Tori Rubinson contacted me a few years ago to take some new photos of her home in Ft. Worth, Texas.  From that early photoshoot we have been working together on several large projects in Texas, including her new home and also a Showhouse in Ft. Worth.  

The evolution of Tori as a designer and leading interior design firm in Texas and beyond has been a fun one to witness and I have been fortunate to document. Her style is timeless, she is loved by so many, and working alongside her is about as great as it gets from a photographer's perspective. I can only imagine how much growth she will have in the next few years, the word is out and her team is growing. 

Enjoy this quick little glimpse about Tori!

Her story…

Tori Rubinson is a Texas-based designer, passionate about classic interiors and homes built to last. She has a reputation for creating layered interiors that seamlessly blend old with new — and for creating spaces that are as comfortable as they are beautiful. 

A lifelong love of interiors — along with a natural eye — led her to start work for one of Fort Worth’s most high-end builders a decade ago. Tori learned the industry quickly, while simultaneously cultivating her own design point of view. Friends and family began to consult her on home projects, and after the requests started to pile up, Tori launched her own interior design business in 2013. 

Tori has been featured in Country French, Luxe Magazine, Southern Living, Southern Home Magazine, was recognized as a 2022 and 2021 D Home Best Designer and featured in the Wall Street Journal. She has won numerous design awards, most recently including two Regional Awards from the prestigious Luxe Red Awards.

September 2022 issue of Country French magazine.

Photography by Stephen Karlisch. Styling by Megan McKinley

Let’s see and hear a little more from Tori.…

If you need inspiration for a design project, what do you do first?

I have constantly inundated myself with visual imagery. I read design books (past and present), I love to travel and visit the most beautiful places, I take tons of pictures wherever I go, I scour Instagram and Pinterest for inspiration. Imagery of architectural elements, of fashion, of textiles and patterns, of designers I love, furniture and accessory companies, artists, etc. A room may begin with one element, like a piece of art, a fabric or a rug. And then it just builds upon that one element!

What would you say is key in selecting a photographer for your projects?

You need to love their work. Pay attention to the lighting of the images. The angles of the images also tell you if the photographer has an eye for how to capture interiors.

View fullsize

View fullsize

What's your favorite travel destination?

I absolutely love traveling throughout Europe. The architectural details of the past are what inspires me the most!  

What advice would you give yourself at 20? 

Trust your instincts and go for it! Stay true to yourself, always. I think that is what I have done and why I have been successful in building my design business..  

What's the number-one red flag you look for in potential clients? 

I really enjoy working with kind and level headed clients. If they show me they are unrealistic about budgets and timelines and are unwilling to receive guidance on these things, then it is definitely a red flag for me!

View fullsize

View fullsize

What modern design trend makes you cringe? 

The home style Modern Farmhouse White with Black Windows. CANNOT HANDLE IT! Quit tearing down masterpieces to build those cheap boring white boxes!!! Please!!!

Tori Rubinson Interiors is now offering Full Design-Build services. Architectural planning, landscape design, and complete interior design. Keeping everything in house allows for a very efficient process with spectacular results

Awards-

• 2022 LUXE RED Award - Best Use of Color

• DHome Best 2021 and 2022

• FT Worth Home Design Awards 2019 & 2021

Published in

LUXE feature January 2022

Southern Home January/Feb. 2022

Southern Living April 2021

To learn and see more of Tori Rubinson Interior talents please visit Tori Rubinson Interiors website and be sure to follow her instagram.

We would love to feature your creative talents from our industry on our award-winning blog.

Shoot us an email at hello@stephenkarlisch.com to find out how.

Bronson Van Wyck

Bronson is a one-namer.  You know, like Bono or Beyonce.  Not sure why I chose to lump him into the entertainer category, since he is usually on the other side of entertainment where the true genius tends to reside.  He makes dreams come to life, and his imagination is only rivaled by his intensity to get shit done.  I met Bronson in New Orleans many years ago.  It was then that I knew I was in the presence of a true artist who could turn a blank empty lot or room into a fantasy, even if it was only for a few hours, and into a memory that would last forever.  

