It was clear from an early age that Jen Dallas was born to be an interior designer: she remembers how, as a child, her mother would find Jen long after bedtime, rearranging the furniture in her bedroom.

Step forward to the present and this young bedtime defiant is now an artist and designer whose work brings to life the intimate connections between people and the homes they live in, running her own business with the goal of… have a wider impact through new home decor lines and design elements.

“It’s a chance to know what you want to do from a young age,” says Jen Dallas, “and to grow up in a family where having that purpose meant something – to have parents who encouraged creativity and who encourage who you are.’

Presenting design concepts that The world of interiors calls it ‘playful and fresh’, Dallas oversees the work in the Jen Dallas (opens in a new tab) design studio that offers a growing range of products under the brand Maple Jude & Co (opens in a new tab) where she collaborates with her senior associate and creative partner Perry Helderman. “I’m more of a non-decorator,” Dallas says. “I try to serve the people who are my clients, not my own artistic interests.”

With interior design projects as large as an English-inspired mansion in Kentucky, a mountain retreat off the coast of Malibu, a chic Manhattan Beach country club or a secluded bungalow in St. Barth’s, Dallas and his team focus on the specifics of each client. tastes and needs, guided by a spirit of collaboration and creativity.

“It’s really about getting to know my clients and how they live their lives,” she explains. “I like to ask them: how could your life work better? What do they value? Cleanliness? Comfort? Entertaining? Do they need places to sleep because they have a big family that likes to visit? Do they enjoy their holiday china and still want it accessible? Are they allergic?

‘When you see a finished designed room on a DIY show on TV it looks easy, but a good designer will work with the client to refine and personalize each space so the rooms are truly livable and work best for the people who live there .’

This kind of personal touch has been even more important in the past two years, as the impact of the pandemic has caused people to rethink their priorities, and the connection between their bodies, the spaces they occupy and share, and the lines newly blurred between home, work and social spaces. Dallas says of the current market, “There are a lot of multipurpose rooms, the family room becomes Mom’s office. We had to think of the furniture differently: corners for desks, bulletin boards, and the aim is always not to give the impression that it is an add-on, but that it always did part of the part and the plan.

Dallas credits her own native sensibility and intuition with helping her navigate the changes and demands of the past few years. “I’m a people person and I’ve always been very sensitive,” she smiles. “I was teased about this as a kid, but now it’s such a blessing because I know I can understand what my clients want and direct my questions in the right direction.” I’ve always been into psychology and at one point I thought about being an art therapist, and my son always says, ‘Mom, you’d be the best life coach.’

As Dallas points out, most people work with designers at times of great significance or transition: “My clients are empty nests, or have new babies, or have moved for a job – there’s always an event that changes your life when I meet them, and I have to be ready to ask them the right questions and listen to their real needs.

This creative spirit has also resulted in a diversification of product lines – currently in textiles and tiles, as offered by Maple Jude & Co. The idea of ​​product lines simply came as a logical continuation of the work process. from Dallas. It all starts with hand drawings and custom details that Dallas says offer so much more possibility and meaning than standard pre-made home decor items.

“I was designing a pattern, and suddenly I thought the pattern would be perfect for ceramic tiles,” she recalls. “And I turned to Perry and said ‘we make tiles’. We reached out to a friend in the tile business and started figuring out how to make it happen.

This fall, Maple Jude & Co will introduce its second collection of fabrics and ceramic tiles with plans for Maple Jude’s first wallpaper collection debuting this fall. Dallas has its own eponymous lighting collection launching in 2023 and is working on its own furniture line for summer 2023.

Dallas attributes her creative spirit, success and work ethic to the example set by her parents. Her father was a college art professor; at the back of her class, young Jen threw pottery and paint, and on weekends accompanied her to antique shops and flea markets. She found similar support and support at O’More College of Design (now part of Belmont University in Tennessee), which provided her with many hands-on opportunities to explore her multiple creative passions in the fields of art and design.

“I’ve always made my own stationery, gift wrap and envelopes. I was always the person who took art classes, drawing for fun. Sure, it might only be 40% of my job – I wear so many hats, there’s so much to do on the sales and marketing side – but it’s something I love and am passionate about. .

In his spare time, Dallas admits to getting his hands dirty (literally) and “sculpting a garden.” She is also “obsessed” with animals and dreams of a future where she has a farm that can support an ecosystem of goats, chickens and dogs. “I really want an African gray parrot,” she admits. She keeps in shape through rowing and yoga, and recently started traveling again with her teenage son. “We travel a lot together and I really try to hold on to those memories.”

Ultimately, Jen Dallas finds the greatest satisfaction in knowing that her work reflects the kinds of connections and experiences that people want to have in their most personal and sacred spaces, whether in the form a great design concept or simply a luminaire or a tile that meets the customer’s deepest desires.

“Of course, it’s nice when people buy things that come to mind,” Dallas says. “But the main reason is to inspire people. With the things we design, we keep this need to inspire in mind.

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