Jen Dallas, owner and founder of Jen Dallas Interiors, is a figure that has worked on numerous projects from all facets, managing projects for residential and commercial sectors.
From an early age, Jen Dallas knew that she was born to be an interior designer. She recalled being awake past her bedtime, and Jen’s mother catching Jen rearranging the furniture in her room.
She said, “It’s a lucky thing to know what you want to do from such a young age and to grow up in a family where having that purpose meant something – to have parents who encourage creativity and encourage who you are.”
Eventually owning her own firm, Jen Dallas has gone on to tackle a variety of different designs, such as the English-inspired manor in Kentucky, a mountain retreat off the Malibu Coast, a posh Manhattan Beach country club, and a secluded bungalow in St. Barth’s.
Jen Dallas And How To Know About The Client
Dallas and her team focuses on each respective client’s particular tastes and needs, all of which are guided by a spirit of collaboration and creativity.
Dallas described her process as reflective of her clients, saying, “I am into the very clean-line, edited look. I think a majority of my job comes from Southern California, and there’s an element of the beach, the outdoors, the whole indoor and outdoor California living theme.”
Jen explained that the preponderance of her client base is centralized around the concept of change. Whether her client is an empty nester, moved into a new home, or whether the client wants to transform their space into an office, Jen asks all of the involved questions, implementing which elements of the client’s life should be incorporated into the design.
“So from the very get-go, I ask a lot of good questions, and there’s a couple of meetings in the beginning, two or three meetings, where we’re talking about their space, whether I’m helping them with a new construction, or remodeling, with their current home,” explained Dallas.
She continued to talk about how to get in touch with what they need, saying “I find out how they live now, how they can live better, what they’re trying to change when they’re moving into a new space and what worked in their old house.”
One of her recent projects demonstrates why such details matter. Working alongside a married couple, Jen had to understand the needs of both spouses, accommodating designs for not only the clients but also their newborn.
How Jen Designs Offices In A Post-Pandemic World
Using the depth in one’s spaces, Jen talked about how there are overlooked elements that can change the entirety of a design. When Jen is managing a project that involves the home office, there are certain pivotal aspects that need to be considered.
According to Dallas, “Depending on what they need for their work, if it’s just a computer and a desktop, that’s one thing, but sometimes people have a lot of files, people have a lot of paperwork. Just knowing what the person does, and knowing how to implement all of the different storage functions, I think is a key thing for work.”
Although there is no universal method into traversing the office design process in the post-pandemic world, Jen says that finding a place for everything is imperative with how she acclimates the needs of her clients.
The Design Style That Jen Abides By
According to the World Of Interiors, Jen Dallas has a reputation for creating designs that are “playful and fresh”. Attributing this quality and style to her own sensitivity, Jen has a versatile understanding of how to use the wide range of mixing different design components.
She said, “My favorite projects, believe it or not, are very eclectic. I love mixing vintage and antique into my modern spaces, or in a traditional home, I like to mix modern things to the traditional aesthetic.”
Exploring the details of one of her bathroom renovation projects, Jen remembers finding vintage bamboo hooks. The wooden hooks would act as an application for the client to hang his towels or essentially, any articles of clothing.
Calling it “crust”, Jen talks about how she enjoys finding something to add to the character of a space. Saying, “I like the mix. I think one of my gifts, or one of the things I love with what I do, is finding the right vintage or antique items that can provide a layer to the house, giving it character.”
Explaining that her experiences have resulted in an innate ability to find and install certain items to a space, Jen Dallas described this as instinct, saying, “I’m a very holistic designer. When I implement things, I don’t just throw something at it, I think about what the whole house feels like. And when I go to choose something, I check in with myself, and I reflect on whether it works in regards to the whole house.”
Maple Jude & Co
Co-owned by senior associate and creative partner Perry Helderman, Maple Jude & Co. is a growing brand that the two creative partners manage while simultaneously overseeing design projects.
This fall, Maple Jude & Co. will introduce their second collection of fabrics and ceramic tile with plans for Maple Jude’s first wallpaper collection. Dallas is also launching her own namesake lighting collection in 2023, while working on her own line of furniture for summer 2023.
Officially founded in 2018, Maple Jude & Co. has been in the making since 2012 when the duo began to develop their textile collection. As interior designers at Jen Dallas Studio, Dallas and Helderman have a range of experience in every last detail of what goes into making a space beautiful; a home and lifestyle brand was a natural next step.
Their unique eye on the look and feel of products functions as a sense of inspiration for the lifestyle of the clients.
Jen Dallas Interiors is a multifaceted design studio that focuses on high-end residential and commercial projects both local and worldwide. The collaborative approach of both Helderman and Dallas is holistic in nature, greatly assisting their clients with developing a clear project vision.
