Mood Board: 5 Things That Inspire Ben Leavitt of PlaidFox Studio

1. The Alhambra in Granada, Spain

This history is super inspiring— construction started back in the 13th century, and it’s Islamic architecture, it’s medieval, it’s Renaissance, it’s all of it. For me, it’s a lesson in symmetry and architectural organization, but also in where to use ornamentation excessively and where to not use it at all. When I’m designing spaces that are very layered and nuanced and interesting, it’s always about that balance. I took about 200 photos when I was there, and I’m constantly referring to them when I’m designing right now.

2. Robot Salads

Every week I jump into ChatGPT and describe what I feel like eating and it gives me a recipe and a grocery list—I’ve started calling them robot salads. For example, I said I wanted a fresh spring salad that wasn’t typical, and it gave me a recipe for a Japanese watermelon salad that was incredible.

3. Artist Gabriel Cabrera

I get together with him once  a month to talk design. I don’t know what it is about his  photography, but I’m obsessed with it. He’s always doing things  a little differently—he’s now working on visual poems, which are emotion-based, aesthetically driven photography. Great art challenges your aesthetic as  well as how you feel.

4. Fabric

Design almost always starts with fabric for me, and I’m inspired by a few different companies right now.  I never thought I’d be in a micro-floral phase, but I am for drapes right now—I’m really into grandma chic patterns of wood block-printed florals from Schumacher. And Pierre Frey fabrics have these globally inspired designs like tigers that I’m loving.

5. Aliento by Danit

I honestly don’t remember how I found this album, but I’ve been listening to it every morning for the last four months; it really puts me in a creative mood and gets my process going. It’s Spanish electronica—more ambient, mixing in traditional Amazonian instruments—and the lyrics are Spanish, but she’s actually a Swiss artist.