgia.
  • Launched first book, Redefining Comfort.

Design Journey & Lessons Learned

• Early Passion:
  • Rearranged his room as a child; always drawn to interiors.
  • Studied business and economics before pivoting to design after reading The Secret. (06:23)
  • Landed first internship by tweeting a firm in LA, which “changed everything.”
• Starting Out in LA:
  • Arrived alone, no connections—was immersed in LA design through mentorship.
  • “I was not used to people being so open and friendly...” (Jake, 09:32)
• Imposter Syndrome & Grit:
  • No formal training in design—relied on intuition and people skills.
  • "You have to be good with people... you have to have the ability to be good with people and take risks and be able to be solution oriented." (Jake, 11:06)
• Launching His Own Firm:
  • Built client list while working under others.
  • Opened firm officially in 2020: "I had my head down for, like, 10 years, honestly, before I started my own company..." (Jake, 13:23)
  • Immigration/visa stress was substantial and formative ("...one of the most stressful things I’ve ever been through." 14:37)

Evolving Aesthetic & Signature Projects

• Defining a Genre:
  • Brought moodier, richly layered, European-inspired style to sun-soaked LA at a pivotal time.
  • “People in LA specifically were not doing that, of course, because it kind of contradicts the climate...But that was my big thing.” (18:55)
• On Not Being Pigeonholed:
  • “You don’t want to be pigeonholed into an aesthetic versus a feeling. And all designers want to say that we can do anything.” (19:35)
• Celebrity Custom Work:
  • Example: Embalmed olive tree for John Legend and Chrissy Teigen.
  • “It was almost like an art installation...” (21:13)

Balancing Multiple Ventures

• Managing Design + Collaborations + The Expert:
  • Credits a strong team and careful calendar blocking.
  • "You can never do everything at once. And so it requires a lot of planning..." (24:19)
  • Advice from Leanne Ford: “Say no to the good so you can get the great.” (25:38)
• Design vs. Logistics:
  • Strives to maximize time spent on pure design. Implementation/logistics are the biggest challenge. (27:28)
  • "When I'm just designing, that comes easy. That's the easy part." (27:14)

Jake’s Design Process and Inspiration

• North Star Principles:
  • Always strives for a balance: "There's always this yin and yang approach..." (28:32)
  • Design must be functional, not just visually appealing.
• Personal Home:
  • Minimal and calming, "treated like a hotel." (30:41)
  • “If something's too designed where I live right now...it feels like work to me, and it's overwhelming.” (31:29)
• Sources of Inspiration:
  • Heavy French influence, especially 1930s–40s, but draws from wide-ranging eras.
  • “Anything in France, honestly...I know it’s very cliche," (31:59)
• Biggest Influences:
  • English heritage and American optimism.
  • Embraces context and departure from strict aesthetics, evolving project-to-project.

Advice for Aspiring Designers

• “You have to choose what you love, save it all, and then edit... You can't do everything you love in one space.” (Jake, 00:55 / 41:55)
• Visual references are key for clarifying preferences (“The only common language between designer and client is imagery.” 43:08)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Early Career Risks:
  • “...I don't know why I had the balls to say at the time. I was like, I'll do it.” (Jake, 10:28)
• On Design School:
  • “I think that's the biggest thing in this industry... you have to be good with people and take risks, and be solution oriented.” (Jake, 11:06)
• On Immigration and Safety:
  • “...an element of safety in life, whether that's physically or emotionally, is so important when you're enduring on building a business.” (Jake, 15:10)
• On Social Media’s Impact:
  • “Instagram was so instrumental for me, to be honest with you.” (18:16)
• On His Home:
  • “...it says that I work too much because it’s never done.” (Jake, 30:24)
• On Inspiration:
  • “I find that I'm mostly attracted to a lot of French design, especially like 30s, 40s...” (Jake, 31:59)
• On American Optimism:
  • “...the best thing about Americans is their optimism and enthusiasm. Because I do think that I didn't grow up with that.” (Jake, 35:48)
• On Editing:
  • “You have to choose what you love, save it all, and then edit.” (Jake, 00:55 / 41:55)

Highlighted Segments (Timestamps)

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------| | 00:55 | Jake’s design philosophy: "You have to choose what you love, save it all, and then edit..." | | 03:13 | Jake describes his style in three words | | 06:23 | Inspiration from "The Secret" and how he got his LA start | | 10:28 | Taking his first (untrained) client on a leap of faith | | 14:37 | Visa and personal challenges in the US | | 18:55 | Bringing "moodier" design to LA, resisting trends | | 21:13 | The story behind the famous “embalmed” olive tree | | 25:38 | Advice from Leanne Ford: “Say no to the good so you can get the great.” | | 27:14 | Jake on focusing on the design, letting team handle logistics | | 28:32 | His “yin and yang” approach to room composition | | 30:24 | What his home says about him | | 31:59 | Sources of inspiration: France, California, and heritage | | 41:55 | Key advice for those defining their own style |

Rapid-Fire & Personal Favorites (from 36:29 onward)

• Favorite foods: Tamasalata with pita, and baked potato.
• Drink: Tequila.
• Film: The Holiday ("It has to make me laugh or inspire me." 37:29)
• Hotels: Greenwich in NY, Claridge’s in London.
• City: Los Angeles.
• Bedding: Parachute, also fond of specialty European finds.
• Coffee or tea: Coffee, especially in the US.
• Music: The Internet, jazz playlists.
• Weekend activity: Lounging on the sofa, decompressing.
• Design book: Jacques Grange; Elements of Style for historical details.

Final Thoughts & Where to Find Jake Arnold

• Advice Recap:
  • Gather what you love, edit ruthlessly, and recognize not everything goes together—editing is an act of design.
• Current Projects:
  • Excited for a chalet project in Switzerland. (41:41)
• Find Jake:
  • Website: www.jakearnold.com (43:22)
  • Full portfolio, collaborations, book information, and more available there.

Tone & Takeaways

The conversation is candid, warm, and full of mutual admiration. Both Ariel and Jake reflect on the realities of building creative businesses, the necessity of grit, and the evolving nature of inspiration and style. Jake is approachable, forthright, and encouraging—a champion for intuition, hard work, and the value of "ignorance as bliss" when starting out.
This episode is invaluable for design aficionados and up-and-comers alike, offering both pragmatic advice and a peek behind the curtain of top-tier design.

Memorable closing:

“You have to choose what you love, save it all, and then edit. But you can't do everything you love in one space…”
— Jake Arnold (00:55 & 41:55)