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F5: See What Mythology’s Ted Galperin Is Reading

04.16.21 | By
F5: See What Mythology’s Ted Galperin Is Reading

Ted Galperin headshot

Ted Galperin is a partner at Mythology as Director of Retail, where he oversees all retail and interiors projects. His notable work include Allbirds, Warby Parker, Sonos and Away. Ted recently completed a reinvention of the dental practice for Tend, a new healthcare start-up and roll-out concept for connected fitness device The Mirror. Outside of the office, he’s spoken on several panels including The future of brick and mortar retail at Harvard Business School and Creating Space with the 20th-Century Design department at Christie’s. Before his time at Mythology, Ted was design director at Partners & Spade and a designer at Rockwell Group, while there he completed the Tribeca flagship for Shinola. Ted graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 2008 with a BFA in Industrial Design and also studied at Design Academy Eindhoven.

Today Ted joins us for Friday Five!

note card holder

Photo: Ted Galperin

1. Note Card Holder
I designed this note card holder years ago with a local leather craftsman near my hometown, and it’s been with me pretty much ever since. Handmade from Italian calfskin, the color of the leather has gotten darker over time as I continue to use it every day at Mythology. Its constant presence throughout my career is something I cherish and I hope I will have this note card holder with me for the rest of my life.

vintage enamel boxes

Photo: Ted Galperin

2. Vintage Enamel Boxes
These storage boxes, made by Alfred Klitgaard and Bodil Eje, are some of the most prized possessions I have collected over time. Designed in Denmark in the 1960s, they were initially intended as humidors; however, for me, their design represents something much deeper: a harmony between art and design and the spirit of collaboration.

Cody Tumblin art

Photo courtesy Cody Tumblin

3. The Work of Cody Tumblin
Cody Tumblin is an artist based in Chicago whose work I admire for his brilliant use of color. Somewhere between a Hilma af Klimt painting and a Gee’s Bend quilt, when I first saw his work it gave me an almost synesthetic experience, as if I could taste the colors in the painting. As the first major piece of art I purchased a few years back, I have followed his career and always admired the purity of his artistic practice.

Calder by Jed Perl

Calder by Jed Perl

4. Artist Biographies
Reading about the life stories of artists I admire helps me gain a deeper understanding of the meaning of their work and gives context to some of the work I love most. Right now I am reading the second volume of Jed Perl’s incredible profile of American sculptor Alexander Calder, which describes the seriousness behind Calder’s playful spirit, charting his growth as an artist set against the last century’s major art movements, both at home and abroad.

bar interior

Image courtesy Timeout

5. The Ear Inn
Continuously operating as a bar since 1817, The Ear Inn is a place that I have gone to for as long as I have lived in New York City. Its good food, fantastic service and historic setting make me so thankful to live downtown and to have the restaurant within walking distance from my home. It’s a place that teaches me that some things are timeless, like the act of breaking bread and, although times may be tough, we will be able to gather in a place like The Ear Inn again.

Work by Ted Galperin:

Shen Beauty Spa Retail Store

Shen Beauty Products Spa, Cobble Hill, New York Retail Store \\\ Photo: Brooke Holm

Warby Parker retail store

Warby Park, Rockefeller Center, New York \\\ Photo courtesy Warby Parker

Away Luggage retail store interior

Away Travel Luggage Store, Houston, Texas \\\ Photo courtesy Away

Kelly Beall is Director of Branded Content at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based writer and designer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, from Fashion Plates to MoMA and far beyond. When not searching out the visual arts, she's likely sharing her favorite finds with others. Kelly can also be found tracking down new music, teaching herself to play the ukulele, or on the couch with her three pets – Bebe, Rainey, and Remy. Find her @designcrush on social.