We had the good fortune of connecting with Emmy Jeffries and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emmy, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
The most important lesson my business has taught me is that life and careers are an ever changing torrent; there will be quick, strong currents where things are flowing better than you could imagine but there will also be shallow trickles of stagnation.

Regardless of what flow you or your business are in, life will always be moving forward and changing course. Don’t let yourself get ripped under if something isn’t perfect or exactly as you imagined because life keeps going and it’s up to you to keep your head up while navigating those waters, not to make a calm sea.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Interior design is often seen as pretty fabrics and colors but it’s much deeper than what appears on the surface. My approach to environments, interiors, and experiences is to feel something. I want people to interact with it, become curious or intrigued and feel a spark inside themselves.

A piece I’m most excited for right now is a tribute to one of my client’s mothers; she was one of the first female commercial pilots in the 50’s/60’s. Knowing her aircraft and the flight numbers, I brought on a fantastic artist, James Baldwin, who specializes in aviation artwork. We designed a 6’x9′ mural on airplane fuselage or skin, riveted to mimic the walls of the plane. It depicts her exact DC-7 aircraft, down to the name and numbers, flying over my client’s home town. Every time he walks into the space, he’ll be reminded of how incredible his mother was and all of her accomplishments. My art is creating depth in something that appears as just a beautiful space but the intention behind it brings it to life.

Something that sets me apart would be my love of history and salvaging, I get excited for projects where client’s want to incorporate meaningful pieces, like a portrait your grandmother painted or a block of wood from your uncles farm. Bringing memories to life through environments is definitely different in a world where most people seem to want the new trendy thing.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had to plan one day…we would wake up, get bagels from Lox, go for a walk around the Short North with coffee from Roaming Goat, then grab lunch at Brassica, full from lunch we’d take our time browsing the Book Loft for some great reads followed by rock climbing with friends at the Scioto Audubon Metro Park, then the cherry on top, a well-earned pitcher and dinner at Planks Bier Garten!

Eat + Drink: Planks Bier Garten, Brassica, Lox, Trattoria Roma, Koble, Pierogi Mountain, North High Brewing, Land Grant, Fox in the Snow, Tip Top, Katalina’s, North Star Cafe, North Market, and Cobra.

Visit: Book Loft, Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus Museum of Art, Otherworld, Columbus Architectural Salvage, Park of Roses, or any of the wonderful metro parks. Definitely take a day trip to Hocking Hills, it has some incredible hikes and views!

Hang out: Scioto Audubon Metro Park, Jackie O’s on Fourth Brewery, Scioto Mile, Short North, Topiary Park, and Bridge Park.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There’s two who really have influenced my life and business: my husband and best friend; it probably sounds cliche but they’ve been unwavering pillars of strength throughout my journey as a business owner.

I started this business while working a foot away from my husband at a double desk in our studio apartment trying to navigate the pandemic and new work from home life where we were newly co workers upon everything else. I had never seen how he worked and he hadn’t had much insight to how I worked but even when I would get frustrated over tax laws or felt like nothing was working, he encouraged me (and gave his design opinion a time or two). He gave me a stable foundation to feel like it was okay to try even if that meant I failed. That kind of support has kept me going on the hardest days.

It isn’t easy making decisions on your own or without another person to back you up or say “yes, do that”. But thankfully my best friend, Stephanie, who’s also a fantastic designer, is always there when I need another eye or can’t decide between two tiles that no one else would even bat an eye at. She encourages me, puts things in perspective, and inspires me to take more chances, for that I’ll be forever grateful.

Website: www.damewooddesigns.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damewood_designs/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmy-jeffries-265115b1/

Image Credits
Betty Ra, Luke Howell

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