Designer Jeremy D. Clark
Our guest today is interior designer Jeremy Clark based out of Birmingham and Nashville. He is the founder of Jeremy D. Clark Studio; a full-service design studio specializing in luxury residential, commercial, and hospitality projects from coast to coast. His timeless style has been featured in Veranda, Southern Living, One Kings Lane, and a variety of lifestyle blogs and publications. We talk about his layered approach to colors and patterns, his love of painted floors, his tips for tablescapes, and more!
What You’ll Hear on This Episode:
- How did Jeremy get started in design?
- Which designers have influenced Jeremy?
- How does Jeremy incorporate so many layers and colors while staying neutral?
- More about Jeremy’s Birmingham Showhouse project.
- When is a good time for a canopy bed?
- Jeremy walks us through the Nashville Condo project.
- Find ideas on Jeremy’s Shop section of his website.
- Jeremy’s tablescapes work in Veranda and his tips for decorating.
- What colors does Jeremy gravitate to?
- All about Jeremy’s use of trim, textures, and patterns.
- Why Jeremy loves painted floors and how to use them right.
Decorating Dilemma
Hi Ladies!
My name is Liza and I’m a 30 year old medical resident living in Denver, Colorado. I just discovered your podcast and I’m devouring it!! Y’all are so entertaining and I’m learning so much. A new love of interior design has sprouted within me and I’m decorating my home and every friend’s home that will let me! My housing situation is this: I was supposed to be moving in with my boyfriend this fall, and he passed away suddenly and unexpectedly 6 months ago. I have since moved across town into a Denver Bungalow style house built in 1927 (rental). In my widowhood, I’ve found myself being really affected by how my home feels. While decorating without him (he had amazing taste, the artist of the couple) and being in this house alone is horrible, I still need it to feel like my safe haven, hopefully both comforting and beautiful. If you can’t tell from photos, I gravitate towards earthy colors, as nature makes me feel grounded and calm.
My current struggle is how to make my living room and dining room feel finished. I have a few art pieces and mirrors, but am not sure what belongs where (I will hang them after deciding, not just lean probably!). I want to make the fireplace the focal point of the living room, so naturally the more detailed petal mirror seems like it’d be a good fit. The mirror also adds a bit of “glam’ to the space, which I’ve otherwise held off on. However, it just doesn’t look quite right to me over the mantle. I was favoring possibly the petal mirror over the console on the opposite side of the room, since it would dress up an otherwise plain part of the room, provide balance, and reflect natural light coming from the small south-facing windows. I worry that would create two focal points on opposite sides of the room (which is bad i think?). Is the petal mirror in the dining room too busy, as there’s more going on in that room with the patterned rug? These pieces can also go in other rooms of the house if they don’t work in the living/dining rooms.
I also am debating about what to do about a side table. I love my big comfy couch, but it’s very wide in a small room and I don’t know if I can fit side tables. I’ve been eyeing Ballard’s Zoe side table since it’s very narrow and elegant. Would the loungy-style couch arm pillows (that came with the couch) be at risk for knocking things on a side table over? Is it okay to place the side table a bit away from the couch to avoid this?
My last question is about my seating arrangement. I moved here with the couch and 1 orange accent chair, which made sense in my old apartment living room, but now it just feels like a chair is missing! Do I add a chair? If so, the same orange one to make it a pair (distressed velvet rust color)? Do I change it up and get a different chair? I’m considering a faux olive tree in the corner planter. The landlord is replacing the small windows soon (they’re cracked). Please ignore the horribly damaged hardwoods! Unfortunately because I’m renting I have to work around it.
Thanks so much for helping me with my decorating dilemmas! If you have any other suggestions for the rooms – editing, adding, rearranging, tweaking, I am open to any advice!! It’s important to note that budgetary constraints from my resident salary are very real! I often buy second-hand items and have to carefully choose and save up for most new purchases.
Thank you!!
-Liza
Hi Liza,
First of all, we are so sorry for your loss. We are going to help make this space awesome for you.
You have great pieces and your space is so charming. You said the floors were beat up, but I think they fit the 1920s bungalow vibe. In terms of art, I think we should take away the petal motif above the already decorative mantle and add something simple instead. Let’s keep that circular mirror there and add the art above the sideboard. While the Zoe Table is wonderful, for your specific space I would recommend a sleek, nesting coffee table that can be multi-functional. I love mismatching chairs, personally, so I would scour Facebook Marketplace for something that’s patterned but still neutral so it doesn’t compete with what you have. You already have lots of warm tones and wood, but to make this space even cozier I would have sofa pillows with more contrast. If you wanted to add some woven wooden shades on the windows next to the fireplace that could be really cozy. A buffet lamp just when you walk in could also add a nice, warm glow. I would also add another piece of art above the art over the sideboard to draw the eye up. Lastly, if you’re in a good space to do this, some personal pictures could also be a nice way to showcase your memories.
You have already done such an amazing job…and on a budget! This space looks luxurious!
Mentioned in This Episode:
- Jeremy D. Clark Studio
- Jeremy Clark on Instagram
- Ashley Whittaker
- Jeffrey Bilhuber
- Chris Pearson Floors
Please send in your questions so we can answer them on our next episode! And of course, subscribe to the podcast in Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. You can always check back here to see new episodes, but if you subscribe, it’ll automatically download to your phone.
Happy Decorating!
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