Bronson Van Wyck in his NY living room. Photo by Stephen Karlisch

Bronson Van Wyck in his NY apt bar. Photo by Stephen Karlisch

I’ve been fortunate to document some of the life and times of Bronson along with the rest of his family, the creative forces that make up their thriving business Van Wyck Van Wyck.

Bronson with his family at their family farm in Arkansas for a holiday celebration.

Featured in his new book, Born to Party, Forced to Work: 21st Century Hospitality

Bronson Van Wyck is one of the world’s leading authorities on hospitality, celebrated for a style of entertaining that combines wit and sophistication with the gracious warmth of his Southern upbringing. An event planner of international renown, Bronson has organized some of the most memorable and imaginative parties of the past two decades in locations all over the world. Bronson’s talent and style have drawn clients like Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama, Madonna, Beyoncé, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jerry Seinfeld, and Diane von Furstenberg. Bronson also creates strategic event programs for international luxury brands, such as Chanel, St. Regis, Mercedes Benz, Christie’s, Bulgari, Range Rover, and Van Cleef & Arpels among many others. Passionate about giving back, Bronson is a founding member of the Friends of the Highline and was instrumental in the creation of the beloved park, of which he is a trustee, raising millions of dollars as one of the organization’s leading supporters for more than a decade. He also serves on the Board of Directors of The Apollo Theater. An avid traveler, writer, photographer, and host, Bronson resides in New York City.

It was an honor to photograph some of the most avant-garde designs by Van Wyck & Van Wyck. When I got the call about the new book by Bronson, I was not surprised. Born to Party, Forced to Work: 21st Century Hospitality was released on October 23rd by Phaidon.

Bronson, tell us a story…

I never knew that what I do, producing parties, was actually a way to make a living, much less a way to make a life. I got here after an extended process of elimination during which I learned I had no other marketable skills. My mother and I accidentally started our business, Van Wyck & Van Wyck, twenty years ago in 1999. In a way it was an escape for both of us. Me from years of hard living on the Hollywood D-List (with more than a few glorious brushes with the A-, B-, and C-lists) and her from an isolated nest whose birds- like so many in rural America – had flown the coop. We come from a place where parties are given, not produced. And it’s precisely for this reason that what we do seems to work. What is it that we do? Actually, nothing revolutionary. We are taking part in a tradition as old as man, using the same tools to create the same feelings of welcome, of being appreciated, of being taken care of, and of being loved.

Bronson Van Wyck holiday shoot. Photo by Stephen Karlisch

Favorite piece of clothing you own?

I’ve never met a cape I didn’t like

Favorite must read book and why?

Edie: American Girl by Jean Stein. She’s the original influencer!

Bronson in his NY home library. Photo by Stephen Karlisch

What modern design trend makes you cringe?

That faux-hipster Brooklyn Pinterest aesthetic

A skill you’re working on mastering?

Photography. Tell Stephen I want a lesson.

- Bronson, they don’t call me a photo coach for nothing! Let’s chat! - sk

A book that everyone should read?

My publisher would want me to say mine

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

If you had one more hour in the day what would you do with it?

Keep the party going.

---

Blurbs about his new book:

"This book is like a shot of tequila at the beginning of an unforgettable night. Appropriately so, because serving tequila to guests right when they arrive at our house for a night of revelry is a party trick Bronson van Wyck taught me - and one I highly recommend. In his book, Bronson shows us that being a great host is something we can all achieve. This beautiful book is a fun gift for those who like to entertain, and for the anxious host as well."—Jessica Seinfeld 

"I've watched Bronson van Wyck grow up, as he's turned his passion into a profession. Born to Party, Forced to Work is an inspiring, beautifully written read for anyone who's ever wondered how to make a career out of doing what you love. Bronson's sincerity, graciousness, and sly sense of humor come across in every page. And the pictures of the events make you feel like you were there yourself."—Diane von Furstenberg

"Every party Bronson van Wyck designs is a party you want to attend. And every party is a creative tour de force, full of innovation, great music, wonderful decoration, and an all-encompassing friendly ambience. Energy, joie de vivre, incomparable glamour, vivaciousness, and otherworldly beauty are just a few of the building blocks Bronson employs to accomplish his wizardry at any party venue. This evocative book captures so much of Bronson's work and evokes the range of his amazing talents."—Martha Stewart

Thank you Bronson for sharing your creative spirit and talents with us. To keep the party going head over to Phaidon to buy his newly released Born to Party, Forced to Work: 21st Century Hospitality. Also check your local bookstores or we just found on Amazon too. To learn more and see the multi-talented Van Wyck & Van Wyck head over to their website.

