Nashville interior designer shares insider tips

Do you flip through the pages of Architectural Digest and drool over the beautiful homes featured in the articles? The colors, textures, lights and shapes in these rooms all live in perfect harmony.

Very few people have the gift for creating rooms that are both aesthetically pleasing as well as functional. These beautifully decorated homes, however, are no accident. Most of these owners had help from a secret weapon, an interior designer.

Jessica Davis, owner and principal designer of JL Design, a Nashville-based interior design firm, helps us demystify the interior design world.

How did you get started in interior design? Is this a life-long passion or something you stumbled upon?

Art and design are life-long passions. I grew up with a family who offered a lot of influence in the arts. I began college with a fine arts major and switched my focus to interiors after learning more about the program.

Can you tell us a little bit about your firm and the services you offer? Does your firm have specialties?

JL Design is a boutique interior design firm founded in 2005 and specializing in residential and small commercial design. We assist clients in all phases of construction and remodeling to include: space planning, project management, specifications and styling throughout.

We offer turnkey services and help take all of the pressure off of the client during the process by doing so. We pride ourselves on providing "interiors tailored to reflect life and style.” We have three licensed designers on staff at JL Design.

Do you particularly enjoy working on specific types of jobs or with specific clients more than others?

I enjoy the variety of clients and projects we work on the most. However, I would say the projects that are considered "vintage modern" or “contemporary" are the ones I personally find most rewarding.

What is the process when a homeowner hires you for a project?

Depending upon the project, we have a few different approaches to include consulting, scope-based projects and “Express Design.”  More often, we work on scope-based projects.

Basically, the process includes an initial consultation followed by a detailed scope of services for approval.  Once we have been contracted for a job, we move forward with a "lifestyle phase" that includes (a) questionnaire and discovery. Next, we will present “concept” boards, selections and then implementation of the proposed design.

Separately, "Express Design" is a service that provides the client with a complete package for a design to implement on their own.

Do people have a general idea of what they want? How do you make their vision come to life?

Great question. More often, people do NOT know what they want, which is why the initial consult and lifestyle discovery phase is so important. We talk through needs, style, budgets and timelines and provide a scope that details the plan we feel will serves the client best.

From there, presenting the “concept boards” is key, as it conveys the overall look and style of the finished product, ensuring we are all on the same page.

Do you have any tips for homeowners considering hiring an interior designer?

Always talk to more than one. Ask about the process, approach and costs, as well as accreditations and experience. It’s always best to go with the designer you have the best rapport with. This person will play an important part in your home and lifestyle. It is an important decision to consider.

Further, I never recommend attempting a home build, remodel or addition without the expertise an interior designer can offer. Along with an architect and builder, a designer will bring important details and decisions to the table that could have been overlooked or forgotten.

As a licensed Realtor, Gabriela Lira specializes in helping her clients buy and sell homes in the urban core of Nashville and parts of Williamson County. OGabriela was a finalist for the Nashville Business Journal's 2014 Women of Influence Award; that same year she was also nominated as an Emerging Leader in Real Estate by 12th & Broad. Her hobbies and interests include snow skiing, stand-up paddleboarding, gourmet food and wine, and world travel.