Meet Jena Bredeman, CKBD | Owner and Designer of JBee Designs

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jena Bredeman, CKBD and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jena, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Ever since I was a child, I wanted to be an artist. I found success in it at a young age winning local coloring contests and later student competitions. When I told my parents that I was going to go to college to be an artist, they chuckled. The promise of a lucrative career in the art field was nonexistent. After receiving my BFA from the University of Iowa, I moved to Phoenix, AZ. There the competition was fierce with the arts, so I turned to waiting tables and sales for income. I thrived at sales and loved it. My painting and drawing became more of hobby then a source of income. When I moved back to the Midwest, I was given the opportunity to design kitchens and bathrooms in a small-town hardware store. I loved it. It was an outlet to be creative and sell at the same time. I enjoyed working with the clients closely and seeing the finished outcome gave me the same feeling as stepping back and taking in a finished painting.

Xn share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

I have been in the industry since 2008. I was very green when I started but went in like a sponge wanting to soak up as much information as possible. I loved my job and where I was. Over the years I built long standing relationships with clients and the community. In 2021, I left the design center where it all started and wasn’t sure what I was going to do. Clients reached out to me wanting to know where I was going next. I had no idea until I stumbled upon a vacant building on our town square. I knew this was where I was going to be. My husband and I purchased the building and began renovations right away. I started taking new clients and was working out of my car. Business took off and the renovations were cooking. We revamped the exterior of the building to it’s former glory in the 1800’s and carried that into the showroom on the main level. The support from the community has been unfathomable. The amount of respect the renovation has given me has proved to be the best business decision made thus far. As a designer, I started out with a bang showing the town what I can do with by putting my mark on a historical piece of architecture so many have known throughout the years. I am an artist at heart and designing interiors is just another medium within that field. I enjoy working with clients to achieve the space that fits their needs and style. The showroom is small but offers an intimate experience that sets it apart from other box stores and lumberyards. I pride myself in knowing that I will be there for the entirety of the project for my clients. Offering my expertise and opinion as much or a little as needed. With many projects lasting over the course of several months from the planning stages to completion I have built friendships with clients and have built a reputation of trust and competency over the years.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Our community is small but does not lack in excitement. I am however a bit of a homebody. Favorite place to eat would have to be a local restaurant on the square, Chubbys. After dinner, I would head over to the Sports Corner for a cocktail. Daytime entertainment would be a walk in the woods or hanging out on the back porch with the dogs.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would not be where I am today without the love and support of my husband, Blake. He has pushed me towards my dreams since the day we met. He would always say that I could be successful at anything I did, whether it was painting for a living or designing interiors. He put his career on hold to help build the showroom this past year. He constantly says that he’s proud of me. I am grateful for him pushing me to do more, do better and still be myself.

Linkedin: Jena Bredeman, CKBD

Facebook: @jbeedesignsco