Designer Crush: Tyreus Design
Author:Lindsey ShookBay Area design firm Tyreus Design is quickly gaining notoriety for their sophisticated yet playful designs that infuse each space with color and vibes. Founded in 2008 by Christie Tyreus, her team of designers, architects and industrial designers have found common ground in creating artistic spaces through custom solutions that help clients celebrate Northern California lifestyle. We recently spoke with Tyreus about what has influenced her work the most and what has helped make her business a success thus far.
-How has your upbringing (where are you from) influenced your work? My upbringing and undergraduate experience was pretty traditional at the University of Virginia. My graduate work, however, was the complete opposite at UCLA. It was a very progressive and modern program. The dichotomy of the two was a great experience. I’m comfortable mixing elements of both in our work.
–How would you define your aesthetic?
Modern form softened by natural materials with a dose of the unexpected.
–Which other designers or creatives inspired your career the most? Internationally, I love Herzog de Meuron for their use of traditional materials installed in an absolutely unique way. Locally, I love Bestor Architecture because they mix high with low cost materials to achieve unique, custom results that feel very unique and original.
–What new technology/tools have altered how you do business? We’ve recently adopted more sophisticated rendering technologies that show how light reflects off different materials in a space. It’s a game changer for understanding textures, how a space feels to a client, not just how it’s drawn.
-How would you like to see the local architectural landscape shift? The Bay Area needs a lot more size and cost variation across its housing stock. Honestly, we need more affordable housing. And we’d be happy to design it. I’d love to see more small houses, more variation in housing typologies. It’s not easy, but we go out of our way to take on projects with very small budgets sometimes.
–How have you shifted your business during the pandemic? Luckily, we were already familiar with some remote work, but we’ve become more organized about what type of work happens where. Currently we do two days days in the office for in-person collaboration between our various creative disciples (interiors, architecture, furniture) and to review physical material samples. On remote days, teammates can focus on their drafting work and details in peace and quiet.
