I think many people would agree that 2020 is a year we will be happy to say goodbye to on New Years Eve as we ring in 2021. It certainly was a challenging year. It made us rethink everything we took for granted, alter the way we work and play, and learn how to adapt.

Sometimes I feel I am a collector who does interior design, and other times I feel like an interior designer with an eye for collecting. Either way you look at it, collecting has become an integral part of my practice that helps define who I am as an interior designer. For me, collecting is about looking at a home as something that builds over time. It changes, evolves and is not a static thing. The result you get from designing in that way is a look and feeling that is personal, never generic, and the process is akin to creating a painting. It starts with a clear picture and plan, but the process itself is organic allowing for redirection and editing based on the treasures we find.

Stephan recently upgraded the Mid-century condo on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago that he has owned with his partner for over twenty years. He wanted the apartment, which was last renovated in 2009, to reflect his personal style and tastes, as well as showcase his growing collection of furniture, art and accessories. The 1200 s.f. two-bedroom, eighth-floor apartment offers a lovely view of treetops, beyond which extends the shores of Lake Michigan and an urban landscape.

This is the first installment about one of our ongoing projects which is currently under construction. A couple from Portland, OR with three young children hired Stephan Jones|Studio to re-design the front façade and landscaping of their Georgian-style house. There were three particular challenges to this project: downscaling the façade to blend with the owners’ aesthetic as well as that of the neighborhood; creating privacy from the main thoroughfare on which it is located; managing the project from afar, particularly at a time when the coronavirus pandemic is making site visits impossible.

Part of the joy of being an interior designer is finding solutions to the particular challenges presented by each project I work on. Every home is puzzle and all the pieces must fit together perfectly for the project to be successful. I take great pride in devising a creative plan that is physically beautiful, functionally sound and in keeping with my clients’ needs, sensibilities and tastes.

The Shop is part of an overall transition for me and my interior design studio that included a new website, a new logo, and even a new name, Stephan Jones|STUDIO. It began with moving into a new storefront location on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood in January. It was a thrilling transformational process, brewing for several years, then coming to fruition over the past eight months.

It is with great excitement that I welcome you to my new blog and newsletter, The Art of Living. I am eager to share with you my experience and my enthusiasm for the interior design process, as well as what the art of living should mean to all of us.