Marathon, with a population ranging in the hundreds, is where Jeannie lived until her junior year of high school when she was sent to El Paso to reside at the Radford School for Girls. After her remaining two years of high school were completed, she decided to attend the University of Texas at Austin where she completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts. Upon earning her degree, she and a college roommate decided to seek a little adventure and relocated to San Francisco, California.
A few years later, Jeannie relocated once again - this time to El Paso. Settling into family life and raising three boys was a wonderful transition, but eventually, Jeannie had the desire to work in her beloved field of design. She began assisting area designer Ross Landers part-time. She speaks fondly of the time she spent working with Ross, often referring to him as “very generous.” But, after about a year and a half, Jeannie felt that she should be spending more time at home with her still growing children and hesitantly gave up her position.
However, Jeannie’s days at home as a full-time Mom were numbered. Shortly after she resumed home life, she received a call from a friend. Her friend knew how talented Jeannie was, and virtually insisted she decorate her home. Jeannie’s nature of doing anything for a friend combined with her love for the art of design refused her the ability to decline. And, after all, it was just one home…or so she thought. Soon after she had completed her friend’s home the calls began. Reluctant to deviate from her plan to stay at home, but tempted by the creative outlet the work afforded her, she thought she might just take on one or two jobs. Soon, any chance she thought she’d have of attaining that ever-elusive happy medium was blown by the requests of “Won’t you do this just for me?” Jeannie eventually acquiesced and opened her own design firm in the early 1990s.
Over the next decade and a half, Jeannie’s impeccable reputation grew and her business flourished. Sticking to a few basic philosophies has kept her versatile, allowing her to meet the needs of a variety of clients. Jeannie believes “no one should purchase things just to fill a space.” She urges patience, even if that means looking at a blank wall for a while, until just the right piece is found to suit the environment. Once someone has found the perfect item, they are always happier than those who have rushed into a purchase and shortly thereafter found they’ve tired of the resulting look.
Moreover, Jeannie always takes time to get to know her clients. Though this may seem unnecessary, it is actually essential in helping to create an environment that suits the lifestyle and individuality of the homeowners. Jeannie always wants to walk away from a project knowing that she has left her client with exactly what they want, and not something that was created according to her taste. Because of her exacting collaboration with her clients and subsequent wonderful results, they are very hesitant to use anyone else. In fact, there have been multiple jobs that Jeannie has taken on in New Orleans, San Diego and Houston (to name just a few cities) that stemmed from clients who moved out of the El Paso area and simply didn’t want to use anyone but her. That kind of loyalty can only be bred through spot-on expertise, immeasurable talent and a true consideration of the homeowner’s desires.
It is no wonder Jeannie has been so successful in the past sixteen years and no doubt she will continue to be successful for as long as she can be persuaded by, “Won’t you do this just for me?”
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