Women in Design: Jennifer Visosky

THE FASHIONISTA: Jennifer Visosky, Interior Designer, Grace Home Design, Jackson Hole, WY

How do you translate your background in fashion, which can be so trend-driven, to interiors? Should a home’s interiors evolve just as a wardrobe does?
Just like in fashion, when it comes to interiors, you can create a classic silhouette and change the accessories—bedding, artwork, rugs or throw pillows—from season to season. If you have a great, timeless bone structure, so to speak, it’s easy to freshen it up with new accessories that reflect your evolving tastes. 

What’s the most inspiring thing you’ve seen lately?
J. Lo’s dress at the Oscars. It was a bit of an architectural dress, but very balanced and on the feminine side. It was soft and serene but had that edge to it that was so cool. I immediately thought it would be really fun to incorporate into an interior, especially a really modern space that could be softened by a plush cashmere sofa or soft color—sort of the opposite of what you would expect. A lot of people think of stark white and sharp lines when they think about contemporary design, but this dress was a nice reminder of how you can soften the look.  

What’s your best advice for working with color?
Just trust your gut. I think that most people really do have an eye for color, but they get into trouble when they start second-guessing themselves. Visualizing how it’s all going to come together is a huge challenge for most people, so don’t be afraid to play with color. Start with accents rather than walls and pieces of furniture, then work with colors that speak to you. They should make you feel good and look good on you; you’ll be spending a lot of time in the space, so the colors you choose shouldn’t fight with your skin tone. 

Tell us one of your secret design resources.
I’m always going back to my fabric samples for ideas and inspiration. And while I never use the same fabric twice, I love Bergamo (bergamofabrics.com) for basics and novelty fabrics, the prints from C&C Milano (cec-milano.com), and the great basics from Pollack (pollackassociates.com). Rose Cumming and Classic Cloth (both at dessinfournir.com) are fantastic too. For me, it’s all about the print, texture or color—and I don’t usually go with the obvious choice.  

What’s your opinion of designing around artwork?
If you want to design a room around a piece of art you really love, you can make it work if you don’t take it too literally. It can be a great launching pad—perhaps you can pull a few colors or a texture from it—or perhaps it’s an element that brings the overall design together. If you have a hard time visualizing how colors will work together, a piece of art can help you discover combinations that work. But the room should never be all about the piece of art. Tastes change and eventually that piece of art will get shifted out of that room.