9 Lessons We Learned About Purpose, Place & Legacy at LA Legends 2026
In conversation at LA Legends.
As part of LA Legends this week – a highly anticipated design industry event in Los Angeles – Armadillo brought together a panel of some of the industry’s most thoughtful voices for a conversation on ‘Purpose, Place & Legacy: The Community Behind the Craft.’
Moderated by Dan Rubinstein, editor and host of The Grand Tourist, the panel featured Armadillo co-founder Jodie Fried, alongside acclaimed LA interior designers Nina Freudenberger and Sarah Solis, for a conversation that traced the journey from artisan maker communities to the finished spaces they inspire. Together, they explored how intention, craft and collaboration shape lasting design.
Hosted at Armadillo’s LA showroom, the event brought together industry insiders to enjoy the panel discussion, followed by light drinks and refreshments in the showroom’s sunlit space.
Here were nine of the most insightful takeaways from the conversation.
Photography by Steve Lucero for BFA
“What is the ‘why’ of the pieces that you’re selecting? What is the intention? How does it all come together for the story of your space?”
ON PURPOSE
Jodie Fried
“A rug is a blank canvas. You can do anything. We work best by sitting in our lane. When you talk about clients and designers not being right for everyone – it’s the same with us. What we’ve decided to do is create a really curated range focusing on texture, color and quality. We knew 17 years ago there was a hole in the market for really simple, beautiful rugs – that weren’t going to fall apart or last three months. The priority was: simple and high quality. And we made sure we worked back with the traditional way the communities in India weave.”
Nina Freudenberger
“Someone gave me the advice of ‘just listen’. Just completely listening to what your clients have to say and really extrapolating what they’re trying to tell you – and it might be through what they're wearing, their past home, specific words they’re using, understanding their family, their dynamic, how they live and eat. Those details are super critical in the beginning. Once that starts to happen, you can start to develop your own internal narrative and how your studio interprets all that information.”
Sarah Solis
“It’s a really, really important part of our job to educate our clients on the things that matter to us, and why we are choosing and presenting what we are. What is the ‘why’ of the pieces that you’re selecting? What is the intention? How does it all come together for the story of your space? Educate them and help them understand why we are selecting these pieces.”
ON PLACE
Jodie Fried
“It’s about honoring heritage and care – and honoring that our weavers are working around seasons. Some things will take longer when people are in a monsoon, or during a harvest. Every year, we send our team to India to see it first hand and they come back saying, “I know you told me how it was, but I really didn’t understand – it really was raining and there really was no light, so how could a rug dry after they’ve washed it?” Obviously we can’t send everyone to India or Nepal to see that first hand, but the more people you tell about the quality and why it takes time... that’s a real challenge in this environment, where everyone can get things so rapidly.”
Nina Freudenberger
“With the devastation of the fires, Los Angeles is really having to think again about the home and what we were putting inside of it – and to make sure that we are doing something that is not only beautiful, but responsible as well. We do have a responsibility in the bigger picture. I take that very seriously and I find that my clients are actually very knowledgeable. It’s my job to educate but I also want to be educated. It brings joy to be able to have those conversations about the makers, and the business owners and share that with clients, and it’s part of the process.”
Sarah Solis
“We’ve had projects lost in the LA fires, clients having to move – big changes. There is a big movement for sustainability, people care more about it than they have in the past. And there is a big movement for wanting to know ‘why’ they’re buying things. How the products are made should be shared with clients.”
“I will say it up front: we’re not here for fast fashion interiors”
ON LEGACY
Jodie Fried
“Often I say the rugs and the brand and the company are the by-product of what Sally and I wanted to do – which was to create a product that gave back to these communities and kept their craft alive.”
Nina Freudenberger
“I will say it up front: we’re not here for fast fashion interiors. It goes against what I believe in, which is creating homes that have longevity. You should feel like all your pieces have a life of their own.”
Sarah Solis
“I appreciate craftsmanship, I appreciate quality. If you want a project that looks like the inspiration photos that you’re showing me and you want it to last beyond the fluffed pillows, then we have to invest in pieces that have more significance and have more longevity. You can always get it cheaper and faster, but it’s not going to be what you want.”
