Living Slowly With Creative Director Alyssa Lewis

Rip & Tan: Tell us about your design background. How did Studio Block come to be? 

Alyssa Lewis: My formal education and professional experience is in product design, studio art, and interior design. Having an understanding of and interest in multiple disciplines has led my studio to take on a multi-disciplinary approach where we will design everything from the product to the space holding the product to the styling of that space.

While professionally prior to founding Studio Block I had also worked in a variety of creative roles and ultimately decided I needed the freedom to chart my own course and really understand who I am as a designer.

Here I am, 4 years later, and still excited by what I do and it just keeps getting better.

Rip & Tan: How would you define your design ethos and aesthetic?

Alyssa Lewis: In search of the essential while creating meaning.

Rip & Tan: Studio Block brings an intentional spin to everything it touches. Are there any creative throughlines that unite your work? Whether you’re creating a product or designing a space, what are the underlying elements of design that you always keep in mind?    

Alyssa Lewis: In essence, every project is connected philosophically by simplifying and unifying design elements—such as form, color, texture, and space—to get to the core of what is needed.

We have a reductionist mentality when it comes to style and design, only using what is necessary to convey the message with beauty. This comes from my personal views about the spaces and objects that surround us, always wanting to find ways to calm my environment, and from modernist teachings.

While conceptually design and styling decisions are informed by a deeper meaning found through research and investigation of a project.

Rip & Tan: What’s your creative process like? How has it evolved over the years?

Alyssa Lewis: My brain is like an archive of all that I see in the world that I find inspiring, recently the crinkle of the petals of a peony just about to bloom or the geometric details of the interiors of Paul Rudolph.

When designing, I pull from what I have seen in my travels and experiences, often using the square or circle as the foundation of form to create from and inserting meaning I find while researching the client, company, or project.

The initial creative process in the project is my favorite part as it is where the majority of the creative work happens. I guess the only thing that has changed over the years is that I collaborate and work with more people, which I love.

Rip & Tan: The Stable Residence is a lesson in essentialism and simplicity. What were the leading principles guiding this space’s design?

Alyssa Lewis: Definitely essentialism and simplicity with attention to the history of the home, as it is over 100-years-old. The current updates are a combination of contemporary and heritage details, which we are still working on.

Rip & Tan: What’s your creative process like? How has it evolved over the years?

Alyssa Lewis: My brain is like an archive of all that I see in the world that I find inspiring, recently the crinkle of the petals of a peony just about to bloom or the geometric details of the interiors of Paul Rudolph.

When designing, I pull from what I have seen in my travels and experiences, often using the square or circle as the foundation of form to create from and inserting meaning I find while researching the client, company, or project.

The initial creative process in the project is my favorite part as it is where the majority of the creative work happens. I guess the only thing that has changed over the years is that I collaborate and work with more people, which I love.

Rip & Tan: The Stable Residence is a lesson in essentialism and simplicity. What were the leading principles guiding this space’s design?

Alyssa Lewis: Definitely essentialism and simplicity with attention to the history of the home, as it is over 100-years-old. The current updates are a combination of contemporary and heritage details, which we are still working on.

Rip & Tan: How can we adopt a less-is-more mentality when it comes to designing spaces of our own?

Alyssa Lewis: Personally, it comes naturally, as I am only interested in having things around me that bring me joy and don’t weigh me down. I find my mind is clearer when my home is a reflection of that philosophy. It is very easy to get there, you just have to be bold and honest with yourself about what you really need.

Also, invest in items that are timeless and high quality—sometimes it helps if they are more expensive because their perceived value is higher and therefore less disposable. When it comes to interiors, I view furniture and products as investments that are a part of your collection like art.

Rip & Tan: What does living well mean to you?

Alyssa Lewis: Simple enough so that time flows freely. Always in search of that which inspires.