Designer Spotlight – Erin Zechiel, Good Lines

Designer Spotlight: Erin Zechiel, Good Lines

Welcome to the first installment of Designer Spotlight! I’m excited to begin this series that feature my friends and colleagues in the design community who truly make a difference and provide an essential role in the built environment.

Washington DC-based Good Lines is a commercial work-place furnishings dealer created by established architectural rep Erin Zechiel along with her husband Howard. Formed in 2013, Good Lines represents Luna Textiles, Keilhauer Furniture, and Buzzispace.

Erin and I have known each other for over a decade and she’s been a wonderful resource and critical partner in my architectural projects. I attribute this to her extensive product knowledge, installation experience and above all, her ability to connect with clients. After more than 20 years of representing architectural products from the likes of Design Tex, Tandus carpeting, Allsteel furniture, and Luna textiles, Erin decided to venture out and create Good Lines. Its business model is driven by her vast network of design community contacts and positions her to support a wide array of project work. Her passion for design is evident through a thoughtful approach to a holistic solution.

Good Lines’ three multi-functional offerings comprise a tightly-knit ecosystem of furnishing solutions for the designer to consider, although each line’s products can be specified independently. Keilhauer (seating, complimentary furniture), Luna Textiles (upholstery and furniture panel fabrics) and Buzzispace (acoustical architectural products, seating and tables) are all deeply committed to sustainability and push the envelope with innovative designs. Their products are modern and well-designed, perceived as high-end and are competitively priced.

Howard comes from a 17-year career in telecommunications bringing a systematic and linear approach to the business that compliments Erin’s design focus. While Erin meets regularly with designers presenting their product solutions, Howard oversees customer service and communication with GCs, dealers, and designers. Both Howard and Erin are high energy, sociable and creative problem solvers, making an ideal partnership. Their work dynamic is admittedly no different than at home, “She still tells me what to do” jokes Howard.

Good Lines is involved with high-profile nationwide commercial, government, and healthcare projects. Their scope ranges from a single chair (I’m a customer enjoying the Keilhauer Tom chair!) to large spaces over a million square feet. The overall success of a project’s interior design is reliant on the selection of appropriate furniture. Erin relays that trends are moving towards more modern aesthetics, but ultimately are regional specific. More subdued colors and larger repeats/patterns are a few examples.

RSK: Owning your own business can be a 24 hr/day job if you let it. Where do you like to escape and disconnect – weekends and longer vacations?

EZ: We spend as much time as possible traveling locally and internationally. We try to go to New Orleans every year to enjoy the culture, music and food. We went to Thailand in 2013 to introduce our children to the different landscape, food and culture in Asia. We also frequently visit Barbados in the Caribbean and are inspired by the colors; weather and general laid back nature of the islands.

RSK: How do your jobs enable you to have quality of life with raising a young family in the city?

EZ: Owning our own business allows us the flexibility to spend time with our daughters. We also want to be good examples to our children and show them that they can find work that they are passionate about. We lead as examples to show them that they can do anything they want to make a living; they just have to put their minds to it and work hard.

RSK: What are your favorite DC restaurants?

EZ: Range, Buck’s Camping and Fishing, District Commons

RSK: Non-work activities (sporting events, museums, etc)?

EZ: Yoga, art, travel HZ: Triathlete, cross fit, reading, travel

Erin and Howard will be attending NeoCon this year, splitting their time between the 3 showrooms. See you both in Chicago!