Getting To Know Me

As I write this, it is my birthday (I won’t mention any numbers), so it seems fitting to share a little more about who I am … who I REALLY am. Bear with me, because my generation was raised to be less revealing and more coy about our true selves. We play things close to the vest and feel rather awkward oversharing on all of the social media channels. This probably gives you a little insight as to what birthday this is for me today. While I’m very comfortable being on stage (I was in a professional dance company in my youth), being in front of a courtroom (I’m a former lawyer) or speaking in front of a large audience, at heart I’m still an introvert. I’m passionate about design and the projects I’ve worked on, but today’s design audience wants to know more of the back story for the designers they work with. Therefore, I’m jumping in with both feet!

So who am I? I am the result of some very influential people in my life . . . my family. I was raised as an only child by a single mother who was also an only child of a single mother. So, it was a matriarchal family of some very strong women. My grandmother was the youngest of nine from Pikeville, Kentucky. She moved to Michigan with her then husband, and began working in the file room of a small physicians practice.

After divorcing her husband, she went on to become the administrator of that medical practice which grew to 25 physicians with an in house pharmacy which she owned, all while raising my mother on her own. She was a self-made millionaire who played the stock market like a pro and gave advice to her investment brokers. She was a stoic, no nonsense kind of woman with a quick wit, a flare for decorating and a great sense of style. The older I get, the more of her I see in my personality every day.

My mom had me when she was very young and after giving the marriage thing a try with my father, decided we were better off on our own. So as a single mother, she raised me while going to nursing school. She went on to get her masters degree in health care administration and worked her way to the top of her profession while carting me back and forth to a variety of dance lessons and sport practices. I had tap lessons, ballet lessons, jazz lessons, baton lessons, played volleyball, played basketball, ran track and was a cheerleader. I traveled throughout the mid-west for various tournaments, performances and competitions. I was an extremely busy kid, so consequently, she was an over-scheduled mom who made sure I had every opportunity growing up. She was / is my rock, my mentor, my cheerleader and my best friend!

I’ve been very blessed to have had such strong and giving female role models in my life to always encourage me to dream big and go after my goals. Speaking of big …(this one is for my JSI team who made me promise to include it)

Yes … I was all about the big hair in my college days and this is my infamous “Glamour Shot”. These were the days of Dynasty and Dallas! But apparently the look worked, because I met my husband in college with this fierce hair. I had actually known him for several years as I was a little sister at his fraternity. All of the guys had nicknames and his was “Stoner” so I honestly avoided him because I thought he was a loser. It wasn’t until I graduated and went on to law school that I really got to know him better and found out that he did not live up to his nickname.

After two and a half months of dating, he was brave enough to propose to me and jump into my crazy estrogen laden family as the only real male figure. We were married in 1993, the day after I graduated from law school. We just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary this past December.

After a couple of years enjoying our dual incomes and a clean house, we jumped into the craziness of kids. We had Ian in 1995 and Kelsey in 1998. During these early years, I was practicing law and had become in-house counsel for Mayo Clinic. I handled the medical malpractice claims for the Jacksonville, Florida location, along with a variety of other risk management and healthcare law issues related to the clinic and it’s 300 bed in-patient hospital.

Then one day, I had an epiphany. Life was too short to pay someone else to raise my kids while I went to work in a job that just wasn’t fulfilling me. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, I just knew that I needed a change. So, after leaving Mayo Clinic, we decided to get out of Jacksonville and away from Florida’s poor educational system (and mosquitos and palmetto bugs which are essentially giant roaches with wings!).

We pulled out a map and decided that Virginia might be a nice place to consider. Neither of us had spent anytime there or knew anyone that lived there, but it put us closer to Jeff’s family in Baltimore. My grandmother and I flew to Richmond with Kelsey who was 1 year old at the time and we spent a week traveling around Virginia. I called Jeff and told him to get on a plane with Ian because I believed that Richmond would be the perfect spot for us. Luckily he agreed and the whole clan moved to Richmond, including my mom and my grandmother.

