Hey friends! Happy Friday! We are coming at you today from the beautiful mountains in Colorado, where we’re taking a little family getaway. I can’t think of a better place to refresh and relax after a busy week at KBIS in Orlando.
If you missed it, we started a new series this year, Friday Favorites. We get our creative juices flowing from so many creatives that we want to share all of these awesome people with you. Last week we chatted with the founder of iHome Registry and this week we’re talking to the beautiful Jacquelyn from Lark & Linen.
I met Jacquelyn through Cambria at the Innovation Blogger Summit. Jacquelyn is one of the sweetest souls I have met and has quickly become a go-to resource for our design inspiration. She is one of those girls that you talk to that just soothes your soul. If you don’t follow Jacquelyn, you can check her out HERE. This girl is a Toronto-based interior designer and design blogger. Another reason why I love her. I don’t think I have ever met a Canadian that wasn’t the nicest.
Jacquelyn is the beautiful lady to the right of me. Two girls in from the right in white.
Ready to get to know this beautiful soul inside and out?
Tell me a little bit about yourself.
My name’s Jacquelyn Clark; I’m a 31-year-old interior designer (and lifestyle blogger) living in Toronto, Canada. I’ve worked as a designer for 11 years now, pausing briefly for a stint in 2012 as editor for Style Me Pretty Living. I left that role in 2014 and dove head first into entrepreneurship. I now run a boutique design firm specializing in residential design, and blog at Lark & Linen full time.
How did you get involved in home design?
There have been a lot of unknowns in my life, but my career was never one of them. I’ve been obsessed with all things interior design for as long as I can remember. I was that kid who was constantly arranging and rearranging her bedroom. I still, to this day, have a binder filled with floor plans that I designed when I was 7 or 8. Naturally, they’re all complete with twirly stairs, swing bridges, and cozy nooks (perfect for epic games of hide and seek).
What field of design are you most passionate about?
Though I do dabble in the odd commercial job here and there, residential design has my heart. Not only does the beautifying of a space make my heart go pitter patter, but it’s a really intimate process and the relationships that I forge with my clients along the way are unparalleled.
What has been your top 3 most proud/favorite projects?
- Stephanie Sterjovski’s home,
- Our teeny tiny bathroom reno
- Phase one of #LLprojectDreamClient (phase two is coming soon!)
What inspires you?
I’ve been blessed with a handful of elementary school friends that continue to inspire me daily. One’s a renowned chef, the other was just voted top 5% in the world in pharmaceuticals, the other is killing it as an interior designer, and the last is making waves (and headlines) in the environmental sector. We’re all vastly different but act as constant cheerleaders. Two of the five of us live in Sweden, but when we are all together my heart is full to bursting.
What is the most frustrating aspect of your job as a designer? And the most rewarding one?
Hands down, the most rewarding part of a project is when the client sees the final results. It often results in tears, and that will never fail to make my heart swell. The most frustrating aspect of my job is the lack of knowledge, both with regards to timelines and budget, that exists out there. I blame HGTV in part for setting unrealistic standards. 😉 A big part of my role as a designer is re-educating clients on how long things actually take, and how far their budget will stretch. It can be an awkward conversation, but it’s a necessary evil so that there aren’t any disappointments as we go.
From your point of view, is design an art or a science?
Ooooh, GOOD question! I think it’s a little bit of both. There are basic principals in place when it comes to design that are absolutely necessary, but I truly believe that if you know what you’re doing, you can successfully break – or challenge – those principals. That’s where the art portion comes into play.
Your website is so beautiful and inspiring! How do you maintain frequent posts? Do you recommend blogging as a marketing tool for other designers? Or as a platform to showcase work?
Thank you so much! That means a lot. To be completely honest, I’m still trying to figure it out. Right now I keep every Thursday totally free to tackle all things blog related and reserve the other days of the week for my design projects. That means writing all of my posts for the upcoming week, scheduling social media, and shooting my recipes. My Thursday blog day is not a hard or fast rule, but I’ve felt a lot less pulled in a million directions since installing this system. It’s a little nutty to balance it all, but I do enjoy writing for my blog, and it is an INCREDIBLE (and free) marketing tool. 95% of my design clients have come through my blog. That said, I wouldn’t encourage just anybody to start one. It’s an insane amount of work and I truly believe that if you aren’t passionate about it, you won’t enjoy it, your readers will be able to read through the lines, and all your hard work will fall flat. It just won’t be worth it. If you have a passion for writing, a passion for sharing, and a passion for good design, it’s the trifecta that always equates to a blog’s success.
What advice do you have for young home enthusiasts looking to get into the industry?
I know that there are differing thoughts on the subject, but I truly believe in doing things the right way, both for our industry’s reputation and for the life safety of your clients. Our association is working hard to turn interior designers into a recognized profession (similar to an architect or an engineer), and they’re already cracking down on everyone who’s calling themselves an interior designer without the credentials (which is totally illegal, but that’s another discussion). Go to school, get your degree, intern at various firms each summer, enter the workplace, get your hours, and write your NCIDQ. It’s a long road, but it’s an incredible one!
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