We recently connected with Jamie Loren and have shared our conversation below.
Jamie, appreciate you joining us today. Looking back on your career, have you ever worked with a great leader or boss? We’d love to hear about the experience and what you think made them such a great leader.
Prior to starting my own interior design studio, I worked in Business Development at Princess Cruises. When I first interviewed for the position, I knew I would be going up against many with more experience. That said, I was hungry for the opportunity. Fascinated by all facets of business, I wanted to learn, grow and ideate, and I believe that the person sitting across the interview table (and then-future boss) Kirk Bardin, saw that.
Kirk believed in potential more than anything and he had a great instinct for uncovering and nurturing this in others. He was open-minded, ambitious and always shared the limelight. He gave credit where it was do and encouraged us test out new ideas. His motto was “rising tides lift all ships”, and he pushed for everyone on his team to thrive. Kirk was patient and kind always and it has definitely impacted how I approach my team now. He changed the way I saw the “unknown” and encouraged thinking BIG. I would not have had the courage to start Jamie Loren Home, had it not been for my time working under him.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m Jamie Loren, founder and principal designer of Jamie Loren Home, a luxury interior design firm located in Los Angeles, CA, specializing in high-end interiors. My company was initiated from my own home renovation shared on social media and as my following grew, so did the requests for my assistance in helping others design their homes. At first, I was intimidated by the idea of taking on that responsibility; after all, I had only tackled projects inside my own four walls so I would decline. However, one day, a former colleague from Princess Cruises, Lisa Soltes, saw my posts and asked if I would come take a look at her home as a favor. I was happy to give her ideas and share my experiences, however she insisted I take the lead on her bathroom remodel. She believed that I had great potential to help people and gave me that well-needed push to trust myself. Lisa became a close friend and shared her remodel experience with all of her friends, particularly those in the Jewish community. And it hasn’t slowed down since! We now have projects all over Southern California and a wait list! It turns out, what makes Jamie Loren Home unique is the relationship we build with our clients. We spend a great deal of time getting to know them on a very personal level and trusted relationship we develop is the thing of which I am most proud.
I’m so incredibly grateful to my clients and to Lisa for giving us the opportunity to create such special spaces and for the followers that have been there to support us along the way. In 2023, Lisa passed away from Ovarian Cancer, however her legacy lives on through the work completed by the studio. She is at the heart of everything we do.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Working as an interior designer on a renovation, I am entering a male-dominated industry (construction) and have several high-quality contractors that always show the necessary respect for my role in the project. There are, however, instances where I am met with contractors that have already been hired by my clients who may not be so hospitable. There was a project, my first high-end home, where the contractor was used to working with high-profile clientelle and didn’t mind letting me know it. Many times he would question my design choices, undermine my advice to the client in a meeting or straight out call me crazy for anticipating the finest attention to detail. It was my understanding this man had absolutely no confidence in my skill as a designer. Despite the immediate urge to self-doubt, I stayed the course. I continued to advise the client on all things and held strong when I knew I was right about a detail that may have been challenged by him. The project finished and it was stunning, the client was elated. It was only a month or two later when the calls started pouring in. He was referring me to all of his clients! He and I now work on several projects a year together and when he introduces me to clients, he leads with, “she and I may not always see eye-to-eye but you’re going to love what she does”. Moral of the story, never abandon your instincts under pressure and you never know what people are thinking.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Trust. It’s pretty simple. My clients lean heavily on my expertise to get the job done. From defining a scope of work, to creating a design concept and putting the final seal of approval on the finished product, they are counting on me to deliver a beautiful home with their investment. We treat every project as if it was our own home, with no detail being to small and always going above and beyond to make it perfect. Our work is referral based only and that is a great indicator of the service we provide.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jamielorenhome.com
- Instagram: @jamielorenhome
- Facebook: @jamielorenhome
Image Credits
Third Wall Photography