We moved to Richmond and I had a great time building our new house. I knew that I always enjoyed decorating, but I had never thought of it as a career choice. Once we were settled in Richmond and the kids were in school / pre-school, I decided to open a furniture consignment store. But, I wanted to do something different, so I went to market in New York and High Point and I brought in new furniture and accessory lines so that we could merchandise the store to be inviting and fresh, not a musty old store of used furniture lined up in rows. Soon, my customers were asking me to come to their homes to help them and the design bug was lit. I hired several designers to come work for me and we built a design practice while I learned from them and took classes. It was an unconventional route but soon I had a booming design business that needed my full attention, so I sold off the retail side of the business to focus solely on design.

Now all these years later, my kids have grown up. They grew up watching their mom go through the ups and downs of owning my own business and finding my way, even if it wasn’t the straightest path. They’ve grown into two amazing young adults who I truly admire.

Ian was always a big guy who played football from the time he was 6 years old. Those muscles came in handy when it was time for me to move my studio. He can regale you with lots of stories of his youth moving furniture, fabric books, rugs, and many other heavy things. After high school, Ian was recruited to play football for the US Merchant Marine Academy. Lucky for Ian, the USMMA, has one of the best engineering programs in the country and one of the most difficult programs to get into. Even with his terrific grades and test scores, he was lucky to have football as a means of opening that door for him. He graduated this past Spring (2018) and is pictured above with Grandpa Bob and Nana Jeann, Jeff’s dad and step-mother.

Upon graduating from the USMMA, Ian chose to fulfill his commitment by going active duty in the Navy and was accepted into the Naval Aviation program. He is currently in Pensacola, Florida in flight school and recently completed his first solo flight. We’re not even going to discuss what this does to his mother’s nerves! Admittedly, it makes me proud to say that he’s in Naval Flight School, but it’s truly his amazing heart and love for his family and friends that makes me the most proud.

His baby sister, Kelsey, had some big shoes to fill growing up in Ian’s oversized shadow, but she quickly learned how to create a spotlight of her own. In grew up enjoying sports like her brother and played on a travel soccer team, but her real passion became evident when she joined The Technology Student Association in middle school. This organization allowed her to discover her love for photography, graphic design and most importantly it allowed her to develop her leadership skills. At 16 years old she became the National President of this 250,000 student organization. She also started her own photography business in high school which has grown tremendously (check it out - Kelsey Stoner Photography).

She’s now a junior at Virginia Tech and she’s studying marketing in the Pamplin School of Business. As a freshman, she joined Prism, which is a student run marketing agency that gives hands on experience to it’s members, as they provide marketing services for a variety of local and national clients. She soon became the director of Photography and has worked her way up to Chief Marketing Officer. She also serves as a Pamplin Ambassador and is a member of the Junior Marketing Industry Mentoring Board. She has incredible drive and is not afraid to go after what she wants. She has had several internships and is ready to set the world on fire!

So now that the kids are out of the house, Jeff and I are able to relax and enjoy life as empty nesters. That said, I haven’t done much relaxing! My JSI team and I are working like crazy on some really amazing projects and we’re developing some great new plans for our future.

And just when we were beginning to enjoy the peace and quiet around the house, we brought in a new member of the family! He has also become a regular fixture around the JSI studio.

Life is always entertaining with Ranger Danger around.

So who am I? I’m a granddaughter, a daughter, a wife, a mother, a dog mom, a boss lady, a friend, an entrepreneur, a lover of food, music, bourbon and good wine, and I’d like to think a damn good designer. Hmmm, maybe this sharing thing isn’t so hard after all. If you’re in Richmond, stop by and visit me, Ranger and the rest of the JSI team. We’d love to get to know you better also!

JSI Raves: Getting Steamy with Mr. Steam!

I recently had the privilege to travel to the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) in Orlando as part of the Modenus Blogtour team.  As a member of this team, I was introduced to some fabulous vendors with new product introductions that blew me away.  I came back inspired with new visions for ongoing and future projects and I'm really excited to share these discoveries with anyone who will listen to me.  One terrific surprise was getting to know Mr. Steam and the people behind this terrific company.

If you're considering a bathroom renovation or planning a new construction project, you definitely need to consider adding a steam shower!  My next bathroom will most assuredly have one.  Most people know the benefits that steam has on your respiratory system but I was floored to learn of all of the other great benefits.  Learn more of the benefits of steam therapy by clicking this link! 