---

Are you a client of ours that would love to be featured on our blog?

Shoot us an email at hello@stephenkarlisch.com to find out how.

Karlisch Photography, Inc. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking.

Chad Dorsey is a gift in the design world. He's a breath of fresh air in a growing sea of sameness, pushing a narrative of masculine comfort, similar to his personality. When you are in one of Chad's homes, you just want to stay there because everything just feels right. He was trained as an architect and his design is a fluid relationship to the architecture where proportion, light, and scale are as essential as taste and lifestyle. He believes furnishings should be impactful without being overwhelming and rooms should flow and transition seamlessly. I have been fortunate to have photographed Chad’s designs over the past decade. He is the recipient of numerous awards and accolades (scroll down for the long list) and we are excited to share our Q&A with him as well as some of the imagery I have shot for Chad recently. Enjoy!

Chad, tell us a story…

Recently at a shoot I mentioned to Stephen I needed a new portrait for an event.  He appeared to hear the comment but really didn’t acknowledge this comment….. I am thinking should I be wearing something else or maybe I am just not portrait worthy?

Stephen went about the day, shooting the project and taking great shots…. When I least expected it, he said “Hey Chad, get on the bed”.  

Shocked, I wasn’t sure if he was being funny or not.   

Thoughts to myself-

 - we have worked for the past hour to perfect the bed for the shot, and now Stephen wants me to destroy this?  

 - Should I act like I am sleeping?  

Stephen says, “Just do it……  RELAX…..  Act like Kelly Wearstler”

Not sure I ever relaxed, but somehow Stephen always finds a way to pull out some sort of character or spirt in each shot.  This is the really cool unique angle Stephen has.  His humor is another.  I feel like this image was the Telenovela of the entire shoot.

If you need inspiration for a design project, what do you do first?

I like to think of all of my travel and remember experiences that I have had that maybe relevant to a project.

How would you define your work in three words?

Relaxed, Bespoke, Timeless

View fullsize

View fullsize

Favorite piece of clothing you own?

I have this old grey hoodie that has a cool lining in the hood…. The company that made this hoodie is no longer in business, and well my hoodie isn’t long for this world either.  I wear it all year long…. Inside during the summer…. Outside during the winter… I have even worn it with a sport coat on top.  

What modern design trend makes you cringe? 

Anything purchased as a set or collection….  No matter the budget, find things that make the space unique to the person.  

What is one thing no one knows about you? 

I am not sure that this is a surprise, but I really have to work at being social.  This also goes for social media…. I am super critical of my own work, so one single post takes a lot of thought for me… I have been trying to be more spur of the moment and think less about them and just go with it….

View fullsize

View fullsize

Favorite city to recharge? 

I love Los Angeles right now.  I go there and become so inspired, yet so relaxed and at ease.  It feels good.

If you had one more hour in the day what would you do with it?

Sleep.

What’s inspiring you in life (in the industry) right now? 

I really like seeing the texture, details, and layers coming back into interiors.  This is happening in both modern and traditional spaces.  I think we are all ready for a lot more dimension after a long more minimal period.

Awards-

• Recipient of three Paper City Design awards in 2018.

  Best Overall Interior Project over 3500 sq

  Best Kitchen

  Best Entertaining Space

• 2019 LCDQ Legends Designer 

• 2019 Veranda Orchid Dinner Designer

• 2019 Hampton Showhouse Designer

• Dpages Blog August 19, 2019

Upcoming National Features in

Traditional Home (Oct 2019)

Interiors Magazine (Sept/Oct 2019)

Western Art & Architecture (Oct 2019)

Thank you Chad for sharing your creative spirit and talents with us. To learn and see more of Chad’s talents please visit his website www.chaddorseydesign.com/

Are you a client of ours that would love to be featured on our blog?

Shoot us an email at hello@stephenkarlisch.com to find out how.