Influential Woman · Interior Design

Jennifer Bolen

Owner/Principal Designer, Bolen Designs LLC

Allen, TX

Her Story

About Jennifer

I've been in interior design since 2009. Before that, I spent 15 years in marketing, but when my twins were young, I wanted something more flexible so I could be home when they got home from school. What I bring to the table more than anything else is that I'm full service. I work with trades and project manage everything, so it doesn't just end at the design, but it's all the way through to installation. For remodels and things like that, I work with the tile guys, the plumbers, the electricians, the flooring crew, and manage the whole project start to finish to make sure that the design I've specified, and that the client has signed off on, is what they end up getting at the end of the day. I started doing this because I used to work with a general contractor, and I noticed that often they just don't pay attention to details. It doesn't matter how many drawings you do, how many markings on the wall, how many times you tell them or text them. They just sort of do what they think is best, and if you're not there to oversee it, then you'll show up and it'll have been done wrong, whether it's a wrong pattern, wrong grout color, wrong paint. Something will have to be redone, which is time and money for everybody. So I just cut that portion out and started managing it all myself, and it works better. I also do digital designs, which I've been doing for 20 years. My digital design is 99% true to what they're going to get at the end of the day. In fact, some people can't tell the difference between a digital design and a photo because I don't use software, I actually create it in Photoshop and meticulously do it in photos of their space, so it doesn't look digital. It's as true to life as you can get it. To me, that just cuts down on stress and mistakes, because if they love what they see in that, they're gonna love the end result, because that's what they're going to get.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Jennifer

01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

I think that nothing's perfect in construction. I'm a Type A type personality, and I like things to be perfect, but when you get into construction, especially when you're remodeling, you're using existing walls, and they're not straight. You would think that it's going to be a perfect 90 degree angle, but it's not. So you have to kind of make some exceptions, and that was hard for me when I first started out. It's like, okay, 95% is good enough. Because otherwise, trades won't work with you. If you keep making people redo things for such a small issue, then they're not going to want to work for you. So you have to find a balance between as close to perfect as you can without going overboard. It doesn't even have to be older homes, brand new homes are just not square. You're gonna have crooked walls, or you're gonna have things that just weren't built properly. And so you just have to deal with it. That's just part of it.

02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

I don't want to be quoted as saying it this way, but it's not all sunshine and rainbows. I think when I tell people what I do, they say, 'Oh, that's so much fun, you know, I would love to do that.' And there are a lot of fun aspects, and there are things that are rewarding when you take something that was old and outdated, and then you have something that's beautiful and comfortable and functional for your client, and that's great. But there's a lot of bumps in the road to get from that point to the other point. So you have to be a bit of a go-getter, and you have to be able to problem-solve, and you have to be able to manage timelines. It's not all just picking out fun things. And even working with clients can be tricky, because not everybody has good taste, and it's their house at the end of the day. So working with what it is that they say that they want, and then trying to also marry that with good design practices can be challenging. I would say, though, intern. Try to get some experience with different types of companies to figure out what it is that you really like, and what you really want to do.

03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

I just think communication and cleanliness, I suppose. I think you know, do what you say you're gonna do, communicate effectively, and deliver.

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