The Design Questionnaire With Jen Dallas
In this edition of Love Happens’ Design Questionnaire, join us for a peek into the creative mind of Jen Dallas, founder of the Los Angeles-based interior design firm Jen Dallas Studio.
Jen always saw herself as an interior designer from a young age and was known to rearrange the furniture in her room in the middle of the night. Today she works on countless projects, from a posh Manhattan Beach country club to a mountain retreat off the Malibu coast and a secluded bungalow in St. Barths.
The LA designer is guided by a spirit of collaboration and creativity, bringing to life the intimate connections between people and the homes they live in. Jen enjoys having the satisfaction of knowing that her work is a reflection of the kinds of connections and experiences people want to have in their most personal and sacred spaces.
Moreover, Jen also offers a growing line of products with her creative partner under the brand name Maple Jude & Co, which blends a vintage-modern style with a relaxed and comfortable bohemian vibe.
Meet Jen Dallas of Jen Dallas Studio in the Lh Design Questionnaire
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
The perfect recipe for happiness is contentment in the current moment. For me, it is being present and satisfied with how life is showing up right now. Feeling satisfied with life’s accomplishments and celebrating those. I also enjoy seeing new options of what could be. I find that when I shake my life up every now and then and travel, it greatly adds to my happiness. Travel gives me a new perspective. It helps me to see life through a different set of eyes because when you plant yourself somewhere else for a time and see new things and experience new cultures, you are forever changed. When I return home, I have such a sense of renewal and feeling gratitude.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My greatest achievement is my life right now! I get paid for doing what I love. I am an entrepreneur with two thriving businesses. A single mom with a teenage son that is starting high school who is thriving. I have my own product lines and more coming out in the next year. Also, I dream big, and I don’t think I have accomplished my biggest achievement yet!
What profession does your alter ego have?
I have always thought I would make a great life coach/therapist. I love helping people and love coaching them to see parts of themselves they don’t see. To help them choose a better way of living that is more aligned with who they are. Or I would love to be a clown!
The project you will never forget.
There are so many! Each of my projects is unique and personal to me. If I had to choose one, it would be a project I did for a dear friend and her family in San Diego. It was Spanish in style and all new construction. She had a strong vision from the beginning about what she wanted and how her family would live and use each space. She is Buddhist and had a ceremony to bless the house before we started construction. Lots of great memories about the design process on this project. It was an honor to be part of her project. The final result of the house was breathtaking.
Your favorite business tool or resource.
I am old school—I still enjoy my pin-up boards in my studio. I pin up images and sketches all of the time to inspire us for the projects we are currently working on or to just think out of the box for future projects.
The most timeless design.
Timeless design is a classic approach to design. Whether that is a color we choose for the sofa upholstery or paying attention to the molding choices we are implementing into a newly constructed home. It is a strong mix of old and new layers where it feels like the house or room has developed over time.
The biggest design faux pas.
I think the biggest design faux pas is designing in a vacuum. Not designing with the entire look and feel of the home considered. Holistically considering the house and how each room influences and balances the other is the key to successfully designing a home. We always approach our project this way, and it is key to our success.
Your design motto.
“Dream Big” I like to dream big with my clients. In our first couple of meetings, I will help them to dream big on what they want for their home. If you start with limitations, the project won’t ever achieve what they are desiring for their home to be. Dream big, and then we can create priorities and phases to determine best what will serve the needs of my clients.
Our publisher KOKET makes statement décor; if you were to design a room around one KOKET piece, which would it be, and why?
The Nahema Chair. This is a beautiful chair. It dances between feeling feminine but has a balance of masculine too. I like the Art Deco flavoring it offers with the wood and metal mixed. Art Deco is one of my favorite design periods. I would use it for a dining room or even as a conference room chair, depending on the project style and needs of the business.
Love Happens when…
We recognize love never leaves. Love is happening all the time. It is us that chooses not to see it.
