We caught up with Eric Baptista, Director of Living Art for ZDesign, Inc and asked him to share some details about himself, Living Art and its role in ZDesign projects.

As with the overall ZDesign “Love the process. Love the design.” approach to working with clients, Eric’s role means really communicating with the client and understanding what they want their space to be. Then, Eric puts his own spin on it and the result is usually delighted surprise.

When it comes to his spin, Eric brings a unique tapestry of innate skills to putting those unexpected and surprising finishing touches on a project. With his roots in California and Hawaii, Eric was surrounded by naturescapes. That natural beauty is somewhat universal…the Aloha spirit, if you will. Being able to bring that spirit into a design adds a completely different and unexpected dimension to the feel of a space.

“It’s just a little bit of a magical surprise for clients.”

We often use Living Art toward the end of a project to bring out a part of a space or to add different textures and lines. Maybe it’s an entry water feature or piece of locally source Florida cypress as a courtyard feature. These extra touches often get the big mentions from clients and their guests.

With more people working from home right now, people are spending more time and being more aware of how their surroundings make them feel. Living Art is that extra touch that truly sets a space apart. Living Art is a sensory thing for clients. It elicits emotion.

“Living Art gives clients that extra, feel good layer in their home.”

Eric said that much of the material he uses is locally sourced in South Florida. It brings the place and the space together. These items become conversation starters and the fact that they have a local heritage and a local story bring a sense of locale.

Check out some of the Living Art installations from previous projects below.