Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Isabel Jackson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Isabel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

Actually I am in the process of simplifying the name to be Chelt Interiors which is a simpler version of Cheltenham Interiors. Cheltenham is the town in England where I am from and where I grew up going to boarding school there between the ages of 7 to 17. Boarding school is my first decade of significance in my life. After that there was the Italian decade where I started working. Then the London and Dubai decade where I turned 30 and worked in banking. Then my Washington DC Interior Design and settling down decade. I am in the decade after that where I started my business in 2015 and now in 2025 it is still adapting and transforming as I take on new and exciting projects such as writing contributions to design magazines and home flipping as well as client work for homeowners.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My creativity has been enhanced by my rich family history, which appears to be somewhat similar to a scene from Downton Abbey, the popular British drama series. With several formidable family mentors over the years who have inspired my path as an experienced third-generation designer seems to be a major part of my family legacy.
My company, Chelt Interiors, is a boutique studio serving clients throughout the D.C. metro area and beyond.
My maternal grandmother Marjorie Delany, worked with the time-honored Wedgewood China company, and she first captured my creative side when I lived with her from ages three to seven when I was sent to boarding school.
My Nana and I spent hours working on our dollhouses, scrapbooking, drawing, and taking photographs. My mom flipped 21 homes and cottages in the Cotswolds, a posh British area where many celebrities including Ellen De Generes and the Beckham’s reside. I learned a great deal from watching my Mom weave her designing magic and I witnessed or lived in most of those 21 homes and saw how she would discover historical parts often hidden underneath 70’s style wallpaper.
All of this exposure ignited my passion for interior design and intricate decorating. I understand firsthand how a renovation can strain relationships; my parents underwent a major remodel when I was young and it took a toll on their marriage, This experience has taught me the importance of creating a harmonious environment throughout the process.
My paternal uncle, Brigadier John Wright, founded the Tidworth Polo Club, and my pilot father, Robert Wright, who comes from an upscale British Army background, had his dreams literally take flight when he put everything on the line to start his own airline, Connectair, which he eventually sold to Air Europe and later to British Airways – all helping me to cement my entrepreneurial spirit. He literally flew the first airplane himself and pulled out the seats at night to fill it with airmail to avoid paying parking which would have otherwise killed any chance of breaking even with costs.
My multicultural exposure combined with my prior residencies in Italy and Dubai helped inspire my diverse aesthetics, which led me to craft breathtaking personalized one-of-a-kind living spaces that evoke both joy and unique narratives. I also have a passion for blending traditional and modern design styles, including traditional to midcentury, art deco, bohemian, coastal, and minimalist modern. My unique signature style sets me apart with its British traditional aesthetic, given my art history degree and love of antiques and art, but I enjoy both big and small projects, from helping clients decorate their beach homes and rentals with fabrics, wall coverings, upholstery, and draperies, to large project at a Beaux-Arts Mansion or a gorgeous Italian villa.
I specialize in working on ensuring architectural plans and elevations fit the direction or vision, crafting custom features, including built-ins, personalized area rugs, coordinating fabrics and wallpaper, furniture selection and re-upholstery, art curation, and specialized lighting – all to create that perfect space. When it comes to trends, my best advice for both smaller design projects and large-scale renovations is the same – taking a few bold risks is where great design happens because it creates focal points, and 80 percent of our senses are experienced through vision. One must prioritize communication about sentimental pieces and family heirlooms. It’s essential to identify from the outset which items hold significant meaning for the client, which ones they are open to reimagining, and which ones can be let go. Understanding the emotional attachment that clients have to their belongings allows me to creatively showcase these treasures while harmonizing them with the overall design.
The key to a successful design project is listening attentively to the clients. This not only fosters trust but also leads to a more personalized and satisfying outcome.
My dream job combines my passion for design with my use of modern aesthetics. This means featuring Italian contemporary furniture and modern art, or embracing traditional British style with antiques and beautiful fabrics, trims, rugs, and wall coverings and adding modern art to create a glorious juxtaposition. I love creating spaces that reflect my clients’ personalities while ensuring a positive and enjoyable renovation experience.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Being a thought leader is important so I have tried to be present by consistently writing contributions to design publications (Homes & Gardens and Livingetc). Sometimes my opinions are about celebrity homes and that gets the most traction, but other topics are trends or seasonal design ideas. I try to think of myself as a lifestyle brand in that I should be an advice giver on all things home. Rather than an influencer I prefer to see myself as a more intellectual version of that because I am truly passionate about all things home. I like to say to clients that they could point to anything in their home and I will either have a contact who specializes in it or I know about it and have dealt with it in a home flip or seen it in my mothers’ homes or during my work experience with two famous DC designers or in my own homes over the years. I also am a judge at a nearby community college and I feel that being in touch with students and their latest skills is important. I am also in touch with my alma mater George Washington University and love to see what the Masters students are now doing since I graduated in 2013. Technology is constantly changing and it is ciritical to stay on top of what the industry is using for drafting, visualization and the business of design and how AI is going to affect these aspects exponentially. Word of mouth from clients has been certainly a great way to build reputation, as well as quality social media accounts and being present in local magazines. I remain loyal to print ads in Potomac Lifestyle magazine.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

I always text clients for their birthdays and sometimes I send a card instead if I remember it’s their birthday before seeing it in my calendar on the actual day. I also send a holiday card. These thoughtful gestures remind them that I am still grateful for having helped with their home and that I am a service that they can revisit time and time again or refer me to their relatives and friends. After completing a project I always gift an orchid as a thank you gift. The same goes when I sell a flip home I leave an orchid and a hand written note in the home for the new homeowner telling them an interesting story about the home. Once I even told them there is an owl that watched over us during the renovation in the trees outside. Another time I made a beautiful photo album and calligraphy letter and presented it in a box with dried mini roses under the book. All the details leave a lasting impression.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.chelt-interiors.com
• Instagram: chelt_interiors
• Facebook: Chelt Interiors
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabeljackson
• Yelp: Chelt Interiors (in the process of changing it from Cheltenham Interiors)

Image Credits
Photographer for all home images : Nina Liane Photography