We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jeri Brown. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jeri below.
Alright, Jeri thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?
My background is in Business and Computer Information Systems and I worked as a financial analyst in NYC for 2 years after graduating from Baruch College Zicklin School of Business in 2018. When COVID hit, I didn’t have a job and was struggling to find a job as an analyst. I never really liked my job and I had always wanted to do something in interior design but I was discouraged growing up that it wasn’t a practical career path.
After struggling to find a job, I decided I could go down a different path. I enrolled in an Interior Design course at NYIAD and also did a Real Estate course. I wanted to see which one spoke to me and I fell in love with the process of design. It had the technical process that I was already so comfortable with and a creative side.
After enrolling in my course, I started applying to different design firms for internships/part-time work and started teaching myself software such as Sketchup and Chief Architect. Since I had a technical background I found it easy to pick up this software. I worked for 2 designers when I started getting interest from my friends and family, and then their friends and their family and my network slowly grew. I set up an LLC and bank accounts and was working full-time while doing Jeri Brown Design work on the side and on weekends. In 2022, I was working at a design firm in Palm Beach when my workload became larger than their workload and I had to start Jeri Brown Design full-time.
Jeri, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My background is in Business and Computer Information Systems and I worked as a financial analyst in NYC for 2 years after graduating from Baruch College Zicklin School of Business in 2018. When COVID hit, I didn’t have a job and was struggling to find a job as an analyst. I never really loved my job, I liked some parts of it (love working on Excel and consider myself an advanced user) but I needed a creative outlet. I had always loved and admired the interior design world but I was discouraged growing up that it wasn’t a practical career path.
After struggling to find a job, I decided I could go down a different path. I enrolled in an Interior Design course at NYIAD and also did a Real Estate course. I wanted to see which one spoke to me and I fell in love with the process of design. It had the technical process that I was already so comfortable with and a creative side.
After enrolling in my course, I started applying to different design firms for internships/part-time work and started teaching myself software such as Sketchup and Chief Architect. Since I had a technical background I found it easy to pick up this software. I worked for 2 designers when I started getting interest from my friends and family, and then their friends and their family and my network slowly grew. I set up an LLC and bank accounts and was working full-time while doing Jeri Brown Design work on the side and on weekend. In 2022, I was working at a design firm in Palm Beach when my workload became larger than their workload and I had to start Jeri Brown Design full-time.
Jeri Brown Design is a full service Interior Design Firm, specializing in residential homes. We do everything from full home renovations (kitchen, baths, bars, wine rooms) to window treatments, accessories, to the utensils in your kitchen drawer. We aim to make the design process as easy and as straight forward as possible. We are big on visuals and making sure clients understand the full look of their space and all the materials involved so when the final product rolls around, they are extremely excited about their new home.
Inspired by historical architecture, we love using recycled and natural materials to bring timeless texture and interest into a space. We collaborate with artisans and vintage dealers to deliver curated interiors with thoughtful detail and nuanced color, resulting in environments that are unique and timeless. We accomplish this by listening to our clients’ needs and designing from an intuitive point of view, our clients thoughts and opinions mean everything. It’s their home and where they will be spending all of their time so we cater to their every thought and need. Design is very subjective so what works for someone may not work for others. It’s a challenging aspect of this job that I love, it keeps it interesting and different on every project.
I am always looking for ways to push the needle, use interesting technology, or add detail that is unique and no one else has. I try to stay away from trends and always come back to timeless looks and materials. I’m very inspired by European design and architecture and old world charm. I love old french chateaus and Italian cottages. These types of homes can be hundreds of years old and still feel relevant in so many ways. I find myself coming back to these designs and materials to provide my clients homes with character and warmth. I focus on making sure my clients homes feel loved and lived in. My design style does not lean toward stark whites and glass homes and I think this speaks to a lot of my clients looking to feel cozy and comfortable in their spaces.
Lately, we have been focusing on making a lot of custom cabinetry and furniture. I believe that custom fit pieces make a room feel so curated, floor and space planning should be the first thing you do when you start with a new space. When pieces fit perfectly, it’s very pleasing on the eye and makes a space feel inviting and comfortable. Being able to create custom pieces allows us to add additional elements of function into each piece. For example, additional storage, pull out ottomans, built-in USB charges for iPhones. We focus on both the aesthetics of each piece along with the function it provides.
A big part of our design process is our software, Materio. it keeps our clients very in tuned to budgets, item selections, item and installation timelines and are great for viewing and commenting on visuals. Design is a very detail oriented industry, no inch can be overlooked. Working on a collaborative software helps our clients feel that they have everything taken care of and they can go to our software if they have any questions about how the project is moving along (of course we are always available as well).
Because of my background in Finance, a big part of the job is providing budgets and staying on track. I like to make sure my clients are aware upfront of the price of many items. For this reason, I charge flat fees for my design services. This helps my client work my fees into their budgets so there are no additional surprises down the road. I like to make my fees as transparent as possible.
Seeing these design projects come to life is one of the most rewarding parts of the process. During the design and planning process, we have to get very deep with our clients and get to know them really well. Do they entertain a lot? How do they spend their time? Do they watch TV, cook, read? Do they use an electric toothbrush or manual? All these questions help us understand how the client lives in their home and what areas of function we can provide. We spend a lot of time getting to know our clients and it’s so rewarding seeing them get to use their new spaces we created together.
Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?
Ooof this is tough one. In construction there are always close calls.
I was working on a powder room right at the beginning of opening my business. It was a small renovation we were doing a new vanity, new mirror, new faucet, hanging pendant lights and doing a new countertop with an integrated sink.
It wasn’t going that well, I was there for 8 hours a day trying to get this project complete. It was in a condo building so it was hard to get some of my vendors in and out with their insurance and liability requirements.
After weeks of delay, I finally got it done. The walls were uneven so the mirror wasn’t perfect. I had to pay out of pocket for some of the repairs but the mirror was in, the pendants were installed and the countertop was finally in. All that was left was for a plumber to hookup the faucet and drain lines.
My plumber cancelled so I had to find another one I hadn’t used before. He came in and said “no, this won’t work. It’s all got to come out and start again”. This was heartbreaking after all the work that was put in. I called 3 or 4 plumbers until I got one who said they could do it. Luckily they were able to make it work and we got the powder room done.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
My business has been pretty much all word of mouth so far. Luckily, I have a very steady flow of incoming projects the last year or 2. Being that it’s all word of mouth, this tells me that the people hiring me are really enjoying my service. I am constantly trying to make my service better, faster, easier, more organized. I really want to provide a service with good lead times and fast turnaround. Since I do all of my designs, drawings, and renderings myself I sometimes don’t get things done as fast as I would like but when I give my client a timeline, I never miss a deadline! My goal is to be trustworthy and responsive to my clients. I want them to feel well taken care of and like I’m getting their project moving. These types of projects tend to snowball into other projects and things takes time (Rome wasn’t built in a day :) ) .
I also joined a networking group last year called BNI (Business Networking International). It’s provided me with so much support from fellow business owners and given me some really great projects and referrals.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jeribrowndesign.com/
- Instagram: @jeribrowndesign
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeribrowndesign
Image Credits
Daniel Newcomb – Architect Photo Jenny Schartner