Keeping It Together

Marc’s interior design firm Takenouchi Webb has a no-footwear rule, and the airy, open-plan space makes it feel more like a home than an office — exactly what he wanted. It also allows him to wear anything he wants to work. “Occasionally I wish I could justify buying more jackets if work was more conventional,” he says. “But I don’t know what else I could possibly do. I really enjoy my profession, especially having our own office. I suppose if I was really pushed, I’d like to be a member of Kraftwerk.” Marc’s style is simple and practical, but he looks out for quality and a good fit. He runs his own design firm with his wife, which means that they get to see each other enough, but with their two children at home, the couple tries to make it a plan to pack as much as they can into a 9-hour day and leave work on-time. Marc loves what he does, however. “Every new project is a new challenge and learning experience, with a new set of personalities to deal with,” he says. “We always try to see how things could be better, and strive to achieve perfection. Seeing people enjoying our designs is the most rewarding.” If there’s one thing he’s learnt, it’s that perseverance pays off. “Design doesn’t come easily,” he says. “Don’t give up striving for the best result.” As a boss, designer, husband, and father, there’s one more thing that he tries to remind himself to do, to keep it all together: “Try to get at least 7 hours of sleep.”