Our newest Agency client Will Zhang joins us after building his impressive design and branding skill sets for sixteen years at Emtek, a leading American hardware manufacturer. After Emtek was acquired by Fortune Brands, he also provided design leadership to their portfolio of luxury brands under House of Rohl, creating branding and design synergy across all hardware and bath categories.

Will’s design ethos and process bring a West Coast flair to the designer talent pool represented by our Agency. “I actually like to think of the way I design to be ‘very L.A.,’” states Zhang, a born-and-raised Angeleno who says he draws creative energy from his hometown. “I’m constantly inspired by the city, and by all its unique details that come together to form a patchwork of amazing, cohesive diversity. I’m also part Chinese, and I love being on the Pacific Coast where Asian influences can be very tied to the Pacific Rim design culture.”

Throughout his career, Will has been passionate about using the fusion of design, branding and marketing to drive the reimagination of the role hardware can play in residential design. “Hardware has traditionally been an afterthought,” says Zhang, who believes it should be considered early in the design process. “At Emtek, we positioned hardware at the forefront of projects and believe that it’s an extension of the homeowner’s personal style … the ‘jewelry’ of the home. I consider trends while designing, but more important are adaptability and versatility.“

More critical than styles, Zhang suggests, are products crafted with a well-proportioned hand feel and weight, products with great usability as well as beautifully designed. He also has a conviction that authenticity in the design process and any needed collaboration can yield far superior results. Sophisticated interior designers recognize that details can greatly enhance living spaces, and that hardware—items such as door handles, switch plates, even hinges or door stoppers—can have a disproportionate impact on a room’s aesthetics. In the right hands, Will believes those seemingly pedestrian products can be downright glamorous.

Will joined our Agency to expand his design and branding footprint beyond hardware. One particular area of new and intense interest is lighting, which has a strong atmospheric quality as well as important functional requirements. A few preliminary renderings are shown in the slide carousel below of Will’s first ideas about this exciting new category.

Please check out samples of Will’s beautiful new lighting ideas in the slide carousel below, and also check out his studio website https://www.willzhangdesign.com.