Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Bendtsen and Ana Gonzalez.
Hi Kevin and Ana, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My interest in furniture design actually began back in 2013 when I took a furniture design course led by professor Johnny Webb, who is actually a local architect but is also known for his art, sculptors, and furniture. When I graduated in 2014 it was extremely difficult to find a job in Architecture with no experience. I wasn’t quite sure what to do but I knew I wanted to express myself and create what was in my head into tangible everyday objects and loved the feeling of getting my hands dirty in the process. I essentially started Danico to have a platform to produce and showcase them whether people paid attention or not. Eventually, friends and family noticed and I began making furniture for them which got other people’s attention and eventually, I realized I could turn Danico which is something I loved into an official business back in 2018, and the path to growing this brand is still ongoing.
In hopes of continuing to grow DANICO into an official architectural and design firm, I returned to pursue my Master’s degree in architecture at The University of Texas at San Antonio that same year. There I met my now girlfriend who was also pursuing her Master’s in Architecture as well. After a few all-nighters and many studio sessions together, we realized we shared a lot of the same passions for art, design, build, and the dream of having our own design studio. From that moment is when we decided we were both in this together and have made DANICO what it is today.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has definitely been a bumpy road, especially in the early days. There are a lot of factors that go into design-build business at any scale. Since it is only us two we both have to be the design team, fabricators, estimators, budgeters, install team, marketing team, photo editors, client relations, and much more. We have definitely gotten a lot better at a lot of these but have so much more to learn and the only real way to learn all this is from our own mistakes.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
So DANICO is a design-build firm focused on many scales. We have done room installations such as total custom rolling library ladders, to multiple custom pieces of furniture for home and office, to lighting design and product design. We are also currently in the middle of developing a line of side tables that can be bought online and shipped in a “Flat Pack” manner for everyone to have access to. So everything we work on is totally custom and is fabricated in our shop. We specialize in architectural wood and steelwork but this hasn’t stopped us from exploring the use of other materials such as concrete and leather. What sets us apart from others is the fact that we really love exploration in design. We search for creative ways of using materials and connections to push the envelope and aren’t afraid of doing so. I would say the thing I am most proud of our brand DANICO is the flexibility and fluidity we have set ourselves up for to really allow us to dig into all the realms in design. We are human and being so we have multiple interests, we want to be able to dive into the realm of furniture design, product design, fashion design, graphic design, and art. DANICO is aimed at exploring all this and blurring all boundaries between them.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
What I really like best about our city is the diversity of it. The fact that there are so many different businesses and people with totally different and unique approaches to the same questions. I believe this is what really makes our city unique.
What I like the least about our city is definitely the traffic……traffic sucks.
Contact Info:
- Email: kevin@studiodanico.com
- Website: https://studiodanico.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studio_danico/
Image Credits:
Danico – Ana Gonzalez, Kevin Bendtsen
