John Colaneri Shares His Daily Routine + What Inspires Him
Re:Make 2015 is right around the corner, everyone, and it’s sure to be a can’t-miss event. We have a whole conference day filled with some of the most creative minds across design, technology, making and more, followed by an equally epic Re:Make festival.
This is how I start my day:
5:45am: My alarm goes off.
6:30am: My day starts off by going to a CrossFit class.
7:30am: I get home from CrossFit and my wife is just waking up since that is when my daughter gets up. We both go into her room to put on her Disney music. There is nothing better than seeing our eight-month-old daughter smile at us to start the day off.
8:30am: My wife and I get her bottle ready. Then, we relax for an hour while we feed her. After feeding, we will plan out the day with her. Since the show is not shooting right now, I finally have time to relax and be with my family. When I am the road for five months at a time, I need the downtime to be with them.
Here’s a photo that fits the caption #iamcreative:
My home is so unique and is one of my greatest design accomplishments.
I’m inspired by:
Travel. Visiting different parts of the country and the world allows me to see things that stimulate my design senses. When I can mix and match designs from all across the world and put my design twist on it, that is what makes it so unique.
My advice to an intern on the first day of their dream job is:
Never be afraid to make a mistake or take a risk. I have been doing that my entire life. Love or hate my design, I guarantee you will never forget it. That is what we try to do day in and day out when we are making our show. The failure has made me a stronger, more confident person. I want people to always remember our work and for it not to get lost in the wash. I don’t want people to say, “I have seen that before.”
My secret for overcoming creative block and finding productivity is:
If I am having a creative block, I always talk to my cousin Anthony about my idea and to see what his opinion is. We think so much alike when it comes to design. He allows my idea to expand and become even greater. He will make me look at the idea slightly different, and that is all it takes to push me over the edge.
The apps I use daily are:
I use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhoSay, Sunrise, Evernote, Nest and SONOS.
My favorite maker in my field that deserves some props is:
I love watching Chip and Joanna Gaines from Fixer Upper on HGTV. The chemistry between them is amazing and I love the designs that Joanna comes up with. She is very talented and has an incredible eye when it comes to design.
The last thing I made that I was really excited about was:
We just finished shooting America’s Most Desperate Kitchens a couple months ago and had so many incredible build/design projects throughout the season. It is hard to just choose one, but Anthony and I built a map of the homeowner’s city and routed out all the roads, major highways and rivers. We then filled it with different color epoxy to make each road and river stand out. It was an incredible art piece to be displayed and we even marked on the map where the homeowner’s home was located. All the kitchens for AMDK this season are so unique, and we really wanted to have each one be something very different. When viewers at home can take ideas from each episode and make a unique kitchen for themselves, our job is done!
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(Featured photo via Bennett Raglin/Getty; photos via John Colaneri, @colanerijohn)
