Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Lagrange.
Jessica, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
It was sheer fate and my incredibly good fortune that I became an interior designer. Halfway through college, I still couldn’t pick a major so I came home and got a job at SOM with the help of my cousin, the respected interior architect Bob Kleinschmidt. They put me in the resource library, where I was totally seduced by colors and textures of all the materials—especially textiles. So I went back to school and got an interior design degree at SAIC.
Today, whenever I hear that saying “do what you love, ”I realize how lucky I am. But that’s not to say it hasn’t taken a lot of effort and elbow grease to build my firm. There is no such thing as a smooth road. Design is my passion, but to be a productive, effective and excellent designer you need a wide range of skills—from knowing how to use CAD and read construction documents to understanding the properties and potential of all the materials we use to understanding how design impacts your clients’ lifestyles, comfort and well-being.
I really believe that no one can do it all, and realizing that—and how to deliver quality in every facet of what we do—was one of my greatest struggles. You need to work with the best to deliver the best, and that realization motivated me to build a great team of designers and other experts, from knowledgeable art and lighting consultants to amazing vendors and sub-contractors. This February we’re celebrating our 20th year in business, and I’m so lucky to have such an accomplished staff and so many loyal clients—who have now become my friends. But I know our team worked hard to get here.
Please tell us about Jessica Lagrange Interiors.
We’re a full-service luxury interior design firm that puts our client’s needs and wants first and maintains the highest standards of excellence.
Our work embraces a wide range of periods and styles, but always reflects our client’s lifestyles and aesthetics, not our own. I’m most proud of the excellence, resourcefulness and creativity of my team and our client-centric approach to every project. This, more than anything else, sets us apart from so many other design teams.
We really take the time to get to know and understand our clients, and collaborate among ourselves and with other consultants to achieve solutions that serve each client now, and in the future. We’re often called back to update or tweak projects that are 10 or 15 years old—that’s a testament to really getting it right.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
It’s easy to talk about creativity, innovation and vision—but these are buzzwords. Sure, our team has all that in spades. But the qualities of great design teams that are always so underrated are the ability to listen, collaborate and execute. We have those qualities—and they are rare. My team is exceptional and are the reason JLI has excelled and garnered the reputation we have today.
Contact Info:
- Address: 216 West Chicago Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60654
- Website: www.jessicalagrange.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicalagrange
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessicalagrangeinteriors
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jessicalagrange
- Other: https://www.houzz.com/pro/jessicalagrange/jessica-lagrange-interiors
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