Meet WHY NOT MONDAY | interior furniture design studio

We had the good fortune of connecting with WHY NOT MONDAY and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi WHY NOT MONDAY, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Monday? Why not? Originated from our passion and love for interior design and product design, we turned the passion and love into our real jobs. We were motivated by a desire of producing great designs and worked tirelessly day and night. From an outsider’s point of view, the 24/7-style work schedules of independent studios may seem crazy or unhealthy. But how do you distinguish between work and life when you got an inspiration for a boutique project after attending a fashion show with friends on a Tuesday, or even when you got a contract after taking a client for a super delicious brunch on a Saturday morning? Just like that, every day feels like a weekday just the same way it feels like the weekend.

We see “whynotmonday” as an attitude of not wanting to be tied down by schedules and places. We are trying to move away from the old “5+2”-style schedules and to achieve higher efficiencies both in work and in life, just like some companies in the UK that are testing “4+3”-style working schedules. In fact, the new schedule we are trying to find requires more focus on self-discipline, team spirit, and a pacing that will be unique to us. In our eyes, the essence of design should be found in life and within ourselves. To put our statement “our design is our attitude towards life” into practice, we must first learn to love life itself. To blur the line between work and life is like to maintain a dynamic balance between yin and yang. Life and work are like Tai Chi, inseparable and complementing the other half while constantly elevating and reshaping each other. Whynotmonday hopes that we could start every day with ultimate enthusiasm towards life without resistance to Monday or decadence from Saturday, adjusting our pace, outputting beautiful things nonstop and making more friends.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

Just like the lifestyle and work philosophy our studio is trying to advocate through our name, we have our own approach when it comes to our design. We are not afraid of being labeled as a specific style of design, because we know our design is fluid. We know that our design is constantly evolving, which is completely the opposite of lifeless. There is always a possibility of a brief overlap with some new sensation type of design, but we know that is not our destination. If we absolutely have to describe our design with certain words, then it must be tranquil instead of clamorous, modest instead of flashy, diverse instead of monotonous.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If you want to come to LA, the first place I’ll take you is Getty. We will discover one of the world’s largest art libraries while appreciating its highly stylized interior and its architecture. The Broad Museum and MOCA in Downtown LA are also great places for you to feast your eyes on. You can go to the Self Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine and the Last Bookstore in the morning, then grab a bite of the local delicacy at the Grand Central Market. You wouldn’t want to miss the sunset at Santa Monica Beach. When it’s time for dinner, go to 4141 Santa Monica Blvd and enjoy a retro-inspired dinner at Marco Polo. If you happen to be a fan of vintage design and also want to get a few drinks, The Wolves is my top choice, which is one of DTLA’s best and most unique cocktail spaces. One glass of Mezcal would send you straight into a time machine. Filled with antiques and period-authentic pieces while restoring original elements of the 1911 building, the interior has a Belle Epoch-style with 100-year-old white marble, antique mahogany, and European accent pieces. Before you go home, take a spin on Mulholland Drive to enjoy the night view of LA. I believe you would definitely fall in love with this city.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First things first, huge shoutout to our team. An individual has never been more insignificant and fragile during the pandemic, but our team turns out to be braver and more real. We are never afraid of exposing ourselves to excessively personal emotions because we all know that it hasn’t been easy for anyone. It actually brought us closer on an emotional level. Second, we would like to thank our clients for not suspending their projects because of the unknowns that come with the economic downturn. Instead of partnerships, we are more like buddies who grow up side by side. Though we are not exactly clear about the future condition of the economy and business development, we will keep an open mind all the way and have discussions about workable plans.

Website: https://www.whynotmondaystudio.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_wnmstudio_interior_design/

Image Credits
Bigbear , Ziyan