Meet Laura Jenkins | Interior Designer and Founding Principal of Laura W. Jenkins Interiors

We had the good fortune of connecting with Laura Jenkins and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Laura, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
After graduating with my degree in Interior Design, I went to work for a well regarded but small hospitality firm. After a couple of years there, I knew I need to gain a broader experience and I went on to work at several different firms along the way. They were all centered around commercial work from retail, to corporate, to hospitality. At the last firm I was working at before branching out on my own, I had helped to build their interiors group but I had also reached my max growth potential with them. Before taking the full leap on my own, I did some consulting with an architect colleague and it was there I thought I could finally take the plunge. That same colleague along with several friends who were longtime cheerleaders of mine encouraged me to go for it. It was scary but I had a lot of experience and I felt like I had something to say through my work, I was ready to build my own brand.

What should our readers know about your business?
Laura W. Jenkins Interiors is a full service interior design firm which means we take projects from concept through design to construction and to completion. We do furniture and finishes as well as interior architecture. Our scope often depends on the team but lately we have been lucky to work with a full design team on most project including an architect, landscape architect, and builder. In the past we have done both commercial and residential but these days we are focusing on full house residential projects. I love the pace of residential, the attention to detail, and I love helping my clients realize their vision.

Our growth has come slowly but surely. When I first started, I said yes to every project and every client big or small. With each year, we have seen project growth and are now able to only take on projects that are a good fit for us. We also find that clients are coming to us because of our work and the way I approach projects, which is amazing. What I have learned or better yet, what I remembered through having my own firm is my passion for design and design history. I love what I do and I work really hard but it helps to love it and be passionate about it.

Our motto is an interior design studio creating beautifully considered, perfectly imperfect, collected interiors. I have a unique background, with roots in the South (Nashville) and formative years spent in the Northeast. I am an NCIDQ certified interior designer whose design philosophy is influenced by my passion for art, history, literature, and fashion. Using my knowledge of historical and contemporary context, I am able to quickly home in on a project’s design aesthetic and capture its true spirit. I strive to make each project unique to our clients, but the common thread is the ability to mix styles with a heavy emphasis on art. I also have years of experience in design and construction. These projects are complicated and we are there not only to help design and edit the interiors but to work with our clients all the way through construction and installation guiding them along the way.

Today, I have four people working with me in different capacities and they truly make it all possible.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I feel like Atlanta is such an under the radar city but there are so many fun things to do here. You do really have to get out and experience the different neighborhoods to get a feel for the city. My favorite things to do here are eat, drink, and experience art and design. I always recommend staying in a fun hotel like the Clermont on Ponce. You can access to the beltline and are close to all the city has to offer.

For dinner I love Gigi’s Italian (Candler Park), Kitty Dare, or Bocca Lupo both in Inman Park. You also have Tiny Lou’s at the Clermont. The next morning I would head to Ria’s Bluebird for brunch and then head around town for a day of shopping and seeing art. Some of my favorite spots are Youngblood Boutique, Sabot, Sid & Ann Mashburn, A Cappella Books, and 3 Parks Wine (in whatever order you choose!). For some amazing local galleries, I love Spalding Nix Fine Art, Whitespace, and of course our amazing art museum, the High Museum of Art.

For a designer, I always love to check out different architecture the city has to offer and Atlanta has some fabulous history and historic neighborhoods to tour. The Historic Auburn Avenue and Edgewood district is a blend of history, food, culture, and historic architecture. The Druid Hills Historic District has some of the prettiest homes in Atlanta that mainly date from the 1920s and 30s. There is also Inman Park, one of the first Atlanta suburbs and full of great Victorian architecture. Also Historic Grant Park, another Victorian neighborhood which has one of the most beautiful and underrated public parks in Atlanta. Atlanta is they city of trees, so don’t miss the amazing parks!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have worked with so many great mentors throughout my career but taking the leap to start my own firm was really encouraged by two friends, Kristin Kong of K. Kong Designs and Amy Parry with Amy Parry Projects. Another big thanks to Tarver Seibert of MT Studio Architecture where I consulted prior to going out on my own and to Luke Wilkinson with Local Architects with whom I worked and collaborated with on several awesome projects in those early days.

Website: https://www.laurawjenkins.com/

Instagram: @laurawjenkinsinteriors

Image Credits
Headshot – Beri Irving Interiors Photography – Jeff Herr