Gary Inman and Dani Blake's eponymous design firms will partner as a creative team on large projects. (Photo by Kip Dawkins)
Gary Inman and Dani Blake are creating a new type of design partnership. The pair, who began working together five years ago at local architecture firm Baskervill, have opened their own bespoke design practices that will function as one on larger projects. Originally their plan was to form a traditional partnership to pursue more residential projects, but the pandemic and Inman’s decision to accept a position as designer in residence at High Point University in North Carolina inspired them to rethink their plans.
Blake’s practice is based in Richmond, while Inman splits his time between Richmond; Washington, D.C.; and Charlotte and High Point, North Carolina. “We work incredibly well together,” Inman says. “Our skill sets complement each other. Our experiences and perspectives differ. … She’s younger, and I’m an older gentleman,” Inman continues, “but we’re always on the same page.”
Inman and Blake’s joint portfolio includes boutique hotels, country clubs, sports facilities, restaurants, bars, private clubs and large residences. Although they’re focusing on residential projects individually, they’ll continue to partner on larger hospitality projects. “Being separate entities will make us stronger in the long run,” Blake says. “We think of it in the same way we consider the creative possibilities when an artist signs with a manufacturer to create a new product.”
