In this conversation, Los Angeles–based designer Jamie Bush goes deep on the fingerprints of his work: calibrated proportion, playful scale shifts, and layered vignettes that bring warmth without relying on trends. He shares how a studio can stay curious across typologies and geographies—from historic restorations to a New Orleans hotel with deco and jazz-age notes—while keeping budgets honest and craft purposeful.Founder of Jamie Bush + Co., Jamie has led projects across the U.S. and abroad, from LA to London and Finland, as well as rural retreats in Canada and Santa Fe. Trained in architecture, he frames interiors as cultural legacy: spaces that should feel right today and still feel right decades from now. Rather than chasing novelty, he prioritizes proportion, material integrity, and the long view of stewardship.TIMESTAMPS00:00 Introduction01:20 Current State of Los Angeles Design Community07:30 Working Across Geographies: London, Finland, Canada, Santa Fe10:21 Proportion as Fingerprint: Bush's Design Philosophy13:30 Working Across Diverse Styles and Typologies18:43 Creative Inheritance from East Coast Family20:45 Discovering Architecture at Tulane University23:13 Projects Now Take 5-7 Years (vs Historical 2-2.5 Years)26:30 Designing for Stewardship: The Silver Top Lesson28:48 Investment Value vs Artistic Vision31:04 Budget Honesty: $800 vs $2,400 Per Square Foot34:42 Team Exposure to Clients and Long-Term Relationships35:26 Control vs Growth: The Delegation Challenge37:50 Why Staying in One Aesthetic Lane Feels Pathological39:36 Bread-and-Butter Projects Fund Passion Experiments40:40 Creative Courage Increases With Age44:58 Father Ronald Bush and Family Pride48:20 The Best Compliment: Clients Copying Published Work50:16 Recommendation: Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino51:35 Recommendation: The Diplomat52:07 Future Guest Recommendation: Max Lamb KEY TOPICS DISCUSSED- Proportion, composition, and scale as design fingerprints- Designing for longevity and future stewards- Budget honesty: where craft matters and where it doesn't- Studio growth enabling creative risk through financial stability- Working across geographies and historical precedents- Why "playing safe rarely makes something enduring"- The financial structure of passion projects vs profitable work- Historic restoration: John Lautner's Silver Top house- New Orleans hotel with 1930s deco and jazz-age influences- How creative courage increases with age and experience💬 STANDOUT QUOTES"Proportion is the fingerprint.""To stay in one lane is sort of pathological to me. I'll wither up and die to do the same thing over and over.""Playing safe rarely makes something enduring.""The best homes are multi-generational homes that are passed down or stand the test of time.""Something that might cost $800 a square foot might cost $2,400 a square foot to do it extraordinarily well.""I feel very comfortable going out on the limb and challenging a client in a playful way. I don't care. I'm not fazed by those things."ABOUT JAMIE BUSHJamie Bush is an interior designer with 30 years of practice in Los Angeles. Trained in architecture at Tulane University, he founded Jamie Bush + Co., working across typologies from historic restorations to hospitality to residential retreats. His philosophy prioritizes proportion over style, stewardship over trends, and long-horizon thinking over short-term aesthetics. Bush's work has been featured in Architectural Digest's AD 100.Website: jamiebush.comGUEST RECOMMENDATIONSBook: Invisible Cities by Italo CalvinoTV Show: The Diplomat (starring Keri Russell)Future Guest: Max Lamb - London-based designerSubscribe for weekly conversations with leading creative figures in art, design, and architecture.
