Award-Winning Interior Designer Chris Goddard and Design Sourcing Expert Jim Warnock Launch Straight To The Source

Straight To The Source connects designers with artisans, materials, and stories through global journeys celebrating craftsmanship and sustainable design.

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, October 24, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Award-winning American designer Chris Goddard and interior design veteran Jim Warnock are betting that the future of design begins where craftsmanship has always lived — at the source.

This fall, American designers Chris Goddard and Jim Warnock officially launch Straight To The Source, a new platform connecting global designers directly with the artisans, workshops, and materials shaping the next era of design.

Part travel program, part educational network, and soon an online marketplace, the initiative aims to rebuild the bridge between contemporary design and old-world skill. Goddard, an AD100 designer known for his layered, narrative-driven interiors, explained that “design doesn’t start in a showroom — it starts in a story. We wanted to bring people back to where beauty begins.”

The company’s debut journey — a two-week design immersion across Italy — offered a blueprint for what Straight To The Source represents: curated access to makers, materials, and meaning. From Rome’s classical landmarks to the marble quarries of Carrara and the ateliers of Milan and Tuscany, each stop revealed how heritage and innovation intersect in modern craft.

Reconnecting Designers and Makers

For co-curator Jim Warnock, the concept evolved from decades of specifying furniture for clients based more on aesthetics than craftsmanship or materials. “When you get to the source of production — to the human and raw materials behind the designs — it changes how you specify for projects,” he said. “It changes how you respect it.”

That respect guided every stop. In Rome, the group explored mosaic and leather studios where techniques have survived for generations. In Florence, they met artisans preserving the delicate art of pietra dura stonework. And in Carrara, standing inside a marble quarry once used by Michelangelo, the designers confronted the scale and permanence of their materials. Interior designer Cathy Tonks reflected, “I’ve worked with Carrara marble for years, but standing inside that mountain — I’ll never look at it the same way again.”

Tradition Meets Innovation

In Prato, a city synonymous with Italy’s textile legacy, the group visited Lottozero, a research center dedicated to sustainable fabrics and circular design. Recycled fibers and experimental looms demonstrated how Italy’s craft traditions are adapting to modern environmental imperatives. Designer Heather Hunter of Poppy Design noted, “What inspired me most wasn’t the technology — it was the philosophy. Nothing is wasted. Everything becomes something again.”

That balance — reverence for the past, vision for the future — carried through to Milan, where design icons and emerging voices converged. At Nilufar Gallery, maximalism met meticulous curation. Amini Carpets presented its Gio Ponti collection, where architectural geometry meets textile precision. At Dom Edizioni, furniture was staged in a private apartment, evoking the intimacy of design as it’s lived.

The Spirit of Wood

In Tuscany, visits to Ceccotti Collezioni and Porada revealed why Italian furniture remains the global benchmark for craftsmanship. Ceccotti’s workshop emphasized sculptural form and hand-finished joinery, while Porada showcased how precision and patience transform wood into timeless pieces. Goddard reflected that “both brands opened their doors and their minds. We truly felt like collaborators, not just visitors.”

At Talenti, founded by Fabrizio Cameli, the group witnessed how modern technology and traditional methods coexist in outdoor design. Metalwork, textiles, and ceramics merged seamlessly — balancing durability with elegance. “Every weld, every stitch had intention,” Warnock observed. “It reminded us that generosity sits at the heart of great design.”

From Travel to Trade

With its upcoming e-commerce platform, Straight To The Source will extend those discoveries online. The digital shop will feature exclusive, limited-edition pieces from the artisans and brands encountered on the tours — each chosen for its provenance, process, and story.

According to the founders, the goal is to make sourcing as personal as travel itself. Buyers will be able to trace each piece to its maker, material, and place of origin — a kind of digital passport to authenticity. Goddard emphasized that “good design doesn’t ask for attention — it earns it, through integrity, craftsmanship, and story.”

A Revival of Design Diplomacy

Beyond retail, Straight To The Source functions as a kind of cultural diplomacy for the design world, reintroducing professionals to the ethics and intimacy of handmade production. It’s a reminder that amid artificial intelligence, automation, and fast consumption, there remains an appetite for the human touch.

Goddard shared, “This trip made me fall back in love with my craft. It reminded me why I started.”

With future programs planned for Portugal, Morocco, and Mexico, Straight To The Source aims to make global craft accessible without losing its soul.

The online shop debuts later this fall. Sign up at www.straighttothesource.com
for early access and exclusive pre-launch updates.

About Straight To The Source

Straight To The Source is a new platform founded by AD100 designer Chris Goddard and industry veteran Jim Warnock, designed to reconnect the design community with global artisans, materials, and craftsmanship. Through immersive travel experiences and a soon-to-launch online marketplace, the initiative celebrates authenticity, sustainability, and the stories that shape great design.

Carijn Michelle Angelus
GFX Media
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