Why is your business called M.T. Deco?

What does M.T. Deco mean? Are those your first initials or is it pronounced “mount” deco? Are you a design company? “Empty” deco?

File under questions I get as it relates to the name of my company, and while I’m always happy to explain it [and laughingly reiterate that I’m not changing it], I thought it might be beneficial to explain how and why the name came to be.

First of all, I love Art Deco. I love Art Deco architecture, I love the geometry of Art Deco, and I love the timeless yet elevated style of Art Deco design. I love its clean lines and curves, I love its playfulness, its sophistication, its level of cool, its adaptability, all the way down to its fonts. 

When I planned my wedding in 2016 at the iconic Don Cesar hotel or “pink palace” in St. Petersburg, Florida, a hotspot in the Jazz Age for the rich and famous, like F. Scott Fitzgerald, the vibe was The Great Gatsby meets the beach. Everything from the invitations to the event signage, to the colors, patterns, table decor, lighting, you name it, was inspired by Art Deco. It was cohesive, bright, fun, chic, and I was hooked.

Fast forward to 2018 when I was on maternity leave desperately trying to envision a world where I had my own company, how the business would work, and of course, what the heck the name would be. I was back down in Florida with my husband Jeff and son Wally as I wracked my brain. It was Jeff who actually helped me workshop the name after we revisited our wedding spot. 

We talked about how much Art Deco influenced the wedding details in versatile and unexpected ways. It’s more than just an aesthetic style, it’s got depth, and flexibility that continues to have a resounding impact today. Which were -- strangely -- qualities that I was aspiring for as it relates to my future digital strategy company. 

And now today, I recently caught an article about Art Deco in the United Airlines Hemispheres magazine that said “travel experts predict that the post-pandemic era will be a time of exuberance and decadence—the Roaring 2020s, if you will. Fittingly, there may be no better time to immerse yourself in the sleek, geometric architecture of the original Roaring ’20s, as a slew of Art Deco landmarks have been recently reimagined, restored, and reopened.” The article then went on to showcase a slew of gorgeous Art Deco buildings that have been restored from literally all over the world [definitely check it out]. I am here for it.

One iconic Art Deco building that we recently spent a night in, though it’s not included in the article, is the classic TWA terminal at JFK, which is now a hotel. I went there as a kid before it shut down because my grandfather Ed Kondak was a pilot there in its heyday. Its restoration is stunning. And as I was writing this post, I also realized that I have spent an inordinate amount of time in another highly iconic Art Deco building, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, with my close to a decade of working there. It’s as if Art Deco has been an integral part of my life all along.

And just as it seamlessly shifts from huge, beautiful buildings to fashion, from party vibes to appliances, decade after decade, so too does the work we do at M.T. Deco. We work with clients including large media companies, restaurant owners, influencers, artists, musicians, big tech, startups, and average people. We believe everyone needs a digital strategy and we are positioned to evolve with whatever new businesses or digital platforms emerge. 

We also strive to be timeless and chic, and for our strategy work to stand the test of time. We build for brand resilience and not for short-term satisfaction on platforms that have an uncertain shelf life. We consider Art Deco to be our og influencer and are riding a surfboard right on top of its roaring 2020s wave of revival.