Meet Jonathan Parks, our Senior Director of Hard/Soft Accents and Outdoor Living.

Jonathan Parks is a thoughtful man with a passion for beautiful things.

He is Ethan Allen’s go-to person for lighting, artwork, hard accents, outdoor, and rugs. On paper, he’s in charge of design, product development, production, merchandising, and sales management. But ask him what he does, and he’ll say simply: “I’m responsible for creating beautiful products that our customers need and want.”

Jonathan has a interior architecture and business management background, and a resume that includes stints at Calvin Klein Home; Christopher Radko, where he designed exquisite glass ornaments and snow globes; and Julie Baker Design, where he helped manage the bespoke jewelry company. He’s been at Ethan Allen for four years.

When we caught up with Jonathan, he was preparing to embark on a month-long trip to meet with artisans and vendors in four countries. He takes two to three such trips a year and yet seems to travel effortlessly, going heavy on the planning and light on the packing. Even as this trip loomed and he was rushing to tie up loose ends, Jonathan welcomed the opportunity to tell us why he loves his job.

He says he’s been preparing for this position his entire life. “I knew, even as a child, that I’d be involved in interior design. I was always rearranging the furniture in my mother’s house, drawing room settings, drafting floor plans, and making sketches.” (He texted his mother in the middle of this interview to verify the claim.)

His outgoing personality is well-suited to working with vendors all over the world. “We have multiple vendors with multiple materials, but when you’re looking for something in particular—whether it’s a price point or a proprietary design—you start thinking of every vendor and who would do the best job,” he says. “I truly enjoy working with them to build up their potential and competencies. We help them go beyond what they thought they could do.”

For his part, he’s always thinking of ways to incorporate accents into Ethan Allen’s overall line. “One of my favorite things is developing a product for a certain launch, but making sure it’s saleable in all our projections,” says Jonathan. “That’s the challenge, and it’s a great challenge to have. I’m very lucky to get to do what I do.”

Most heads would spin at his itinerary. Among the stops: China to meet with lighting vendors; workshops  outside of Shanghai to look at samples for an upcoming outdoor collection; Vietnam to discuss concepts for lacquerware; Thailand to inspect natural materials for an array of accents; and finally, India, for a four-day “rug retreat” timed to coincide with inspections.

When he returns, he’ll gather his staff and hit the ground running. But not before he relaxes for a bit in the midcentury patio house that he shares with his partner, Tony Phillips, in rural Connecticut. Jonathan describes Tony, a Pilates instructor and massage therapist, as “very mellow, very Zen, the complete opposite of me.” Jonathan has two children: a 14, soon to be 24-year-old daughter, Bleu, whom he describes as “fiercely independent, and a teenager in the truest sense of the word.” His son, Lucas, 11, is “a remarkably sensitive person who is also an incredible athlete.”

Jonathan enjoys living in a period home with furnishings that are, not surprisingly, globally inspired. Also in residence: a Coonhound rescue named Loretta Lynn and Argusaurus P. Rex, a fluffy Coton de Tuléar. “We love the space and the privacy, and we love that it’s quiet,” he says. “We heat the house with wood in the winter and garden in the summer, and we’re an hour from New York City. It really is the best of all worlds.”

Don’t miss Instagram takeover day with Jonathan Parks on February 23. Jonathan will be posting pix from his trip @ethanallen all day long!