Into the Soul: Tim Gallagher & Gallagher Designs

20121109_Gallagher_041

In the summer of 2012, Gallagher Designs employees put their ingenious stamp on a client’s vacation home in Bend. Team members created a custom antler chandelier, welded a fire pit, built a bunkroom for children complete with canvas tent covers, and used a laser to etch local topography lines onto stair risers.

“Our favorite thing was the reclaimed ski lift we made into a swing and hung on the porch,” recalls founder and creative visionary Tim Gallagher, 45.

Gallagher Designs, based in the Portland area, specializes in cutting-edge industrial design with projects that range from the petite (a custom doghouse- shaped shoebox for a pair of Snoop Dogg-inspired Adidas) to oversized semi-trucks converted into “interactive playgrounds” for adults and kids alike. Their work is fueled by an intimate knowledge of materials and an unmistakable gift for innovation.

Recently, the company designed a line of contemporary logos and apparel for Rhino Lacrosse and crafted a stylish guitar-shaped case that holds customized lacrosse balls, an iPhone cover, headphones, a hat and a stick.

For Nike, Gallagher transformed an empty shipping container into a sleek black traveling space known as The Boom Truck, where visitors can design their own T-shirts, buy products and view football stats on a big screen.

Gallagher, who grew up in Medford, discovered his true love after enrolling in art classes at the University of Oregon. Post-graduation, he drove a truck through the Pacific Northwest filled with his handmade wares. This wandering art show was the first incarnation of Gallagher Designs.

Today the business operates out of two spaces: a warehouse in the suburb of Beaverton, and a house in Portland’s Northwest neighborhood next to the Gallagher family home—which makes for a record-time commute for the owner.

“I will be honest,” Gallagher says, reflecting on his work. “Like with everything, there are good days and there are trying days, but at the end of it all, I feel very lucky every day.” In fact, he notes, “The phrase ‘Lucky Every Day’ is actually written on my bedroom door.

You can view Gallagher Designs at gallagherdesigns.com

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.