Today we’d like to introduce you to Jen Stevens.
Hi Jen, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I fell in love with design as a child – my mama and I’s shared passion was moving the furniture around the house “just to see how it looked”. I was fortunate to grow up in a home where beautiful things were treasured and it instilled in me a drive to make life beautiful.
Travel has long been my muse, so after graduating with a Masters’s in Interior Architecture from Pratt in NYC, I shifted my attention to seeing some more of the world. A few months after graduation I set out on what would become a nearly 2-year long solo travel adventure – circling the globe twice and soaking in as much inspiration as I could. From the tile work in Morocco to the textiles of India – the practical design knowledge I had gained in school was met full force with intensely cultural design solutions, which has become a part of who I am as a designer today.
It was during this time that I began to realize a long seated passion for hospitality design. I believe that every moment should be a luxury. A hotel is an escape from reality, a private wonderland getaway, and I wanted to be a part of that creation. When I returned from traveling and moved back to Dallas, I began a career at one of the top hospitality firms in the city.
During my 11 years in the hospitality design field, at some of the most well-known firms in Dallas, I began to understand that the luxuries of hotel life could be replicated in our homes and businesses – in ways that make every space we inhabit feel like a respite from the outside world, while maintaining an innate functionality tailored to our lives. I wanted to create spaces that felt like an escape, but that would be used every day.
In May 2021, Jen Stevens Studio was born – and since then we have created a portfolio of exquisite turnkey projects – from interiors to brand identity, every part works together seamlessly.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing worth doing is ever easy! I have been very privileged with my educational opportunities and life experiences – and the hard work I’ve put into those opportunities has certainly paid off. I grew up the daughter of a very successful entrepreneur and he and my mother constantly encouraged me to follow my dreams – if it can be done, I could do it, they preached.
However, I think the biggest obstacle that I faced, and a lot of young people entering the working world face today, was the idea that success = job at large company with good benefits. While this is certainly a path to success, it is not the only definition. I definitely fell under the impression that it was the only way and spent 10 years putting aside my drive to create something of my own in the pursuit of a better position, salary, benefits package, etc.
In 2020 my husband and I welcome our first child and I think the experience I had of going back into the corporate work force after becoming, let’s face it, an entirely new person with new and different priorities, brought my unhappiness to the forefront. The place I was in, physically and mentally, did not support the new version of myself that I had become. I decided that if I wanted to show my daughter that I could define my own success, and that she could do, I needed to face the fear and jump.
We are learning more and more every day that at the end of the day, what really matters, is that hard work always equals success. The more that you put in, the more that you get out. If it can be done, you can do it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We are a multi-disciplinary design studio specializing in interiors, graphics, branding, & web design. We believe in a total package holistic approach to design, whether we are designing a new construction spec home, doing a custom renovation or building a restaurant or retail brand. No matter the project, we firmly believe that great design can be both sophisticated and approachable.
By bringing together a strong understanding of our client’s needs with a sound knowledge of the building & design processes – backed by 10+ years in the hospitality design industry – we curate beautiful and functional spaces + concepts with impeccable execution & budget in mind.
My experience in so many facets of the design industry helps my clients realize the full vision for their projects. We can provide an incredibly beautiful and functional space, but we can also solve how to use it best.
What were you like growing up?
My mom likes to say that when up until I was about 4 years old, I was the shy girl hiding behind her skirt – and then all of a sudden it was like “where’s Jenni Jane?”. That’s my full name by the way, and what a lot of people call me!
I went to a relatively small high school, even though I grew up in the city, and I was friends with everybody. There were of course cliques in the school, but I had friends in all of them for the most part. I was never super interested in the mainstream music or pop culture stuff, which meant I also wasn’t super popular. I was listening to bluegrass and Botticelli with my dad and spending my weekends on the horse show circuit with my mom (who was a professional cutting horse rider) or singing, which was a huge part of my life growing up.
Having so many different things going on in my life, plus the fact that my parents were able to make travel a big part of my childhood, was really instrumental in who I am today.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@jenstevens.studio
- Website: www.jenstevens.studio
- Instagram: @jenstevens.studio
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/JenStevensStudio
Image Credits
Costa Christ Media
Amber Tice Photography
