// LATELY

//

Whenever I travel, I source. Bowls, hand-painted plates from Mexico, linens, little pieces of jewelry. I love collecting objects that carry the energy of a place. I’ve always believed objects hold stories. It’s not just a bowl; someone shaped it with their hands, mixed that paint color, painted it by hand. It’s a piece of the journey you get to bring home.

I didn’t expect to travel this year. The plan was to stay in LA, keep my head down, launch what I’ve been dreaming of, make new friends, connect with new people. It’s funny how life shifts. Here’s the twist: this year opened me up to more than I could’ve ever imagined. Every trip exposed me to something new, taught me something I didn’t know I needed. The work didn’t slow down; it actually expanded. And CKD is finally expanding in a way I always thought it would feel.

Whenever I received advice about how I should be running my business or scaling the company, it never felt like me. I know that goes against the business books, the systems, the scaling strategies, the step-by-step roadmaps. But CKD has never just been about “scaling”. It’s so much deeper than that. This all started with a rose I painted on the floor of my tiny living room in New York City. My weekends were spent making wallpaper collections that no one bought. I served Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays just to make extra cash because my internship paid $500 every two weeks. The dream was always bigger than the discomfort.

God planted this dream in my heart when I was 21. A vision that’s still so clear. A vision I hold onto whenever I’m pushed, stretched, or questioned. Here’s the truth: no one owes you anything. I used to think New York owed me something… like surviving that city, grinding through the hard parts, meant I deserved something back. But that’s not how it works. It’s just a city with tall buildings and bright lights. Once you’re aligned with yourself and truly honest with yourself, the outside world starts to mirror that. It just takes years. And those years will teach you patience. They’ll destroy your ego. Introduce you to people who are not good for you just so you can learn what is. Humble you. Break you open. And bring you so much joy, experience, and fun as long as you’re willing to sit in the discomfort of it all and not get offended or upset with it.. if that makes sense.

I moved to LA with a completely different perspective and a handful of lessons New York carved into me. I’m not sure why I’m rambling, but it’s a nice feeling to realize that the spark that started all of this hasn’t left. It’s still right here.

A little of life lately from Florence, to Rome to Miami for the opening of Papi Steak. Excited to get back to LA. Back to the beach life.

// WHEN IT ALL CLICKS

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It doesn’t happen all the time, but when it does, and you watch God line up everything you’ve been working so hard for… you just sit back and say, thank you.
It’s like when you randomly meet someone out, and they turn out to be the same person your friend’s been meaning to introduce you to for years. Serendipity magic. Still one of my favourite movies.

When I decided to move to LA, I didn’t really understand why at the time. But there was this pull, and I listened to it. I had the same feeling about new york. Now, moment by moment, things are starting to make sense. Feeling really lucky lately. Lucky and thankful.

// THE YEAR OF LETTING IT ALL GO

//

I’m home for a bit, taking a break from LA, working in the studio that raised me. It’s 6:18 pm and the light is slipping through the shutters, landing on my books and sketchbooks the same way it always has.

Tomorrow is October, marking one year of living in LA. A year of sunsets, of building a studio from scratch, of collecting rugs, furniture, pillows, and bedsheets. Every weekend spent somewhere, searching for something to make that apartment feel like mine.

As some people have left my life, new ones have entered. That’s life—and it’s beautiful. It feels like the beginning of something new, something really exciting for CKD. I get so much work done when I’m sitting in this chair. It’s hours and hours and hours of detail that I’m working on right now. Textile design will humble you! Back to work. Wanted to say hi. x C

// BACK IN THE STUDIO

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Back in the studio after an amazing summer. It really feels like one chapter closing and another just beginning. September has this fresh, new energy—time to let go of the old, welcome what’s next, and appreciate the life I’ve worked so hard to build. Coming back to LA with that feeling has been the best, and my only goal right now is to simply enjoy it… and get back to work. SO much to do :) And very exciting things coming.

// BARCELONA TO IBIZA

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It’s not always about working harder, stacking to-do lists, manifesting the next thing, or planning years ahead. Sometimes it’s just about being here — with the people you love, swimming in the ocean, looking around and realizing this is it. This is the life I built, the one I poured so much into. And the real flex is being able to pause, sit in it, and know that’s enough. That’s what this summer has been.

// SLOWING DOWN TIME

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When I travel, I slow down time.
Everything becomes inspiration — the ritual of putting on @mareinewyork earrings before dinner & the @isagrutmanjewelry & @kajaerikajorgensen pieces I never take off, the way 4PM light folds into the ocean like it’s part of the design. A half-read newspaper left behind with the echo of espresso — unfinished, but complete in its own way.
I build stories in my head like moodboards. Imagined lives, moments. It’s one of my favorite ways to study the world — by not rushing through it.

// MALIBU BOTANICA

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I found these beautiful vintage bamboo chairs at a flea market in LA. Loved the shape, hated the cushion. Sat with this print for a few weeks — lived with it, moved it around, let it speak. I decided on the Malibu Cream for the chairs. I can’t wait to get these upholstered.

This is the first drop from Malibu Botanica — a fabric collection inspired by the ease of Malibu. California cool, but elevated. Botanical, but not expected, a mood that doesn’t try too hard. Very excited to have this live. Shop the collection here.

Each piece was designed to live alongside our velvet and beaded pillows — layering has been a big part of what I’m learning through my latest residential projects. Playing with color, texture, scale… it’s changing how I see everything.

// VENICE, 2025

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I took this photo a couple months ago at sunset. I remember collapsing into bed after a long day—on the verge of tears from being completely overworked. As the tears fell, I started laughing. Smiling. It was this moment where everything I had always dreamed of collided with the reality of what it actually feels like to get there—and then stay there. And when I say “get there,” I mean feeling at peace with myself. Proud of the decisions I’ve made—like moving to LA, doing the work I’m lucky to do, being surrounded by people who genuinely care. It’s all connected.

It reminded me: you can be exhausted and happy. Tired and fulfilled. The two can coexist. And sometimes, that’s the most honest kind of joy.