1. Who are you and where are you located?

I am an interior designer. I live in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan (a suburb of Detroit) and work in the Detroit Metropolitan area. But that’s not all.  I’m also the founding editor and writer of Design Hole, a blog dedicated to interior design. I am married to Arthur Mitchell and have a teenaged son.

2. Do you provide online services in addition to offline services?

It’s interesting you should ask. It’s something I’ve got on my calendar for 2010. I have a beach house in North Carolina, which we rent. I often get requests from the management company to redecorate other rentals. Opening an online service would allow me do this as well as take on other online clients.

I think every improvement in technology will make offline design services easier – and more fun. It will also open up opportunities for clients and designers. If you’re good, you won’t be constrained by location – a client from anywhere in the world could hire you, and all the transactions and advice could be delivered remotely.  In a sense, it’s like what’s happening in the newspaper business. I no longer have to read my local movie reviewer for “advice”. I can read movie reviews by critics from all over the world.  (But that’s a little down the road)

Meanwhile, like every interior designer, I provide buying services. If a Design Hole reader is looking for a specific “trade only” product, I’m happy to provide a quote and buy it for them – just like an offline interior designer. My prices are excellent.

3. What is your favorite room to design, and in which style?

Hmmm… Truthfully, every room offers its own challenges and rewards. But since you knew I was going to say that (it happens to be true as well), I’ll add that powder rooms in general are a lot of fun. Because of their intimacy clients often give me a real opportunity to design something with real drama.

In terms of style, my job is to really understand my clients’ aesthetics. Then create an environment that meets their wishes. I don’t have one “style” that I try to apply to clients’ needs.

Think about it. Many people have an “idea” of what they’d like their interiors to be like. However, they find it difficult to a) articulate exactly what it is they like, and b) have enough exposure to all the options they could use to make it happen. That’s really what makes designing so much fun. Working in just one style would get boring. And it’s lazy. There’s a successful designer in town who simply stamps out his style on one living room after another. You can spot them the moment you step into the room.

The only “style” I don’t like so much is Art Deco. It’s much too dictated – you “have” to use “these” colors.  You “have” to use the fabrics.  It’s like making a movie set. I think something bad must have happened to me in a previous 1930’s life :^)

4. Tell us about your career; how has it unfolded?

I think I was born to design. I spent my childhood designing all kinds of things. I don’t know how many times I painted my bedroom – finally with a mural covering all four walls (the ceiling too). After college, where I majored in theatre - set design in particular, I worked for a land development company. I was in charge of several planned unit developments in Richmond, Virginia. It amazes me that I handled that kind of responsibility at so young an age. That’s when I started working with interior designers and realized I’d found my true calling. So, after moving to Detroit I returned to school to study design. I opened shop while I was in school and started Design Hole two and a half years ago.

5. What sort of projects do you work on?

I work primarily on residential projects. When I do commercial projects I work with a partner. I love working with lighting and color.  People think of paint and fabric, when there is so much you can do with light to transform a space. Plus the technology keeps getting better and more varied. I often start projects with color. I love color theory and how it affects our emotions and, in turn, our living spaces.

6. What has been your key to success?

Measure twice, cut once! Seriously, I’m very passionate about what I do. I think my clients get that. It’s funny, I find myself losing the plot of movies because I’m concentrating too much on the set design! Every client wants to believe that their project is special. With me, it is. I can’t think of a single project where I didn’t give it my full creative attention.

7. When you view a vendor’s website, what is the most important factor when deciding to buy an item, i.e. photographic presentation, accurate description, quality, design, location etc.?

Make it easy to navigate! Let me get the information I need quickly. Don’t make me sit through “intros”. I think all online companies should take a look at Zappos. They really get it. I want to see a large image. If a product comes in various finishes, I want to see the product in all of those finishes. It’s nice to see it in a room setting to get a sense of scale. An accurate description regarding construction and dimensions are imperative. I like a good return policy as well. Let’s face it – online no one can really see what a product looks like – especially when it comes to color. Let me buy several items and return the one that doesn’t work.

8. What advice do you have for someone with a new house to decorate and perhaps a limited budget?

Spend some time living in the space before you do anything - one month at least. You’ll spend that time discovering how you really use the space. You get a sense of the light. You have a chance to figure out what you like and what you don’t.

Choose furniture wisely. Base the paint colors on the furniture – not the other way around. Repaint things, recover things, learn to sew.

9. What are the most common decorating mistakes made by homeowners? How would you correct those mistakes?

I’m always stressing on Design Hole that the paint comes last. All too often, people paint first. I know it’s difficult to live with someone else’s maroon living room, but painters are expensive. It’s worth the wait to make a plan first. Choose the things you really want first  – like the sofa. Or plan around something you really love. Paint comes in every color imaginable. Sofas don’t.

10. Most of us are always eager to know about the latest color, design, and furnishing trends. What design trends can homeowners incorporate into their interiors that are up-to-date but classic?

I’m so glad wallpaper is back. It’s is a terrific way to update a room in an instant.  It adds depth and texture to a home. The trend towards more decoration, more embellishment, is something to pay attention to.

11. What is the best way to transition your home from season to season, such as summer to fall?

Pillows and throws are sort of obvious. I like to change the lighting. We need drama for the holidays, warmth and extra light in the winter, and some romance in the summer.

 

 

Jennifer Mitchell, Jennifer Mitchell Design

Website: http://www.designholeonline.com

Contact Info: designholeonline@gmail.com

 

*Note: All pictures are from Jennifer's portfolio -published with her permission and are subject to copyright.

Back to Interviews