Today we’d like to introduce you to Janelle Burns.
Hi Janelle, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey into interior design began during my time at California State University, Long Beach, where I pursued a degree in fashion design and textiles. I saved all my design communication (art) courses until the end and had to take them from the design department because all the classes through the fashion and fine art departments were full. Ended up that I had an exceptional talent for color theory and interiors. With encouragement from my professors, I gained acceptance into UCLA’s Interior Architecture & Design graduate program. While I was in grad school I secured my first job at a well established full service luxury interior design firm in Orange County, CA as a junior associate. This first role was so important to my career because the designer I worked for had an in-house workroom, custom upholstery shop, receiving dock operations, and a refinishing booth all at our office headquarters. I learned how to work with the specialty trades to produce a turnkey, truly bespoke interior design from day 1. To this day, I am so grateful for this first role because it fast-tracked my career in a way that is honestly unmeasurable.
I went on to finish my thesis work at UCLA and take my own projects for several years until 2011, when my (now) ex-husband received a career opportunity that moved us from Orange County to Dallas. I took a few projects upon arrival to Texas and was later brought on at a Dallas-based residential architecture firm in 2014 (Maestri Studio), where the projects I worked on as a lead designer won many awards and were recognized in multiple local and national publications. During this time, I gained even more industry experience, learned how to implement remote design work during COVID, and honed my skills in comprehensive project management. I was tapped by Morgan Farrow (Morgan Farrow Interiors) and made the jump back to a luxury residential interior design firm, eventually launching my own firm in 2024. We are now early in year 3 of Janelle Burns Interiors and haven’t skipped a beat since day one, Our studio is perfectly located to serve our University Park, Uptown, Preston Hollow and Lakewood clients and, being only 13 miles away from Love Field, we can hop on a plane for remote projects in a matter of minutes.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The relationships you form along the way are truly meaningful and sometimes at odds with what you know you need to do in your heart of hearts. Staying true to yourself and your potential can be hard when you don’t want to let anyone down, but holding yourself back serves no one in the end. Finding the strength to be authentic, even if it means outgrowing a role and leaving people you care about behind has been the hardest part of my career journey. I’ve also been a single mother raising a special needs child since 2014. Second to my divorce, starting my own firm has been the most courageous thing I have ever done. Without a second income, or a partner as a financial safety net, I was willing to step into the unknown in order to follow my heart.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We specialize in creating thoughtfully designed, fully realized homes. Our expertise spans full-scale furnishings, ground-up new builds, renovations with architectural involvement, detailed finish selections and bespoke design solutions.
I am known for being one of the most organized designers- we have a process that every project goes through, regardless of size or location. Above all, I want the client to know that our back-end management is just as strong as our front-end design. Management is a critical service component most clients never ask about, or even consider, when interviewing and hiring an interior designer.
We design with individuality in mind, as well as the architectural style of the house. Your home should tell your story, blending the elements that make you unique into a space that is entirely your own. We also believe a brilliantly executed interior should marry seamlessly with the chosen architectural style of the home. These two components keep our work meaningful and timeless.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
We rely heavily on Spotify to bring background vibes to studio and office workflow. I’m also inspired by the minds and musings of Elizabeth Gilbert and Rick Rubin. Two afternoons reading “Big Magic” (by Elizabeth Gilbert) and “The Creative Act: A Way of Being” (by Rick Rubin) will be two afternoons well spent, guaranteed. I keep a daily meditation practice and that helps me feel “organized” inside and intentionally tap into stillness so that all systems can rest and reboot. Over the years I’ve also been increasingly intentional with my social media diet. I feed myself content from people I know and love in real life, creatives I like to pay attention to, artists and artisans that move me, words that force me to think (and not just consume), and imagery of faraway places to allow my mind to wander in place. I’ve found the more intentional I am with just about everything, the better life feels.
Pricing:
- Interior design is an investment. It’s an investment in the creative and management talent that will dream and implement, as well as the costs associated with custom goods and furnishings. Pricing is dependent on scope and, to some extent, the style we are working in and the overall goals the client has. A modest guest house will have a different resource demand than a 6,700 sq. ft. primary residence.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://janelleburnsinteriors.com/
- Instagram: @janelleburnsinteriors
Image Credits
Photography: Jenifer Baker Studio
Styling & Floral: Russell Brightwell
