Along the road of my career and travels, I've been extremely fortunate to meet and work with an array of incredibly talented people. Ramblings is my way of picking their brain for more insight and juicy tidbits to share with you.
Jami has loved design and decorating since she was building homes with blocks, setting up dollhouses, and rearranging her parent's furniture as a child. Her enthusiasm for design and decorating hasn't changed since her days with Lincoln Logs, and Jami is passionate about sharing her talent with others. A Minnesota native living in sunny southern California, Jami has fine-tuned her design pedigree through completion of her Interior Design degree, numerous design courses, internships, gaining her real estate license and work experience while winning honors for projects she has completed. Jami started Imagine based on a few basic principles. First and foremost, combining her love of working with people and her eye for design, she creates beautiful spaces that exude her client's personality as well as style and functionality. After many years in the business, Jami knows what it takes to turn a house into a home! Her blog,
Imagine is one of my daily reads - Meet Jami!
What is your greatest extravagance?
Beauty products and pampering myself. I'm not much of a material girl who is attached to name brands bags or the latest designer jeans, but when it comes to make up, shampoo, face wash and lotions, I don't mess around. I relish in being pampered, so massages and trips to the nail salon are a part of my monthly routine.
What career would you pursue if you weren’t doing what you do now?
Holy crap. I've never even given this topic a thought since I always knew that I was going to be an Interior Designer and I'm so happy with what I'm doing. I've been so focused, determined and driven to get where I am today, I've never given much thought to another career path. If design wasn't an option, I'd make more use of my real estate license and become a full time Realtor rather than only part time as I do now.
Which living person do you most admire?
There are many people that have come in and out of my life that have had such positive influences in my life, but I'd have to say that without a doubt, I admire my boyfriend, Nick, more and more every day. He is also an entrepreneur and has shown me that with hard work, dedication and determination, owning my own business and being successful at it is possible. I know that without his support and the example that he has set, I'd be far behind schedule in starting my own interior design company. His patience and generosity astound me.
What three things can’t you live without?
Besides the obvious loved ones and chocolate, I'd say...
1. The California sunshine. I will never again in my life live somewhere with a 6-7 month long winter and below zero temperatures. I love the sun and warmth and the fact that I can wear flip flops year round.
2. Restaurants with access to fresh sushi. Nick and I eat sushi at least once a week. Salmon is my favorite.
3. Exercise and yoga. This is where I go to get away from it all. Not only is it a stress reliever for me, I just feel alive and much more energized in life when I exercise regularly.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Home Goods and Ross are all within a couple miles of my home and I LOVE a good bargain, whether it be on a cute new dress to wear to a party or that perfect vase to set on my table. After shopping, I usually end up at Panera and have a bowl of their mac and cheese.
What is your favorite color combination?
Grey with metallic gold and silver accents. In my next home this will be my color scheme or if we don't move for a while, I'll start to slowly incorporate this into our beige and chocolate brown color scheme we currently have.
What is the favorite room in your house, and why?
I really love my house, all of it. But when it comes down to it, my office is the room where I feel most at home.
It used to be our guest room, but I recently converted it into my space where I sketch, draw and skim through design magazines while lounging on the bed. This room also had some of the best views.
What is the most memorable event you’ve attended and why?
I danced at the half time show of the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida circa 1995. My best friend, Marie and I were crazy dance nuts, involved in everything dance. One winter, we competed and won spots to dance at the half time performance of the football game. We worked our little butts off selling meat (yes: steaks, burgers, chops) door to door in the freezing cold Minnesota weather in order to raise enough money for our trip to Miami. It was the first time I flew without my parents and Marie and I totally thought we were so cool. It was one of those milestone moments/memories.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
That I'm from Minnesota and that I've only been living in Southern California for 5 years. Unless my accent slips out, anyone who meets me is shocked that I grew up on a hobby farm 5 miles outside of a small town called Brandon (population = 410). My graduating class had 30 kids.
What is your biggest pet peeve?
Gosh, I have so many - HA! Dishes in the sink, Christmas lights up after January 1st, my dark roots growing in after weeks of getting highlights. Besides these particulars, I'd say my biggest annoyance is the LA traffic!
