When life stops but projects can't
Gil Melott
Lessons
About the practice
When your studio has to run without you
Based in Chicago, Gil Melott runs a design practice known for modern, sophisticated interiors. With projects spanning residential and commercial work, including high-profile showhouses, Gil has built a reputation for delivering exceptional design under pressure.
The issue
When life stops but projects can't
Mid-managing six active projects, Gil received devastating news: he needed immediate quadruple bypass surgery. That same day, Kipps Bay called asking him to design their Dallas showhouse—in just eight weeks. "I realized at that moment that I had to stop what I was doing momentarily, get my act together, because nothing was gonna stop the six projects or doing Kipps Bay."
The fix
Systems that work without you
Gil learned that success can't depend on his physical presence. He built processes other people could execute, practices his team could deliver independently. "If I'm not there, it can't be predicated on me being present. Success comes on whether there are people there other than me, whether there are processes that I didn't design."
The result
Record-breaking delivery from a hospital bed
Gil's team delivered the Kipps Bay showhouse in eight weeks while he recovered, breaking records and setting design trends still discussed today. The experience became "one of the proudest moments of my life and really a catalyst for my career"—proving that the strongest studios are built to run without their founders.
