Firm Hopes to Have Lots In Store for Home Décor

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Firm Hopes to Have Lots In Store for Home Décor
Brick and Mortar: Brandon Quattrone

The co-founders of interior and home design firm Consort took an unusual approach to garnering publicity for their work.

Rather than keeping a big project secret for months while working to land a magazine feature, Mat Sanders and Brandon Quattrone started publishing photos online of projects for such clients as actress and entrepreneur Jessica Alba and entertainer Jimmy Kimmel right away for fans to gawk at.

Harnessing the Internet and social media channels has paid off as the year-old firm is expanding with new commercial work and the opening of its first shop next month on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles.

Sanders said its growth is reflective of the way new designers are taking their marketing message into their own hands.

“Traditional interior designers will shoot a project, hold on to it and keep it a secret for six to nine months while they get a print-mag lead and that’s it,” Sanders said. “I took the opposite approach.”

That’s also why the co-founders opted to move their business to Melrose, an up-and-coming design district, as opposed to the West Hollywood Design District or District La Brea.

Quattrone, who previously worked on the design and development team for New York indoor-cycling gym SoulCycle, said the key was finding neighbors with complementary offerings to its self-described “cool edgy” style such as furniture shops Galerie Half, Soho Design House and Objects.

“It’s a very cool community that we’re really excited to be a part of,” said Quattrone. “We’d really like to champion this as a design district or a hub of the coolest design shops.”

After previously operating their business out of an office on Beverly Boulevard, Sanders and Quattrone also thought the new location – a few blocks away from Highland Avenue – would allow them to bring in foot traffic. That in itself is a bit atypical for a design firm, Sanders said.

“It’s kind of a closed-door industry because you’re dealing with trade-only pricing and custom fabrications – things you don’t really want to let the customer in on,” he said. “But we wanted to take the opposite approach, again. We want you to come in. We want you to ask about the product and really show you everything, whether you’re a designer or an off-the-street customer.”

The co-founders looked in all of the popular design districts before settling on their new digs.

La Cienega Boulevard’s old-school focus didn’t appeal to them, nor did the West Hollywood Design District, which features large commercial furniture retailers such as B&B Italia and Cassina.

Darren Gold, chair of the West Hollywood Design District, said his area is not made up of large firms only. It offers a mix of luxury brands and smaller L.A. startups in addition to its larger stores.

“With over 300 businesses in our district, we offer much more than any given style, trend or movement you’d find in other areas that may have a more specific tenant base,” he said.

Celebrity showcase

Sanders and Quattrone started out last year by renovating the Telluride, Colo., home of SoulCycle co-founder Elizabeth Cutler and Joe Trohman, guitarist for the band Fall Out Boy.

They were able to pick up more side projects renovating interiors of celebrities, executives and musicians. But after landing a big entertainment client, whose name they declined to reveal, the two decided to pursue the business full time and quit their day jobs – Quattrone at SoulCycle and Sanders reduced his involvement to editor-at-large with lifestyle and interior design website MyDomaine.com, which he co-founded in Los Angeles.

“We would be up all hours of the night trying to make this work,” Sanders said of Consort’s early days. “We’d have interns working out of our kitchen. So, when it came time to take the plunge it was scary but it also felt really good to know that you were taking this decided step forward.”

Consort, which has 11 employees, will operate its design business out of the same space as its retail shop located in the front of the store.

Sanders said the space is under construction but will feature everything from textiles, entertaining accessories such as plates and flatware, as well as repurposed vintage furniture and artwork. Consort will also sell its goods online.

Quattrone said it’s a logical next step for a design company with celebrity clientele such as Alba. While a star’s fans might not be able to afford the thousands of dollars required to have an interior designer outfit their home, they might want to purchase a few specific pieces.

“It’s really taking what we do and offering it to a larger audience,” he said. “And I think that’s the most exciting part.”

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