This Lighting Brand’s Workspace Looks More Like a Chic Loft Apartment
Where the cofounders of In Common With work.
Published Oct 7, 2022 1:00 AM
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Visiting a person’s workspace is like taking a peek inside their brain. Whether it’s at home or in an art studio, Nice Work explores where creative people do all of their, well, creating—so that you can steal their on-the-clock style.
Names: Nick Ozemba and Felicia Hung
Occupations: Cofounders of In Common With
How we met:
Ozemba: We met on our first day at the Rhode Island School of Design. We were friends from the start, but it was when we both started the furniture program that we began to realize our design and work styles were so similar.
What time I start:
Ozemba: I usually do some work at home at 6:30 a.m. as I’m making coffee and getting ready for the day.
Hung: I really get into the groove when I’m in the studio at 9.
What time I clock out:
Ozemba: I try to leave by 6 p.m., but continue working when I get home.
Hung: Typically I’ll be in the studio until 7:30 or 8. Nine times out of ten, work will continue at home until I go to bed.
How I get to work:
Ozemba: Our studio is conveniently a 15-minute walk from my apartment. I walk with my partner, whose studio is across the street, and our dog, Luca.
Hung: I usually drive, because we have an off-site warehouse we often need to go to during the day.
Three words that describe our space:
Ozemba: Serene, earthy, approachable.
Hung: Warm, calming, organized.
When we moved in:
Ozemba: Fall of 2020, but the studio has evolved a lot since then, as we’ve taken over more space in the building. Previously, the space that now houses our showroom was our production studio and office. We quickly outgrew that setup and opened up the walls to create a dedicated showroom. Our production space and workshop are now in a 2,500-square-foot space down the hall and more than triple the size.
Most important thing on my desk:
Ozemba: Pen, paper, and water.
Most important thing in our office/studio:
Hung: Our dogs.
What’s on the walls:
Ozemba: A ton of sconces, and artwork by Charlotte Hallberg, Christina van der Merwe, and Al Svoboda.
Hung: Some mood-board images, beautiful art, and lots of shelves.
Current creative fuel:
Ozemba: Cooking, traveling, and exercise are like therapy for me and help me reenergize to do my best work.
Hung: Traveling. It’s been great to go places again.
What I turn to when I’m stuck:
Ozemba: We have a pretty extensive image archive of interiors, furniture, and objects. I love a deep dive into another (usually deceased) artist’s or designer’s work.
Hung: When I’m at the studio, I move onto a different task and revisit it later in the day. When I’m working at home, I go into my backyard and weed for 15 minutes.
How I stay organized:
Ozemba: We designed custom furniture for the studio to stay hyper-organized. Everything has a home. In the production space, it organizes everything we need to get the fixture out the door, from hardware components to ceramic shades to packing materials. In the showroom, our sideboard houses stationary, finished samples, catalogs, and various assembled lights for appointments.
Hung: Many great computer programs and spreadsheets.
Favorite pen:
Ozemba: Pilot Juice Up 03.
Hung: Hi-Tec-C Coleto. I love a multicolored pen.
Best notebook:
Ozemba: I will use anything I can get my hands on. I’ll often scribble on envelopes and scraps when I can’t find a pad of paper.
Hung: A softbound sketchbook that can be folded in half. I’m always trying something different and searching for the perfect one, and right now I’m loving this one from Japanese brand Stalogy.
Work bag I carry every day:
Ozemba: A random tote. It changes every day.
Technology I can’t live without:
Ozemba: Sadly, my iPhone, which I lovingly call my Game Boy.
Hung: The cloud. It makes working as a team so simple.
Desk chair that I could (and do) spend hours in:
Hung: Ico Parisi’s Desk Chair for MiM.
Conference table we convene around:
Ozemba: We usually meet in the showroom in the living room area, but we also have impromptu meetings in the production room or at our custom office table.
How I fight the 3 p.m. slump:
Ozemba: My batteries fall out at 10 p.m.
Hung: That’s usually when I am at my peak.
Coffee machine we run on:
Ozemba: Stagg’s Pour-Over Coffee Maker Set.
Ideal office snack:
Ozemba: Love a gummy.
Biggest splurge that was worth it:
Ozemba: We bought a ’70s German terry cloth sofa on a whim, but it anchors the showroom and is hands down one of our favorite pieces that we’ve collected.
Preferred soundtrack:
Ozemba: ’70s and ’80s disco.
Hung: I actually love working in silence, but that doesn’t happen too often.
