DESIGN PRESENTATION by JESSICA HELGERSON - INTERIOR DESIGNER
Jessica Helgerson grew up with one foot in Southern California and the other in France. With a French mother and an American father, summers in France, school years in Santa Barbara, she developed a love for both places, both cultures, and both have had a profound impact on her design work. She briefly worked in an architecture firm after school, but very early in her career felt that there wasn’t an office doing quite the kind of work she wanted to do, and so in 2000 she opened her eponymous design studio.
Now, more than twenty-five years later, the firm has grown into something that is much more than Jessica, though she remains at the heart of its design direction. JHID’s design ethos is grounded in responsiveness. The success of a project always lies in the answer to these three questions: What is right for the place? What is right for the building? What is right for the client?
Jessica is also a restless dreamer and schemer, and loves imagining new creative avenues for her studio to explore. Some of those have included Front of House - an installation gallery in the front of the JHID office, XUXO - a collaborative importing and promoting the crafts of indigenous communities in Mexico, The One Percent Project - an effort aimed at supporting non-profits working to end homelessness, and most recently the opening of a Paris branch of JHID which is finally allowing her to bring those two halves of herself together in her design work.
The things that bring her the most joy? Her husband, architect Yianni Doulis, with whom she collaborates on all things in life. Her children Max and Penelope from whom she is constantly learning. And anything small that needs taking care of; plants, pets, young friends. She also cares deeply about equality and human rights, and in a different life would probably have gone into social justice work of some kind.
And then, of course, Jessica LOVES to design things. Her favorite project is always the one she’s working on at the moment.
BOOK SIGNING: DOORS OPEN @ 12:45 to 1:30 p.m.
SESSION I: RAY BOOTH @ 1:30 p.m.
Break: Complimentary wine, hors d'oeuvres and beverages will be provided
SESSION II: JESSICA HELGERSON @ 3:00 p.m.
DESIGN PANEL: FINISH @ 4:00 to 4:30 p.m.
REGISTRATION: EVENTBRITE (This link is for the entire event with both speakers))
PRIVATE DINNER @ 7:00 p.m. exclusively in honor of Ray Booth and Jessica Helgerson, ICAA Northwest Platinum Level Sponsors receive an invitation for two to attend a private dinner following the Rainier Club Lecture Series. Individual tickets are also available on a limited basis. For Platinum Level sponsorship & ticket inquiries, contact Holland Stephens: hs@hollandstephensinteriors.com
All PHOTOS BY AARON LEITZ
