Meet Jackie Barnes | Residential Interior Designer

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

Hi Jackie, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
In my previous career, I witnessed the joy a home renovation or redesign project can bring a client and their family. But I knew the process of hiring contractors and making tough decisions can often spoil it for them.

Everyone deserves a home they truly love. The complexities of making that happen shouldn’t get their way. That’s why I decided to specialize in designing homes for busy families.

It was important to me that my business keep the needs and concerns of our clients at the forefront of our minds, always. It really has always been about making my clients happy and the joy in creating these spaces for them. My team and I work hard to produce stunning yet functional designs for our clients, encouraging them to lean into the possibilities and join in as we select artwork, materials, and furniture that speaks to them.

This is when our clients are happiest: when they are treated as an integral part of the process without compromising their schedules or peace.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am most proud of the mindful steps my team takes with our clients throughout our process. I believe it’s the foundation of success for my business.

We start with a discovery call in which we get to know our client and their project to ensure we’re a good fit for them.

The second step is the initial session, where we meet the client in person and take measurements of their space, all the while listening intently to the details of their vision.

Then, it’s the kickoff meeting. This is where we do a deep dive into exactly how our client lives their life inside their home. This allows us to provide a space that ultimately serves as a catalyst for them living their best lives.

The next step is the design presentation, where we outline a roadmap to success. Once we’re all in agreement, we can start overseeing the execution of the project. Our clients continue living life as usual while we’re monitoring all the tiny details.

This process was born out of listening to my clients needs. I took the most common pain points I was hearing and tailored my process to fit their needs. Designing is only half of it; guiding our clients through the renovation process from start to finish and making them feel taken care of is really the most special part. We want them to know that we have their best interest at heart all the way through.

I would like people to know that home renovations and redesigns don’t need to be a struggle. We nailed down our process, after seven years of putting it to the test, and have ironed out most of the kinks. There are new challenges every day, and no two projects are the same. It’s all about finding creative solutions to detangle those challenges.

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?
Hospitality design influences residential design, so I’m always on the lookout for the hottest new restaurants and hotels, such as Lytle Park Hotel and Subito, the restaurant inside. 21c Museum Hotel and Metropole is also amazing, as well as the new Graduate Hotel.

We’d definitely need to take advantage of all the Cincinnati Museums, like the Cincinnati Museum Center, the Taft Museum of Art, the Cincinnati Art Museum, and the Contemporary Arts Center.

Then, it would be on to shopping at my favorite clothing boutique, Capsule in Mariemont, before catching a performance at the Aronoff or Music Hall. Cincinnati is full of inspiration; you don’t have to look hard to find it!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
So many mentors! I definitely can’t recognize my own success without recognizing the people and groups that believed in me from the very start. My first mentor was my husband Josh Barnes, an entrepreneur himself. Then of course Stacy Kessler, a small business strategist, Queen City Game Changers and my mentor there, Alexa Teare, Cheryl Clendenon from the Design Paradigm Program, Michele Williams from the Scarlet Thread Consulting Group, and the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business program.

Website: www.jackiebarnesdesign.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackie-barnes-design/

Image Credits
Ross VanPelt, and Sarah Parisi Dowlin