Today, we’d like to introduce you to Trisha Brookbank, Vice President of Studio IDC.
Hi Trisha, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, can you tell our readers some of your backstory?
Studio IDC was started by my mother, Stephanie Tyler, in 1998 after she left her family’s 35-year-old company, Caribbean Producers (CP). CP supplied Caribbean hotels with any required needs (from “toothpicks to chandeliers,” as my grandmother used to say) in addition to providing interior design services and procurement of said design items. My mom left the company to begin her interior design-focused business. She wanted to hone in on design excellence vs. hospitality operating items. I have been working with Studio IDC for 17 years, and my brother, Todd Tyler, has been with the firm for 10 years.
Together, the three of us lead the firm through the interior design process with the operations and efficiency standards we have perfected over the years. Our firm focuses on boutique hotels, restaurants, and luxury residences in the Caribbean, South Florida, and coastal regions. We excel in this niche of design. Coastal areas require specific product mixes and finishes, so the correct specifications are equally as important as the design. As Chief Creative Officer, Todd spends his free time researching and attending art and cultural events for inspiration so we can be on the cutting edge of design.
Our procurement team understands logistics and coordinating across the ocean with consolidators and customs clearing agents. We take our projects through the design conception phase into the design work and installation supervision with an approachable “boots on the ground” methodology. We like to be on the project site, meet with the teams doing the work, and ensure the details are executed with excellence. We take great pride in our work and have worked with some wonderful clients over the years.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth?
I don’t think any business that’s been in operation for 25 years has had a smooth road all the time! We’re no exception. When the economy took a downturn in 2008/2009, and our long-time office manager and friend passed away, I took over more of the managerial duties.
This was a challenge for me, as I had always been creative. With a Master of Fine Arts, I began with the firm executing art and accessories placement, focusing on developing art collections within the hotels based on their needs and aesthetic preferences. After working in this capacity for several years, I decided to go back to school for my Master of Business Administration, realizing this “business/numbers/strategic” path was something I enjoyed and had its type of creativity. Since then, I have managed the operations, schedules, contracts, and financials for the business, ensuring we stay on track and continue to succeed.
Another challenge for us, like many others, was COVID. We had to close the office and become remote in less than a week. Projects closed, and our revenue that year was severely impacted. But one thing we’re proud of is that we kept all of our employees and maintained their 100% paid health insurance. Our team is so important to us; we didn’t want to lose anyone.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
When we were kids, we used to traveled to Jamaica to visit family every summer (my grandmother, the founder of CP, was Jamaican). For many years, we had a small apartment in Ocho Rios. We would stay there for weeks on end, swimming, playing, and loving life while our mom went to worked on various hotel projects.
Our helper, Marcia, was an angel in human form. and she would to take us to the market to buy fruits and vegetables and help us, as well as to find whelks on the rocks by the ocean that she would cook. Those summers were pure and easy. There were many of them, so they’ve become a bit of a Jamaican memory “soup,”, but they are some of my favorites.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
This is a personal and business story… In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, my oldest son, Oliver, who had just turned 9, was diagnosed with leukemia. This was unbelievable, unexpected, and traumatizing. How could this happen to us? However, we decided early on that the only way to face this was with 100% positivity and love. When he was starting treatment, people asked what they could do. We had no idea, so my husband, Brian Burkhardt, and I asked friends and family to “send a patch” that we could add to his jean jacket to wear when he went to treatment.
We received over 2,000 patches in a month, mostly from people we didn’t even know. What an amazing show of love and support for a child! One day, while Oliver was opening patches, he said, “Mom, Dad, we should do this for other kids.” We started thinking about how we could make his dream a reality.
In March 2021, the Oliver Patch Project (OPP) received its 501(c)(3) designation, and ever since, we have been supporting children with cancer through the power of patches. We have over 800 children (and counting!) participating in the program in 47 states!
Studio IDC is supporting the Oliver Patch Project through a new program called “Design A Patch,” which brings awareness about OPP to the interior design industry. Any firm can get involved to put smiles on children’s faces through fun and innovative patch designs. The design community is incredibly creative, supportive, and loving. As we build this program, we will continue to spread the word and share joy.
The best news is that Oliver is now in remission, and we can continue to support kids like him through positivity and love. To learn more about the Oliver Patch Project: https://www.oliverpatchproject.org/oliverpatchproject. To learn more about Studio IDC: https://www.studioidc.com/.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.studioidc.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studioidc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/idcdesignconcepts
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trishabrookbank/
- Other: https://www.oliverpatchproject.org/oliverpatchproject
Image Credits
Ken Hayden, Michael Stavaridis, and Todd Tyler
