Ego belongs in the design process, but you have to know when to set it down, which is the topic of the latest KBB “From the Tap” podcast episode. KBB editor Chelsie Butler sits down with the founder of Atlanta-based Jones Design Associates, Jeremy Jones, who has worked on luxury hotels, multifamily projects, restaurants and residential spaces since 2000. His take is candid: Ego defends good decisions, but it can’t run unchecked.
Start With the Right Questions
Every project must begin with the intake. Jones builds an extensive list of client questions before he designs any space. Do they have pets, children or seven sets of dishes? Is resale a priority? Clients rarely know how to ask for what they want, often referencing a friend’s house or even a hotel lobby. The right questions turn those references into a solid brief.
Protecting Clients From Themselves
Jones walks through the moments that test a designer’s patience and judgment. Consider the white Shaker kitchen a client insists on, which Jones has reworked with ash wood and soft color pops, so it holds resale value. Or the $4-million wine room a client spotted in a hotel he designed 20 years ago, requested for a much lower budget. Then there’s the steam shower bench that would’ve scalded anyone who sat on it. Each instance becomes a design challenge, not a standoff.
When the Ego Goes Back On
Jones is honest about the clients who are shaped by reality television, too. Sometimes the only way through is putting the ego back on as armor. It’s a frank look at the psychology behind design work. Listen, steer and know your worth well enough to walk away from certain projects if you know they – and the clients – are not a match.
To hear the full conversation with Jeremy Jones, listen to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora and other outlets.
