Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Ruggles.
Hi Jessica, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
As a child, I loved to create. My favorite subject in school was always art. My older sister was a hairstylist and I looked up to her a lot. During my high school years, I got a job as a shampoo girl and receptionist at a small local salon in my hometown in New Jersey. I loved the salon atmosphere and often was the go to girl for all things beauty related. At age 20 I fell in love and moved to Houston. I always wanted to pursue a career in makeup but was too scared to jump into it. I ended up graduating from UH as an art major. During that time I met a like-minded friend who wanted to create a company dedicated to helping brides. I was really excited about the opportunity and fell into my dream career doing hair and makeup for weddings. I created my first company dedicated to event hair and makeup, Adorne Artistry, in 2009. We operated out of my home- a small 2-bedroom condo in the Westchase District. While it worked for a while, I knew that eventually, I would have to find a new space as we had grown from just myself to a 12-person team within the first 5 years.
After the unexpected death of my husband in 2013 (I was 27 and he was 29) I wasn’t sure that I wanted to spend my time in the wedding industry so I decided to pursue a real estate license as a backup career. In 2017 I was looking for homes around the area and had driven past this gorgeous pink brick house on San Felipe that kind of stuck out to me- it was very different from the surrounding homes. I decided, just for fun, to look it up on HAR.com and when I saw the inside of it- I was awe-struck! It had a tall ceiling with big windows and the most gorgeous architectural details. I knew it wasn’t within my price range…it was just a pipe dream…But I couldn’t let the home go.
I wanted it for my hair and makeup company, but knew it was too big for just us. So I started to brainstorm ideas on how I could support the note (if I got one!) on the home. Having worked in the event industry for many years I knew that other small businesses like mine would love a space that was filled with natural light and had a “homey” feeling to it. As women entrepreneurs, many of us work from home and coffee shops were the go to place for meetings. I also found many of my brides asking for recommendations of places within the Houston area to shoot their bridal portraits or engagement sessions. Putting all of these thoughts together The Creative Chateau business model was born. The perfect creative studio space for whatever you need it for- photo shoots, small intimate events, and beauty!
I spent 2017 preparing for the purchase, using my real estate license to help. In February of 2018, we closed on the property and spent the next 6 months remodeling. The third floor of the home was attic space but was the perfect blank slate for creating the studio of my dreams. We added 20 skylights to the roofline to give us the most light possible- the best for makeup! I hired Jana Erwin of Nest Designs to help with design plans. She’s a true magician with space and had the best connections for sourcing authentic french chandeliers and antiques. We also had a lot of special custom built-ins and furnishings created to make all of my Parisian dreams come true.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I feel I could write a novel on this question haha! The first obstacle in creating the chateau was finding financing. I spent a year creating all kinds of financial spreadsheets to support my hypothetical business model- a model that was made by me and didn’t exist anywhere else so convincing room full of bankers that it would work and why it would work was a challenge. Having Adorne Artistry was the only reason I was able to secure a loan because it had been in business for 9 years and showed growth and steady revenue streams.
When I purchased the building, I hired a contractor team that proved to be extremely difficult to work with. If I hadn’t taken over as project manager, the chateau timeline for opening would have been off even more- we were supposed to open in May- we didn’t open until September… and that was a true miracle.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Creative Chateau?
The Creative Chateau is a European-inspired space nestled in the Galleria area of Houston. Built in 1992 as a beautiful residential home, The Creative Chateau has been transformed into a boutique photography and event venue. The property faces North/South to provide gorgeous even natural light throughout your experience with us.
In 2020 we started curating an exclusive line of designer, vintage, and modern clothing and jewelry. The collection features over 400 pieces for our clients to choose from for their photo shoots with us. They can rent them by the hour or they can also do our Chateau Closet Experience which includes me as their stylist, our gorgeous Colette room to get ready in, and the entire collection to have at their fingertips- every girl’s dream! We recently added a pink Vespa and are in the early stages of restoring a 1956 Pink Plymouth Belvedere car that will be available to add to our clients’ shoots. We love thinking outside the box!
We host 2 events a year that we are so excited about. Our Galentine’s Day Event, hosted the weekend before Valentine’s Day, is the ultimate girls’ day! Shop carefully curated and artfully created goods, enjoy delicious eats, pamper yourself in mini moments, and take your best Instagram-worthy selfies on our interactive walls.
Our second event is held the weekend before Mother’s Day and is called “Party like a Pom.” I am a huge dog lover and have 6 Pomeranians that each has their own rescue stories. I’m a volunteer with a local rescue group called The Pom Squad and love to help in any way I can so this event is all about fundraising for my favorite group!
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I don’t believe in luck. I do believe in hard work and God. God always opens doors and smoothes the path ahead. As a Christian, my faith is what has helped me both personally and professionally. I wouldn’t be where I am today without His help and the help of many many people. I am truly grateful for each person God has put in my path.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thecreativechateau.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/thecreativechateautx
Image Credits
Julie Soefer Photography
Christine Gosch Photography
Marni Wishart Photography
