Design Masters

10/01/2021 by Lee Cutrone.

A year and a half after the onset of a world-changing pandemic that suddenly had people at home most hours of the day, locals have had a chance to think about the meaning of home. As we’ve re-evaluated the role of our homes in our lives, we’ve also had the opportunity to consider the way they look and function — and that is precisely the expert domain of our Design Masters. Whether creating architectural drawings, choosing colors, furnishings and finishing details or designing custom carpentry, each one of them helps us give our homes the attention they deserve. At a time when we could all use a distraction, we decided to have a little fun getting to know our honorees. We hope you enjoy learning about them, too.

Photography by Sara Essex Bradley

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Master of Carpentry

Daniel Bell

Daniel Bell, LLC

My company fabricates and installs custom architectural millwork and casework.

What did you want to be when you were 7? Definitely never imagined I would be doing this, I think I wanted to be a lawyer. What would your 7-year-old self think about what you are doing now? How did that happen? What is your guilty design pleasure? Use whatever I’ve got to just make it work and get it done. Which designer living or dead would you have dinner with and why? My wife … she’s the best and we don’t get out enough. Favorite New Orleans design landmark? City Park. Favorite activity for creative inspiration? I love to look at details on homes as I’m driving around town. What is always in your fridge? Milk and eggs. Favorite New Orleans band? Any brass band. What is your favorite beverage? Or favorite New Orleans cocktail? Old Fashioned. Favorite snowball flavor? Dreamsicle. Perfect road trip? Beach. Favorite movie? “Roadhouse.” What is something you’ve learned from living in New Orleans? It’s so important to have fun and enjoy life. What makes you laugh? My kids. Something you learned to do during the pandemic? Or something you’d like to learn to do? I try not to put this kind of pressure on myself, I figure that I’m doing enough already, but I would love to learn another language like Portuguese or Italian.