We were lucky to catch up with Jennifer Rhode recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jennifer, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.
When I started my interior design business I was largely self-taught. I had worked for an architect for a few years, but I had never worked in an interior design firm and I had not been to design school. I had redone several houses and apartments for myself and my family and advised countless friends on their homes but not in an official capacity. I relied on my intuition for when things felt “right” and balanced. And I knew that my “eye” was unique because what seemed like clear, simple choices to me were often appreciated but surprising to others. So starting my business felt like a big, scary leap.
My original clients were largely friends who had spent time in my home and enjoyed my aesthetic. These relationships were successful because there was built-in trust. As my client base expanded, I realized that I had to forge that trust with people who did not have first hand experience with spaces I designed. At this point, I made a concerted effort to photograph my projects (with a wonderful photographer: Heather Knierim of HBK Photography) and put together a website to showcase my work.
Periodically I would bump up against holes in my knowledge – I did everything by hand, rather than with technical programs like AutoCAD – and have to decline a job. I kept meaning to take classes but never seemed able to carve out the time. And then the pandemic happened and my business came to a standstill. I was finally able to enroll at Heritage School of Interior Design in Denver because I now had LOADS of time. My courses included all of the technical design programs as well as an overview of interior design standards and practices.
I LOVED being in school – my teacher was terrific and it was so inspiring and expansive to be in the company of my super talented classmates. I learned that a lot of choices and selections I had been making intuitively were actually established design practices and I now had the language to better explain my ideas to clients. Other areas of study were completely new to me and it was really exciting to expand my thinking.
Fortunately, my business picked up again – I think people spent so much time bunkered up at home during lockdown that they felt the need to update their homes – and I have been able to put all of my learning to use. I am so grateful for my education at Heritage because it both validated my natural practice and gave me so many more tools.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I have an interior design business based out of Boulder, Colorado. I work on both residential and commercial projects. 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 grandmother’s desk, 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?
Since I created my business from scratch there have been a lot of situations that went awry. I think one of my strengths is learning from these unfortunate experiences… teasing them apart and thinking about how I could avoid something similar occurring in the future. Generally, things have gone pear-shaped when I needed more help/knowledge or better communication and boundaries. I hired my accountant really early on and that decision was a game changer. She has been a remarkable support and allowed me to put my energy into what I am good at, rather than hoping I am correctly figuring out my taxes. I have also collected a wonderful group of vendors, artists and craftspeople that I rely on for their particular skills. These relationships are seminal for the success of my business. Plus it is much more fun to collaborate with others than work in a vacuum. Most client issues are the result of miscommunication so I regularly update the contracts and “process” document I share with my clients to make them as clear as possible. I also try to think about how I am verbally explaining the design process so people know what to expect. I’ve learned is that it is super important to recognize when you need additional help and/or when a process needs to be reevaluated and ameliorated.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
The projects I consider the biggest successes are when my clients feel comfortable and represented by the spaces we’ve created together. This happy outcome is generally the result of good communication and underlying respect and trust on both ends. A creative process is challenging when you don’t believe in each other or you have opposing goals. Before engaging in a project I always try to make sure I am aesthetically aligned with the potential clients… I want to make sure I am the right designer for what they are looking to do. Sharing a vision facilitates efficiency and also makes the process a joy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jenniferrhode.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferrhode/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenniferrhodedesign
- Other: blog: https://www.jenniferrhode.com/blog
