The Design District

Posted By Rachel DeSchepper on 02/25/2008

I’m thrilled to have a quick Q&A with Jennifer Adams, a Portland-based interior designer and founder of the Jennifer Adams Design Group. Along with her high-end interior design clients and a weekly spot on Portland’s Newsradio 750 KXL on “Brian Buslach’s Wealth and Finance Show,” Jennifer has recently been named the “design expert” for the nationally syndicated TV program, BETTER, shown at 9 am on Portland’s Fox 12. She’ll host bi-monthly design segments giving design advice and showing sneak peeks of some of her projects.

Jennifer’s an Oregon native and founded her interior design company in 1998. In less than 10 years, she’s opened her second office in Del Mar, California. Jennifer has designed the gamut of projects: high-end penthouses, golf courses, salons & spas, resorts and even an airport hangar all across the US and into Mexico. We’re lucky to have her in Portland, and I’m lucky to share with you some of her expert design tips and tricks, straight from the source.

First off, congrats on your new gig at BETTER. What are some of the topics you’ll be covering for the show?

I cover any topic surrounding the home. We tour some of the more noteworthy projects that we’ve designed, and we pick topics that would interest anyone with a place to live, whether they own the most palatial home or rent an apartment. Some topics will include: how to properly make your bed, how to select your sheets, choose the proper paint selection, how to add texture and warmth, what to do with your windows and how to decorate baby’s rooms.

What have been some of your favorite Portland projects?

We design projects all over the country and in Mexico, but Portland, being our home base, is definitely our favorite area to work. One of the most enjoyable projects was a penthouse we designed in The Elizabeth. It ended up being the highest priced penthouse to ever sell in The Pearl District. We are currently working on penthouses in The Casey and the Waverly.

Where can we see some of your work around town?

Most of our work is in private residences, but we have done several commercial projects as well such as, Gigi Spa and Salon in Washington Square, the South End of the Aurora Airport and many private offices for various companies.

Who or what are you most inspired by?

I am inspired by passion! Whether it’s a client’s enthusiasm over their home or one of my designer’s excitement about figuring out the perfect design plan. There is nothing better than the feeling of nailing the design. Good design just makes everything feel better. I love tearing through design magazines and books.

What style do you most like to design?

Whatever style I’m working on at the moment. We are currently working in the hill country of Texas on a golf course resort property and the style is very bold, rustic and rugged, almost lodge-like….so, of course, at the moment, that’s my favorite. But, that could change a month from now when I delve into something new!

Where are your favorite places to shop in Portland?

I love adding texture to a home and there’s no better way to do that than the use of exotic imported rustic old wood pieces. Portland actually has several hidden treasures: Antiques and Oddities (1605 NW Everett St), Cargo (380 NW 13th Ave) and Asia America (79 SE Taylor St), to mention a few. I love combining the modern with the old…the contrast is amazing.

What Portland restaurant has the best design?

Portland City Grill. I really like what the owner and the designer of PCG did. The original owner is Al Fleenor (we actually do the design for his private residences) and he has a firm for his restaurants out of Phoenix that specializes in only restaurants. Al has a great impact on the design, and together they make a great team. PCG was a challenging space. It is all open with a lot of glass and low ceilings, which can tend to be very cold and stark. They really took chances. Despite the low ceiling height, they painted the ceilings black and added wood beams, which added warmth, interest and drama. The use of the natural stones, the exotic woods and the lighting plan they put together were so brilliantly thought-out that now you walk in to the restaurant and it’s cozy, inviting and beautiful.

Personally, I’m not huge on trends, because they’re just that: trends. But what do you think? Are there any big trends emerging in 2008 and beyond?

I feel the same. We tend to ignore anything trendy in our designs. We stay current and classic. However, there are some you can’t ignore: Sustainability is very big, and I don’t see that ever going away; green and organic just makes sense. We are seeing more “Lux” mirrors, sparkle and excitement. The “X” shape is big. I’m noticing that in fabrics, furniture and accessories. One trend that I tend to do anyway is bold, dramatic pieces of furniture.

On the other hand, what’s not trendy about design right now?

Pastels, denims, lots of small accessories, pieces just for looks with no function.

What’s going to stay classic?

Rich, textural fabrics, rustic warm woods, combining and contrasting materials. Sustainability.

Where does your love of design come from?

That’s a good question. I love the feeling of a well-designed space. It just feels good. I believe good design enriches families’ lives; they function better in the space and just feel great walking in the door. A well thought-out space actually elevates your mood. I love nothing more than the look on someone’s face when we reveal their home and they love it. We are in the most intimate spaces of their lives: their bedrooms, closets, bathrooms….you end up getting very close. My clients are my friends for life. How could you not love this business?

What have you found are people’s biggest design challenges?

Getting too emotional and feeling that the sofa they are buying just may be the very last sofa they will ever own, thus getting stuck and not being able to make a decision. Also, not quite knowing what is wrong with their home: they have a vision, but can’t figure out how to make it work. And how do we help them out? We take the emotion out of it. We take their vision and make it work from a design standpoint. We are good at cutting to the chase, getting decisions made and tying everything together. We love people to walk into our design and say, “Wow this is amazing,” yet not really knowing why…it’s just an overall feeling when they walk into the space.

What’s your favorite object in your home?

My artwork. I’m not too sentimental about many of my material possessions because they come and they go. However, my artwork is the one thing that I have really enjoyed collecting and hope to keep with me forever.

What about great design makes a house a home?

Texture, scale, balance, color placement, drama and subtlety combined. Lighting and smell. It all needs to come together. When it does the effect is spectacular.

What’s your number one, easy design tip?

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. I actually stole that from one of my designers. Less is almost always more.