Meet Jacqueline Bowman Snow: Interior Designer & Lifestyle Curator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jacqueline Bowman Snow and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jacqueline, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
To be honest, I never thought about starting a business, nonetheless an interior design business until my mom brought it up after she saw how I transformed my first house, a late 1960s split-level that I still miss dearly. Even then, I brushed it off. Who has time for that? LOL. I had a great engineering career with a global company that allowed me to see the world and I was steadily moving up the ladder. In 2010, I bought my first house after living abroad in France for this company. My plan, since my first summer internship, was to retire with this company. Then (see when we plan, God laughs), I had a horrible manager where I had to play small and dumb just to keep him comfortable and myself employed. Moved to Charlotte in 2015, to another global company and found myself in the same scenario. I still remember to this day, where I was when the name Ball & Jacks Designs came to my mind and I typed it over and over in different fonts and colors on my work PC. I texted the business name idea to my mom, and she said, “That’s it!” I think I filed the name in 2016, but never did anything with it until 2017. I started Ball & Jacks Designs initially to give me something outside of corporate America that allowed me to be authentically me. However, Ball & Jacks Designs became much more than that. I found my ministry, my passion. I get to transform rooms into spaces in which the dwellers can be authentically themselves.

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?
Ball & Jacks Designs is an interior design studio located in Charlotte, NC. We specialize in curating beautiful spaces for everyday living. Our mission is to help our client thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style. I would say that my ability to blend different styles as well as incorporate cultural elements sets me apart from others. My goal is to make sure the space is reflective of its dwellers. Being able to curate spaces that allow people to be themselves is truly what I am most proud of as a company. Seeing my clients eyes light up when they enter their new spaces designed especially for them, keeps me going. It is my why.

Authenticity has been the key to my journey. Of course hard work and consistency as well. However, being my authentic self has taken my business on another level. Whether on social media, in magazines, or in person, I am the same fun loving, cackling, loud, passionate woman that loves all pretty things and spaces, obsessed with classic sneakers, supercars, plants, great food, epic destinations, working out with club lights and Rupaul’s Drag Race. Being your true self and living your life on your terms allows others to feel comfortable to do the same. Most of my clients have come from sharing snippets of my daily life on social media. After seeing that I am the same person in live and living color, they pass my name to their friends and family members. Be you, stay true and the business will come to you. I promise.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This is tough to answer for we have been living in a pandemic for well over a year now. Let me see if I can think of my favorite things to do pre-2020 LOL.

With me, I always look for the best spots to eat and drink when I travel to a new place. My goal is to avoid major chains or places that I already have back home.

Let’s see. I would start each day off with a great breakfast or brunch spot. I have several faves for I could eat breakfast food all day. For something quick like doughnuts or pastries, my spots are Pepperbox doughnuts, Not Your Mom’s Donuts, and Amelie’s French Bakery & Cafe. Pepperbox, you can never go wrong with their specialty doughnut of the day. Same for Not Your Mom’s Donuts. Go early, for once they are gone, they are closed. Amelie’s has some of the best breakfast sandwiches. Now if you want to have a good sit down breakfast or brunch, my all. time favorite is Leroy Fox. They have the best fried chicken. You must get the chicken and waffles.

Now that we have filled out bellies with carbs and goodness, then I would suggest walking it off while checking out the art scene in Charlotte. You can do a walking tour to check out all of the cool murals that are around the city. Check out the museums. My two favorites are the Mint Museum and the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts & Culture. If you would rather be outdoors, then check out Freedom Park or US National White Water Center for adventures.

After working up an appetite, I would head to either Optimist Hall or 7th Street Public Market to grab a quick bite or two at these grownup versions of mall food courts, Both are truly a foodie’s paradise. Especially if you are like me and want to try a little bit of everything. If a good patio is your thing, then check out RuRu’s Tacos & Tequilas, Dilworth Tasting Room, or NoDa Company Store. Or you can also check out one or all of Charlotte grown breweries such as Sycamore, Wooden Robot, and NoDa Brewing Company.

For evening vibes, I live for a good view of the skyline as I dine or meet up with friends. Alchemy C3 Lab is my go to spot for great vibes, fantastic eats and drinks. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. Trust me, I aim to try everything on their seasonal menu. My new favorite spot for great drinks and epic skyline views is Lincoln Street Kitchen & Cocktails. Make sure to request rooftop seating to watch the sunset over the Charlotte skyline. I highly recommend the mezcal cocktail and ceviche to start.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have to give the first shoutout to my mother Damita Bowman (Damita Bowman Art). For she gave me the idea of starting my own design business. It may have taken many years for it to come to fruition. Yet here we are LOL. Secondly, I would have to give a shoutout to the Jamaican big sister and friend that I did not know I needed in my life, Makeda Pennycooke. She is the life coach that pushed me to bringing Ball & Jacks Designs into existence. Lastly, my creative woman tribe that I have been embraced, supported and loved on here in Charlotte.

Website: https://www.ballandjacksdesigns.com/

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ballandjacksdesigns/

Image Credits
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