Today we’d like to introduce you to Jackie Leisler.
Hi Jackie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I have a background and degree in fine art. I started out in visual merchandising for more than 20 years. I naturally fell into Interior design with my art background. I had been staying home with my daughter to raise her. When I decided I wanted to go back to work I wanted to choose a career that allowed me creativity as well as flexibility with my family. I have always helped friends with their design challenges and thought it may be the natural progression of my career. I had gentle encouragement from my husband to start my own interior design business but felt overwhelmed to do so. In 2015, I had a nudge from my cousin’s wife, visiting for Xmas. She loved how I had designed our home and said I could totally go out on my own and make a career out of it. This gave me a little more confidence to make it happen.
The idea became a reality with a friend of mine. We were out one night for dinner and she was complaining about her house and designing it and mentioned my home and how lovely it was. A couple of glasses of champagne later, and I had my first “official” job with her home! That was in 2016. Fast forward to today and I have a full blown boutique interior design business.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s been a huge learning curve. The design part is easy for me, but learning the business and interior design world has taken a lot of dedicated work and time. I was lucky to have a few friends in the business that I reached out to for some pointers and help in the beginning. The hard part was learning Quickbooks. Ha ha ha!
I found that you are always learning with this job. Every client has different needs and different personalities. You learn from your jobs. The more challenges I am exposed to the more info I can pass on to my clients. If a showroom had a class or had a vendor meeting with a fabric or furniture rep, I was there getting to know the product and finding out everything I could about that product. I did as much as I could in the earlier years to learn and reach out to trade partners.
We’ve been impressed with Jackie Leisler Design, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am an interior design company based in the Central West End. I’m known for my eclectic style and warm comforting spaces. I have a love for antiques and mixing old with the new. I loved to use unusual finds and natural pieces such as corals and shells, old taxidermy, botanical pieces etc. I always tell my clients to add unusual finds that no one else will have, Even if its one piece. Create a conversation in the room with that one piece on your cocktail table, such as a small collection of old wax letter seals from France or a collection of vintage brass candle holders.
I can assist with the design process for clients with things as simple as choosing a paint colour for a home all the way to helping to design a master bathroom or kitchen.
I am proud of how far I have come in the 5 years I have been doing this. I really love my job and I believe that makes me better at my job. I believe clients can tell that about me when they meet me and get a feeling for my enthusiasm with the design process. I do best when clients let me have the reigns and guide them in the right direction for their needs. I love when I am able to create a space for a client they never would have chosen on their own….especially when they realize how perfect it is for them.
Any big plans?
I plan to keep growing my boutique business. As for now, I work on my own. I am a one woman show. I may have plans to add an assistant down the road for sure. I want to keep learning and I want to keep curating beautiful spaces for my clients.
Contact Info:
- Email: jackieleisler@gmail,com
- Website: https://www.jackieleislerdesign.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackieleislerdesign/
Image Credits
Christina Eclat
Gussie Barnidge (Spicewood Photography)
