Name: Austin Hall
Company: J&J Flooring Group
Position: Sales Rep
Years of Experience: 2 years at J&J
IIDA member since: June 2014

What’s your favorite space in your home and why?
The Family Room. This is where we clear space, and really spend quality time together as a family. My daughter is 4 years old and is incredibly energetic and active. Her imagination runs wild. Like many Dads, I get the tremendous privilege to play the best supporting actor in all of her plays, to be the villain or superhero in a game of chase, or to huddle around this little round table and play all of her favorite board games. In the Fall/Winter there is a “rip-roaring” fire which draws us close together, and we love the occasion of making s’mores. We connect, dream build, and laugh a lot in this room. The people I love most make this space so amazing.

Favorite Portland Restaurant?
Fogo De Chao. I love seeing the look of excitement on my wife’s face when we sit down and she can fill her plate with all of her favorite foods, and we can enjoy an amazing glass of wine together. This is a great restaurant, with a variety of foods and world class service.

What project have you worked on that you are most proud of?
The Portland Airport. As everyone in Portland knows, there is a huge craze over this carpet. This was a major job and big win for my company. There were so many different intricate pieces working together to make this project a success- design, customization, production, installation, scheduling, and everything else associated with this job. There are over 80,000 SY of commercial broadloom carpet, which is equivalent to 13 acres of carpet. This was fun, daunting, and turned out incredibly well with all of the impressive effort from the individuals involved. I am grateful to have been a part of this job.

On a typical Saturday where can we find you?
On a typical Saturday you can find me out on the trails running early in the morning. I enjoy training and competing in Spartan races which require mountainous outdoor terrain, and Oregon has the best to offer. I have been astounded many times by passing by various wildlife- owls, ducks, geese, deer and yes little white bunny rabbits. I thought this was only available in dream land…

What gets you excited about design?
There is so much creativity and thought that goes into designing a space. A space designed well can help a customer step into the life of their brand, and showcase this brand to the world. It is so much fun to tap into the creative genius of the interior designers I work with, and it is an incredible privilege to have my product selected for their projects. Outstanding design requires focused thought, dedicated energy, unique and specific inspiration based on the customer’s needs. I have the blessing to work with some of the best in the industry.