A Visit With | Jessica Klein

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I’m so excited for another installment of this A Visit With Series and what better way to start your day off than with a little insight into Jessica’s interior design path. Jessica was one of my first friends when we moved to San Diego nearly 3 years ago, she has since then gotten married(you can check out the invites I designed for her here) and moved to Boston with her husband, Cody. Boston definitely gained one sweet + talented lady and I miss our coffee dates all the time! Read more about her below:

Tell us a little about yourself!
Hello Noirve Readers! My name is Jessica Klein and I am an Interior Designer and Blogger that resides in Boston, MA. Before that I was living in San Diego….and Oklahoma before that. Confused yet? Well, let me break it down a little for you:

– Oklahoma: born + raised / Graduated with my Bachelor of Science degree in Interior Design at Oklahoma State University / met my (now) husband and we moved to…
– San Diego: where my blog (Oh, I Design) + company (With Love, Design) flourished. Spent 3 wonderful years in this city meeting incredible people like Vanessa and finding myself and eventually, my path. Got engaged then married Cody Klein and then we moved to….
– Boston: this is where we now reside. and it looks like we will be here for a while! YAY! 😉


photo by abby jiu

Describe your path to becoming an interior designer.
I have known I wanted to go into something art related since I was young. I lived next door to an interior decorator/artist and she would come over to our house and help my mom with our home. This is when I decided to tackle my room myself with a little of her guidance (it was gold, burgundy and leopard all over…haha).

During my four years at Oklahoma State University where I earned my official degree in interior design, I also had the unique experience of interning with four different firms in the commercial and residential fields. I graduated at the peak of the recession and this is when we made our move to San Diego – so I quickly took the first job I could find. I was basically assisting with CAD drawings for a stone and tile company and quickly figured out this was not the direction nor the experience I wanted to get even if it was my first official job. This was when my blog and company (with two amazing friends) really began.

For about 3 years in San Diego, I had two great opportunities working in the interior design field while freelancing and blogging. Then all things changed, we found out Cody (my husband) received an incredible opportunity to open a studio in Boston for the firm that originally moved us to San Diego from Oklahoma. It was something we couldn’t pass up! If you would like to get a little taste of what he does…click here.

So here I am now, in downtown Boston with my pup and husband, doing what I love: helping create beautiful spaces for my clients and blogging about my journey and all things design.

Thank you for sticking through that with me, I know my story is a little all over the place due to our two big relocations. 🙂


photo by elizabeth willis

How would you describe your design aesthetic?
My personal design aesthetic is a mix of simplistic furniture with a lot of texture in the accents (rugs and pillows). I am a lover of all things danish furniture with a lot of layering.

What’s a typical workday like for you?
Coffee, take a moment to either blog or prepare another post, taking my dog (bella) for a walk, catching up on emails and any correspondence with vendors/clients, I will either have a client meeting or visit different furniture and accessory stores or have a coffee date with someone new. These all kind of vary but I always like to end my day with a glass of wine and dinner with my husband (we both work a lot so we try to do this as often as possible).

I imagine lifestyles in Oklahoma, San Diego and Boston varies quite a bit. How has living in different cities influenced your interior design choices?
Great question. I almost don’t even know how to answer it. I would definitely have to say Oklahoma was where I gained knowledge of interior design as an entirety, my time in California opened my eyes to great mid-century modern design and a more casual type of living (I definitely miss it), and Boston has proven the importance of architectural details and highlighting those in each space while bringing in someone’s personal style. All in all, I have had clients with such unique backgrounds in each city and that’s what has really influenced my choices.


photo by abby jiu

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced?
Relocating twice – it’s been the biggest challenge and yet the most rewarding. I didn’t realize who I was fully until I had to make new friends in two new cities while establishing myself as a designer. Now that we have settled down in Boston and believe we will be here for the long-term, I feel inspired and motivated to push myself and my company to where I want it to be.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
I create spaces that people live their everyday life in and make memories in. I truly believe our surroundings shape us and that in itself is so rewarding to be apart of. Also, any text or email I receive with a photo or quote saying how much they love their space….it’s the absolute best.


left photo by elizabeth willis

Any advice you would give to someone wanting to be an interior designer?
Truly think about your “why” and go in the direction you see fit. I went to school and thought I was going to design large-scale commercial projects but I found out quickly this isn’t what I loved and my “why” – so I switched gears and am designing at a much smaller and intimate scale.

Who is inspiring you at the moment?
– Erin Gates of Elements of Style and her recent book launch
– Vanessa of Noirve because she recently transitioned to Full-Time!!! 😉
– (and someone that always inspires me) my husband…he is so incredibly talented and driven!

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Find Jessica here:
BLOG | TWITTER | WORK

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