Designer Q&A: Erin Ruby with Decca

Erin Ruby is an American designer of interiors, products and fabrics, known for her holistic approach to design. Based in New York City, she founded Erin Ruby Design in 2014. Having worked at renowned commercial architecture firms for over 15 years, Erin applies her interior design expertise to product development. Her work has garnered numerous design awards and has been featured in Interior Design, Contract, Metropolis, Architectural Record, Interiors & Sources, Azure, and The Wall Street Journal, among others.

For this years’ Clerkenwell Design Week Decca London will be launching the GAIT collection design by Erin Ruby.

What is the GAIT collection?

GAIT is a comprehensive Conference and Executive Office collection encompassing meeting tables, credenzas, and desks.

What was the inspiration behind GAIT?

The concept of GAIT was derived from human anatomy; the leg profile mimics someone walking in mid stride.

An innovative ball and socket leg structure allows for leveling at the table surface, thereby eliminating unsightly adjusters at the feet. We built off of that concept with 2, 3 and 4 piece leg assemblies to allow for maximum flexibility in sizing and configuration. The visual story is one of lightness, with thin elegant lines. No detail is superfluous or decorative – all elements are essential.

Because the structure itself is so integral to the design of the table, it is finished the same as the legs, making the underside of the table as beautiful as the top.

How does the design reflect what is happening in the workplace right now?

The irony of our times is that technology is advancing at a rate we can barely keep up with, and in order to stay relevant, furniture is becoming ‘dumb’ again. I think that’s a good thing. A table can just a be a table. Once you begin to fully integrate technology into a product, it will probably be outdated by the time it’s installed. With GAIT, we have provided the option of convenience power at the table edge, which can be added as needed and easily replaced with new technology as it evolves.

In your video for Mic you talk about functional design that can stand the test of time, how do you feel this can be achieved? It has got to be the Million dollar question, right?

That’s for sure. But maybe the answer is not that far out of reach. I think the secret to timelessness is respect. Respect the building. Respect the context. Respect the client. It may seem obvious, but think about it. A lot of office design is falling under a category I call ‘Corporate Kindergarten.’ It’s playing into a false notion of what’s hip or cool, rather than considering the true human experience.  Is a slide or a beanbag chair really respecting the client? Probably not. Unless the client is a slide or beanbag manufacturer, of course!

Create a thoughtful, comfortable space that reflects how people truly live and work, not a parody of how they live and work, and it will be timeless.

See more from Decca on their Design Insider Directory Profile

You can meet Erin Ruby and see the Decca Collection at this year’s Clerkenwell Design Week at The Vault, 8-11 St Johns Lane, London, EC1M 4BF