Lisa & Ron in the Nov/Dec 2007 issue of Chicago Home + Garden Magazine; photographer: Katrina Wittkamp.

It must have been about a year ago when I first met Lisa & Ron Elkins at a get-together for the staff & faculty of UIC School of Architecture. That’s when I learned more about their company, 2 Point Perspective… that’s also when I realized that they’re immensely cool, thoughtful people who are both cool & thoughtful within the operation of their business, as well.

2 Point, a Chicago-based architecture & furniture design firm, specializes in modern pieces & interiors that are environmentally responsible. Both Lisa & Ron are LEED accredited professionals using eco-materials & products that utilize eco-manufacturing processes whenever possible… the idea is to be a part of the creation of beautiful things without contributing to the destruction of the world that already exists around us.

Edgewater Credenza, by 2 Point Perspective.

Thanks so much to Lisa for taking the time to answer my questions about their business experience:

E: What’s the craziest thing (good or bad) that has happened with your business this past year?

L: Well, sometimes it seems a bit crazy that we left proper, paying jobs for this crazy roller coaster ride… but we love what we are doing, so that makes it worth while.

To give a specific example of good-crazy, we met a client who wanted us to design the table tops for his new restaurants. By the end of the first meeting, we had been “promoted” to doing the entire table structure. We then began assisting with the interior design of the dining room, and before we knew it, we were in charge of the entire architectural package for the restaurant… a big step up from table tops!

E: When people (outside of your industry) ask you “Hey, what do you do?,” what’s your reply?

L: Architecture & Furniture. Designers don’t really question this – both are design fields based on the basic principles of 3-dimensional design. Outsiders, on the other hand, notice the two entirely different business models, and have lots of questions for us.

Lincoln Park Garden, by 2 Point Perspective.

E: When you go to sleep at night, what excites you about going to work the next day?

L: We are building a company that focuses on our two passions: design & sustainability. We love the fact that we are no longer working on someone else’s dream.

E: When you wake up in the morning, what’s your first worry?

L: We worry about missing an opportunity. What if the one person we don’t follow up with would have been our next great client?

E: What’s the one thing that you wish someone had told you before you started your business?

L: I wish we had known how many non-billable hours there would be. As a new firm, you have to create a company portfolio, marketing materials, internal office standards, proposal templates, and that’s just the start…

Loop Coffee Table, by 2 Point Perspective.

E: Imagine your future self… What will she think of the way you run your business today?

L: I hope we look back on these current days as the exciting, crazy, hectic times that built a solid foundation for our firm. That insinuates that we would no longer be working 100-hour weeks at that time… which I must admit would be a good thing.

E: And to finish up, tell us something that’s new & exciting for your business in 2008:

L: Launching a line of furniture for children’s rooms, getting the LEED Certification for our first restaurant design, and moving into an office space.

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