Thompson will soon become the first brand to bring an AI-designed sink to market. Conceptualized in the imagination of digital innovator Leslie Carothers and sent by her text prompt to MidJourney’s artificial intelligence bot, the bespoke vessel sink is currently being manufactured through Thompson’s Tailor-Made Custom Design Program. The hand-crafted creation will make its online debut later this year and will be unveiled in person at the National Kitchen and Bath Show in Las Vegas, Nevada Feb. 27th-29th, 2024.
From Imagination to MidJourney to Maker
Ms. Carothers’ long history of innovating within the digital space led to conversations with Thompson on the potential role technology can play in inspiring new and innovative custom products for today’s luxury kitchen and bath.
An expert in digital marketing, and a former interior designer, Leslie Carothers, principal of Savour Partnership, has been championing the use of AI tools like MidJourney that allow any designer to conceptualize and iterate on an innovative concept extremely quickly, without a lengthy investment in time and resources. By using AI, and collaborating with custom manufacturers like Thompson, designers can offer their clients bespoke, one-of-a-kind items.
Thompson Director of Marketing and Sales, Andrew Holben, recognized an opportunity to connect the new frontier of AI design with the vast capabilities of the brand’s Tailor-Made Custom Design Program. “Leslie was the perfect partner for Thompson. She has a great eye and understands both the power and creative potential of this new tool. I can’t imagine a better fit for this first foray into bringing an AI-designed product to life,” added Holben.
These conversations led Leslie to explore, via her text prompts to Midjourney, dozens of visual ideas which ultimately led to the one specific design that stood out from the rest…a stunning vessel sink that would showcase the unlimited creative potential of AI and the master metalsmithing of Thompson.
“This beautiful sink, conceptualized by Leslie and designed by her with Midjourney’s artificial intelligence bot, will ultimately be brought to life by the hands of our makers in Santa Clara del Cobre, Mexico,” said Alejandra Thompson de Jordan, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Thompson.
“It is not lost on me that these talented artisans—people who have honed their skills since the 16th Century— will craft a sink designed by artificial intelligence. We hope this opens up an entirely new way for designers to offer their clients bespoke products that will keep the artisanal communities of Santa Clara del Cobre vibrant and alive for generations to come.”
“This is exactly why Thompson is a leader in its field,” said Carothers. “Given that robots and machinery can make just about anything these days, Thompson understands the subtle nuances that artisanal makers can add to any product, making it truly unique and one of a kind.” “They are willing to explore new ways of showcasing how designers can offer consumers bespoke creations that can be sold via a designers’ own website.”
While we wait to debut the real world sink at the National Kitchen and Bath Show in February of next year, we invite you to follow the making of this AI-generated sink via our Instagram feed at https://instagram.com/thomponstraders.
And if you are already experimenting with MidJourney? Send us your ideas through our Tailor-Made Custom Design Program. If we can make it for you, we will. The only limit is your imagination.
About Leslie Carothers
Named as one of Home Furnishings News Magazine’s Top 40 Most Inspiring Women in Home, Leslie Carothers is the principal and founder of Savour Partnership, the premier digital marketing agency for home related brands and interior designers. Considered a visionary for her many innovations in digital marketing, she is also a keynote speaker and an online workshop provider on artificial intelligence and metaverse activations which she’s had an interest in since 2008. Learn more about these two subjects by subscribing to her blog and following her on Instagram, LinkedIn, and You Tube.
About Thompson
Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, Thompson showcases the beauty and craftsmanship of Mexico with its line of hand-hammered metal sinks, bathtubs, range hoods, and accessories. The brand serves as a trusted source for interior designers and specifiers seeking bespoke and ready-made products and jewelry for the home. No matter the material or finish, every piece is a personal invitation to experience a world of incomparable beauty and quality craftsmanship. Thompson is a SupplierGATEWAY® certified minority-owned small business. Learn more at www.thompsontraders.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.