Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jennifer Rhode. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Jennifer, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
I am naturally more of a glass is half full than half empty kind of person, but like everyone else, I have moments where I am completely overwhelmed, frustrated, angry or sad. When I was a newer mom, living in Amsterdam and preparing to move back to the states, I had one of those days where everything goes upside down: the tram I was taking to pick my son up from school broke down, my errand bag disintegrated in the rain (it was ALWAYS raining there) and seventeen other mishaps happened. I had a very wise friend at the time from Poland and in the midst of all my chaos and panic she said simply, “There is always a solution.” I have never forgotten that and I pull up her words when things feel impossible (even more impossible than a broken bag.) Perhaps the solution is in the gray area or outside of your wheelhouse, but you can find it.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I have an interior design business based out of Boulder, Colorado. I work on both residential and commercial projects. I am super excited to announce that I will be moving back to my hometown of Berkeley, California this summer so will be expanding my design reach to the Bay Area.
I think something that is unique about my practice is that I like to build off of pieces that have meaning for my clients: their grandfather’s clock, a painting they found on holiday, a quilt sewn by their favorite aunt… I want to help my clients create warm, personal spaces that reflect their family stories, loves and interests while making sure the interiors are also peaceful, highly edited and modern with lots of places for the eye to rest. I call this design approach “Modern Gezellig.” (Gezellig is the Dutch word/concept for “cozy” – I adopted this idea while we were living abroad in Amsterdam.) I also love collaborating with artists and connecting them with my clients. I like to help my clients find art that is meaningful to them – whether it is depicts something they love or is made by someone they can meet or represents a special time in their lives.
In addition to my design business I have a blog: https://www.jenniferrhode.com. My posts toggle between interviews with artists, product round-ups, design stories about my projects or stories about my children and my adorable dog, Hank.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I think the most helpful personal quality for my business has been my openness to learning: from others, from my mistakes and to fill holes in my knowledge. My business grew organically from simply helping my friends design their homes so I was not trained officially in the art of interior design. My selections and decisions for a space have been based on my intuition, rather than something learned. This approach worked for a while, but eventually I bumped up against situations or projects I could not tackle because I needed more grounding and information. At this point I enrolled in Heritage School of Interior Design in Denver. I LOVED being back in school (even though the technical programs were really humbling – I am a profound luddite.) Some of the teachings were validating – I learned that many of my instinctive choices were also established approaches, but much of what I learned was brand new and so expansive for me.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
My mother is a fabric artist, she makes the most incredible quilts, and while my father has a math brain, he has always supported and loved her work. I think the most impactful thing my parents did for me was to encourage my interest in art and beauty. My childhood was filled with visits to museums and galleries and traveling exhibitions. My need to “nest” and create what I considered lovely spaces was always encouraged, rather than minimized. I spent six months in Paris during university studying art history and French grammar and marveling at the chic Parisien women in cafes. My parents always understood and even pushed me to engage with experiences that excited me, even if they didn’t seem practical. So my journey into interior design was not direct, there were lots of dips and detours along the way but in the end it was all enriching and valuable. I am so grateful that I was championed to explore.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jenniferrhode.com
- Instagram: @jenniferrhode
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenniferrhodedesign
- Other: blog: https://www.jenniferrhode.com/blog
Image Credits
Kimberly Gavin Photography (first four photos) Heather Knierim of HBK Photography (last four photos)
