Follow Your Heart
Each morning begins here — with light moving slowly across the land and into the studio. It’s a quiet moment, before work begins, when space, material, and intention feel most aligned.
This is where ideas take shape.
I had the enormous privilege of commissioning a Jason Martin piece for one of my long-term clients. Through that process, I came to know Claus Robenhagen at Lisson Gallery and to appreciate the care and thoughtfulness that surround both the work and the relationships behind it.
At one point, Claus mentioned that if I were ever in Portugal, I should visit Jason’s studio.
Sunrise at my studio
I looked up the studio and found an article in The Spaces that explored Jason’s life and work. What struck me immediately was not just the art, but the interior itself. The space felt elemental and intentional — shaped by light, proportion, and process.
It stayed with me.
At the time, I saved the image to a Laura Roberts Design inspiration board. I didn’t know exactly why — only that it resonated.
Jason Martin studio, Portugal. Image via The Spaces.
From Reference to Design
Live/work studio — interior architectural rendering. Architect: Elizabeth Alford, Pollen.
Not long after, I purchased three acres of undeveloped land outside Austin and began working with architect Elizabeth Alford of Pollen. As we reviewed program, materials, and how the space needed to function, that studio image resurfaced — not as something to replicate, but as a reference for clarity and restraint.
This rendering captures the early thinking: a volume that allows art and work to coexist, and an architecture that supports making without announcing itself.
Grounded in Place
Live/work studio — exterior architectural rendering. Architect: Elizabeth Alford, Pollen.
The exterior reflects that same intention — simple forms, honest materials, and a direct relationship to the land. The goal was never excess, but balance.
The Work Comes Full Circle
While the studio continues to evolve as a place for daily practice, the commissioned Jason Martin piece found its permanent home within a client’s residence — a project we recently completed and photographed.
Seeing the artwork installed in that space felt like a full-circle moment — art influencing architecture, architecture shaping experience, and design holding the relationship between them
Living and dining spaces in a client’s residence with commissioned Jason Martin artwork. Photography: Shade Degges.
Working with Shade Degges was a pleasure. He understands how to photograph a space not just as an object, but as an atmosphere. His images capture texture, scale, and the quiet dialogue between surfaces, light, and art.
Detail of commissioned Jason Martin artwork in a client’s home. Photography: Shade Degges.
This final detail holds what matters most to me — the hand, the material, the surface. It’s where art and interior design meet most intimately.
This Journal is a place for these moments — where inspiration, intuition, and long practice intersect.
Sometimes the path forward begins simply by following your heart.
— Laura
