D What?
“A débrouillard is a man who, even when he is told to do the impossible, will ‘se débrouiller’- get it done somehow.”
I first learned about ‘System D’ when I read Anthony Bourdain’s The Nasty Bits while on a terrible cruise on the Caribbean. It is the title of the first chapter in that book and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I still remember the feeling of being seen. Someone had finally described to me my approach not just to design, but to life. I was not the only one out there being proud of being a problem solver! And there was a special name for it?! I remember thinking back then, in the summer of 2011 that if I ever had the chance to have a brand of my own, that had to be the name for it.
Fast forward 10 years later, and I am now in a position to curate a team of débrouillards. These like-minded individuals are talented designers, artists, poets, gardeners, makers, and yes -cooks, that at their core are both resourceful and committed to finding a creative solution and getting the job done -beautifully.
Ever since, The Nasty Bits sits on my desk… pages yellowing, ink a little bit smeared and favorite parts underlined to remind me of what seemed a wild dream then, is now a glowing reality.
“With a fine set of moves, a strong adaptable mind, a certain threshold, a level beyond which one will NOT under any circumstances go, one can break all the rules and still make good food.”
RESOURCEFULLNESS
Honoring our company name, a true débrouillard is resourceful and relentless above all. Creative problem solving is our passion and we strive for finding the right way to bring our Client’s vision to life.
COLLABORATION
We believe in curating teams with aligned values where the sum is always better than the parts. As a collective, it is only when we leverage our combined resources and talents that we can find truly unique solutions.
INTENTIONAL & BESPOKE
Every one of our designs is as unique as the Client and space it occupies. Being intentional with every part of the project, from concept to details, allows us to develop an aesthetic that is tailored to the user in mind ultimately allowing us to manifest one’s idiosyncrasies into physical forms and experiential architecture that brings joy to life.
“At times like these, under fire, in battlefield conditions, the kitchen reverts to what it has always been since Escoffier’s time: a brigade, a paramilitary unit, in which everyone knows what they have to do, and how to do it”
