1. What are the five words that best describe your style?
Fresh, traditional, curated, layered, and full of color and patterns.
2. Describe your journey to a career in interior design.
I studied art history at the University of Virginia, which gave me an incredible foundation and continues to influence the way I approach design today. I’ve always been drawn to art and beautiful interiors, but my career actually began through the lens of fashion. In my early twenties, I worked as an agent with Ford Models, where I developed a strong understanding of photography, composition, and the importance of creating a compelling visual story.
After several years in the modeling world, I was ready for a change and took some time to explore what I wanted to do next. I taught yoga and worked part-time for an event planner while taking interior design courses, and it quickly became clear that design was where I wanted to be. I was fortunate to land an internship with an interior designer in Chicago, where I worked for nearly a year before joining Summer Thornton Design as a design assistant.
I spent more than a decade working alongside Summer, an experience that shaped me enormously as a designer and gave me the foundation to eventually establish my own firm. When my family and I moved back to Richmond, Virginia, to be closer to family, it felt like the natural moment to take that next step and build a practice of my own.
3. What (or who) has been the biggest influence on your aesthetic?
My time working for Summer Thornton was undoubtedly the greatest influence on my career. Over more than a decade, I had the opportunity to learn every aspect of the design business while continually training my eye and refining my instincts. Perhaps most importantly, those years gave me the experience and confidence to develop my own point of view as a designer.
4. What's a project you're currently working on that's especially exciting and/or inspiring for you?
I'm currently working on a ground-up project in Lincoln Park, Chicago. It is for a repeat client, so I know the family and the client's style really well. It's exciting to be involved with a project on this scale from the very beginning!
5. What's the first question you ask your clients when starting a new project?
How do you want your home to feel? I always like to start with a feeling and build from there.
Designer Q&A: Jenny Holladay
Jenny Holladay is the founder of Jenny Holladay Design - a full service interior design firm located in Richmond, Virginia dedicated to crafting timeless interiors that honor tradition while embracing a fresh, modern perspective. A native of Richmond, she attended St. Catherine’s School before earning her B.A. in Art History from the University of Virginia. After graduating, Jenny began her career in New York City at Ford Models Inc., where she worked as a talent agent for five years. In 2011, she decided to pursue her long-standing interest in interior design. She started at a small design firm before joining Summer Thornton Design in 2014. Over the next nine years, she worked closely with Summer on a range of residential projects, gaining extensive experience in high-end interior design.
In 2023, Jenny returned to Richmond to open her own firm, where she offers thoughtful, approachable interiors tailored to each client. Her work has been featured in House Beautiful, Frederic, Vogue, Galerie, RHome, and The Glam Pad, including both her independent designs and collaborations with Summer Thornton.
6. What has been the biggest lesson you've learned in your career?
Honesty in key!
7. What has been your experience using Evans & Sheldon fabrics, wallpapers, lighting, and accessories in your projects?
I have loved Evans & Sheldon fabrics and wallpapers since the first time I stepped into Kate’s showroom nearly three years ago. I had never met Kate, and within minutes I was sitting on the floor, oohing and ahhing over her latest Alice Sergeant and Namay Samay fabrics. There is such a warmth and ease to the showroom—it feels less like a place of business and more like walking into a friend’s living room, where you’re encouraged to make yourself at home and stay for a cup of coffee. I return to her lines time and again, not only because I love what she represents, but because there is an incredible sense of trust that comes with working with Kate. I always know that if an issue arises, it will be handled thoughtfully and seamlessly.
8. What are your top three favorite Evans & Sheldon lines or designs?
Natacha by Décors Barbares - as one of my client says, it's the world's most perfect fabric!
Jasper Peony by Lewis & Wood
Andalus by Alice Sergeant - I love a patterned stripe!
Design Dozen
Dream home locale: Cashiers, North Carolina
Interior design icon: Miles Redd or Rita Konig
Fashion style icon: Essentially every Celine or Chloe model
Favorite historical era: Victorian
Favorite city in the US: Chicago
Favorite city in the world: London
Favorite flower: Peony
Favorite movie: Weirdly National Treasure - what can I say, I love a treasure hunt!
Dream pair of shoes: Tall Chloe boots
Favorite design book: Near and Far: Interiors I Love by Lisa Fine
Favorite design item to splurge on: Fabrics!
Favorite hotel: The Colony in Palm Beach
Fig 2.
LOBBY OF THE COLONY HOTEL IN PALM BEACH
Fig 1.
LAKE AUGUST'S NASTURTIUM (PHOTO BY GORDON GREGORY)
