Meet Jen Hayes | Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jen Hayes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jen, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Design felt inaccessible to the majority of the people I knew, even my close friends felt as as if hiring an Interior Designer was something only reserved for the wealthy. I realized that I wanted to create a company based on a business model that brought great design to people across all budget spectrums. And I did just that!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I first started in the building and design industry when we first moved to the United States and I worked for a custom home builder in California. I knew right away this was something I loved and I quickly went from managing the office to making design selections, to working on the job site. I loved everything about the process and began learning and educating myself as much as I could on every aspect of building and designing a home. Once we moved to Texas I realized that there was a different element of design available to homeowners as the homes were larger and more people seemed willing to do decorative things in their houses. I was working for several custom home builders but knew I wanted to open my own design studio and retail store to better serve clients in their design and home building process. I also felt very strongly that there was a large group of homeowners being underserved by the design community. Folks who didn’t have huge budgets but who also wanted their homes to be cohesive and look well presented. I knew I could serve those customers well and so I opened Feather & Nest with that idea in mind, making great design accessible. Being in a customer service oriented industry is never an easy path to navigate but I have been very fortunate to work with wonderful people, many of who have become friends and trusted colleagues. Working for myself means long hours and a family that understands the dedication it requires to build a business and a brand and I lean on my family and friends for support and encouragement all the time. I am also a big believer in giving back to my community and because I have been fortunate enough to be successful in my business I consistently find a way to give back wherever I can. This is very important to me and a fundamental part of my work ethic. At Feather & Nest we believe in making all aspects of design affordable and accessible for everyone and we have worked hard to create a store that reflects that promise to our clients. We really love what we do.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Since my best friend is just as design oriented as me I would start our fun week of Houston with brunch at Brennan’s on the Bayou and a tour of the homes in River Oaks to check out the wonderful architecture and design. Then we would venture about 90 minutes out of Houston to visit some of my favorite Antique and Salvage vendors in Round Top – Old World Antieks, The Compound in Round Top, McLaren’s Interiors in Round Top and finish off with a slice of the famous Royers Pie. We would then visit some of my favorite showrooms at the Decorative Center and stop by Common Bond Cafè in Montrose for coffee and a delicious pastry. An afternoon would definitely be spent looking at some of my current projects under construction and we would end the day with pasta and wine at Rosie Cannonballs. Houston has some of the best parks and walking trails so a morning walk in Buffalo Bayou Park would be great to see the beautiful gardens and trees with and afternoon visit to the Museum of Fine Art would make for a lovely day finished with an awesome dinner Lopez Mexican Restaurant on Grand Parkway (which I designed) for delicious enchiladas and the BEST blackberry margarita in town. You could round out your week with a visit to JP Morgan Tower for a view of the entire city after dinner at my favorite Deli Kenny & Ziggy’s. The last stop before heading home would be at Feather & Nest to stock up on your favorite candles and decor items and to visit with the wonderful ladies who are always there! This would be a perfect Houston week!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband Mark is also a creative and he has long supported my crazy ideas, long work days, need for constant weekend help at the store & studio, midnight glowing screens as I work on my laptop. He has been my supporter, sounding board, right hand and waterproof shoulder when things didn’t go my way. Without him nothing works. My sister Leigh has always made me believe anything was possible. She builds me up when I am too tired to remember my name and doesn’t make fun of my need to have all the pillows fluffed just the right way. She has my. back always. Katie Parsons & Kate Lawn who work at my store & design studio have advocated for me daily since the day the store opened and without them nothing about Feather &. Nest would work. They unpack boxes, move merchandise, print labels tirelessly, handle huge truck deliveries and any number of tricky clients. They are the glue that holds me together.

Website: www.featherandnestinteriors.com
Instagram: #featherandnesttx
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/featherandnestinteriors/