Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Clark.
Jennifer, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I began a DIY/decorating blog six years ago called Classic Style Home. I was an avid blog reader and never considered starting my own until friends and neighbors started asking about my home projects. Instead of constantly texting paint colors, instructions on how to install wainscoting, etc. I decided to start my own blog. It was really for my family and friends, and I never thought anyone else would read it. I definitely didn’t advertise myself, but when I would comment on another blog it would catch the attention of the blogger and their readers. It wasn’t very long before I considered myself a blogger. One of my readers was a local real estate agent who asked me to start staging homes for resale. I wasn’t sure it was something I could do, but even with my very first client it came naturally. As a DIY blogger, I set myself apart from other home stagers. I was able to visualize how their home would look through a camera lens and give inexpensive DIY project advice to separate themselves from their neighbors. I decided to quit my job as an nurse auditor and start Jennifer Clark Interiors this year. I have been working with clients on full room designs including remodeling. Classic Style Home has gained a large blog and Instagram following over the years so I have decided to keep it separate from my business. That is where I share my own home, what inspires me and have also become a brand influencer.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I felt like I needed to choose a stable career, which is why I became an registered nurse. Interior design has always been my passion, but I never let myself dream that big. It ended up being a long, but organic road to becoming an interior designer. I made it my creative outlet instead for many years. If it hadn’t been for other bloggers/Instagram accounts featuring me or real estate agents asking me to stage their client’s homes I don’t believe I would have pursued it. I waited years until it because of the inevitable career choice. In retrospect, it should have been obvious I was destined to be a designer. In my early 20s, I was always asked to decorate our offices for Christmas. Our customers would be so surprised I made the garlands and wreaths that they would ask me to do theirs too. I found this confusing because it came so easily that I thought everyone could do it as well. My advice is to consider your passion, creative outlet, or anything that people consistently comment as your strength as your potential career. Do people ask you to do their makeup for an event? Does your family rave about your culinary skills? Are you called the therapist of your friends? Sometimes our dream job is something we are already doing without realizing it.
what should we know about Jennifer Clark Interiors/Classic Style Home Blog? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am an interior designer and home stager. Realtors hire me to stage their client’s homes for sale, and many of them become interior design clients as well when they move into their new home. My design services range from hourly consultations to full-service design, including remodeling. Classic Style Home is known for neoclassical design, but I love and work with all design styles in my business. My client’s projects have ranged from rustic contemporary to glam to traditional. I enjoy them all! My goal is to give the client exactly what they want in their home even if they can’t quite articulate it. I can gather clues through what they already love in their home, their pinned ideas, and even the way they dress. I want their home to reflect them instead of my brand of design.
Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
I have become friends with several interior designers, bloggers and brand influencers. If someone’s work inspires me I make sure to let them know through a text message or comment on social media. Positive comments are what fueled me turning this passion into a business, and I want to make sure I return the favor. Many of the people I have met either in person or through social media this way have become friends to share ideas, sources and answer questions regarding the administrative side of this business.
Contact Info:
- Website: jenniferclarkinteriors.com, classicstylehome.com
- Email: jenniferclarkinteriors@gmail.com
- Instagram: Classic Style Home
- Facebook: Classic Style Home
- Twitter: cstylehome
Image Credit:
Erin Kane of Whimsy & Grace Photography
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