Collaborator Profile: Designer Jay Jeffers

For the third in our Amplified Lifestyles Collaborator Profile series, we had the pleasure of interviewing interior designer Jay Jeffers. The Texas native founded his San Francisco-based firm in 1999 and has expanded to New York. Putting the client first, he and his team create luxurious yet livable homes that feel collected, blending interior architecture, custom furnishings, art, antiques, and technology. The firm’s portfolio includes high-end residences in California, New York, Texas, Florida and beyond. Recently, Jay branched out into hospitality, designing The Madrona in Healdsburg. The boutique hotel features his modern reinterpretation of The Aesthetic Movement. 

AL:  What was it like moving from your home state of Texas to San Francisco?

JJ:  It was hard, but at the same time, I felt like I was home. Austin at that time was not the city it is today. It was still a town. Moving to San Francisco was a culture shock.  It was the 90s; there was a recession, and I had three part-time jobs for a year before landing a job at Gap, Inc. in advertising (I wasn’t a designer yet). At the same time, exploring San Francisco and the Bay Area was magical. I couldn’t believe I lived in a place so beautiful.

AL: Diane Dorrans Saeks included you as one of seven interior designers in “Brave New Talents” for her 1999 article in the San Francisco Chronicle. Was that the start of your career? 

JJ: It certainly kicked things off. I was working for a small firm on Sacramento Street called Witford. Back then, the Chronicle Home Section was a must-read. I remember distinctly getting three calls from that, one of which turned into a large gut remodel project, which gave me the foundation to start my own firm. That was 25 years ago.

AL: Many of your clients are tech entrepreneurs; how do you balance their need for technology while giving their home’s soul? 

JJ: The great thing about technology today is most of it can be hidden. It is controlled on phones and iPads, which look nice and can be a part of accessories on a counter.  It greatly enhances the client experience in many ways. In the past, I would cringe at the thought of putting TVs in every room. But now I embrace it – most of the time. (Maya Angelou said if you can’t change something, change how you think about it!). It’s about a balance. I love creating a salon art wall around a TV, so it’s not the focus of the wall. 

AL: What is your favorite piece of technology to incorporate into your interior design? 

JJ: I love creating a dedicated theater! The design of the room and the furniture is an experience! I also love having music evenly throughout a home. I encourage clients to include speakers in hallways and bathrooms so it is consistent in a space. And I LOVE proper lighting settings. A house comes to life when the light is balanced perfectly!

AL: After twenty-five years in business, you’ve watched your clients grow from singlehood to marriage to families. Has this allowed you to evolve your design style? 

JJ: My philosophy has always been that a home should reflect the personalities and styles of the inhabitants, not their designer.  I thrive on creating unique environments, so my style constantly evolves.  Perfect example: I am designing a pied-a-terre for empty nester clients in SF. Their kids are grown, and they sold their family home in Piedmont, which was classic with a modern edge- this is our 3rd project and completely different from the other two. It is a cool modern apartment for two with room for guests to live their best City lives. This apartment is cocktails instead of a family dinner. 

AL: Now that you’ve designed The Madrona Hotel, will you add more hospitality to your residential portfolio? 

JJ: I would love to! Developers, please call me!  The Madrona was a project of a lifetime. I am proud of the transformation and the boutique property we created. It would be a joy to do more.

AL: Who are your design icons, and why?

JJ: David Hicks because he broke all the rules in the best ways. He would paint the most proper English estate homes in hot pink and add modern furniture to a room filled with family heirloom antiques. And it worked brilliantly!

Kelly Wearstler – I followed her work before she became a household name. She was working with mid-century furniture and art before anyone else.

Jamie Drake is a personal friend and icon not only because he is a great talent but also because he is a wonderful person. You don’t have to be a tyrant to be a successful designer.

AL: Where do you see interior design going in the next decade?

JJ: It will be exciting to see what AI does for the industry. In the high-end that we all work in, I think it will be a tool for the industry to create even more custom work for our clients. Our clients are hiring us because they want a home that is uniquely theirs, not one they see created in AI or already on social media.