KBIS was all about smart technology this year and Mr. Steam was right on point with their new iSteam®3.  Delivering unsurpassed swipe-touch functionality and sleek, contemporary styling, the iSteam®3 control from Mr. Steam offers a variety of exciting new options designed to perfectly adapt to the preferences of every bather, seamlessly personalizing the steam shower environment.

Now available in black and white finishes, iSteam3 now provides the option to choose a black or white display screen mode, fully accommodating the user’s tastes and steam shower design.  Designed for exceptional performance in the hot and humid environment of a home steam shower, the iSteam3 control offers a superb user experience and intuitive navigation. The bather can control a wide array of features with the simple touch of a finger, including temperature, duration, AromaSteam, ChromaSteam®3 and AudioSteam®3. Additionally, users can control functions of the steam shower on the go with the free SteamLinx App from their smartphone or mobile device. The iSteam3 is design-matched to the high-grade AromaSteam SteamHeads and pairs seamlessly with the industry-leading Mr. Steam E Series Residential Steam Generators.

And after you've luxuriated in your new steam bath, you'll definitely want to grab a nice warm towel.  Mr. Steam introduced their new Lexington Collection of towel warmers.  With wider bars to extend the warmth on towels, the Lexington Collection towel warmers are perfect enhancements for contemporary spa bathrooms.  Made of high-quality stainless steel in polished or brushed stainless finishes, the five wall-mounted models of the Lexington Collection come standard with a digital timer allowing for convenient pre-start and automatic shutoff.

Ready to update your bathroom and garner all of the wonderful health benefits of steam bathing?  Give us a call and we'll introduce you to all of the wonderful customizable steam experiences that Mr. Steam has to offer!

Please note: According to FTC rules, I need to disclose that my trip to KBIS was sponsored.    While I did not get paid for my time at KBIS, my hotel, airfare and some meals were covered.  As I write about our sponsors  I wish for you to know that I do not receive any additional monetary compensation for doing so.  And please note, the views expressed in this blog are totally mine! 

JSI Raves: Thinking About Renovating? Wilsonart Can Make Your LIfe Easier!

Are you considering a kitchen or bath remodel in 2018?  Or are you building a new house?  In the Virginia area, one word that's been left out of the renovation discussion for the past several years is laminate, unless you're talking about taking it out.  But, Wilsonart did a terrific job of educating me at the 2018 KBIS show in Orlando.  These new laminates are not your Grandmother's old laminate!  

Photo courtesy of Christine Kohut of Christine Kohut Interiors

We were treated to a presentation by Danny Seo, Wilsonart’s spokesperson and host of NBC’s Naturally Danny, to showcase Wilsonart’s latest innovations.  This beautiful kitchen vignette featured the new Soft Silk (-21) laminate finish which is a stunning ultra-matte surface. This new finish is incredibly soft and smooth with a silky touch. Visit www.wilsonart.com/finish-options to learn more this spring.

One of the big trends that we saw throughout KBIS this year was the matte black finish.  It was featured heavily by the plumbing showrooms in their fixtures, but also by a lot of cabinetry lines.  While I love black cabinets, one drawback has always been that they show fingerprints and scratches.  But with this new Soft Silk Finish featuring AEON™ Enhanced Scratch & Scuff Resistance Technology, fingerprints and scratches are a thing of the past!  

Photo courtesy of Erica Islas of EMI Interior Design

I also enjoyed seeing their Material Mixology Collection.  With social media driving us to always stay ahead of trends and create instagram worthy spaces, Wilsonart has specially curated this collection that is bursting with character.  The out-of-the-box laminates in this collection beautifully capture the fluidity of design style and trends between residential and commercial markets, and join hundreds of other one-of-a-kind designs in the Virtual Design Library collection of laminates.  Check out the back lit Arctic Dune (#9253CM) laminate that serves as the backsplash in this terrific galley kitchen vignette.  And I love the cabinetry by MasterBrand Cabinets featuring this Wilsonart Phantom Charcoal (#8214K-28) laminate. 

Photo courtesy of Claire Jefford of Creating Contrast Designs

This was another terrific vignette showcasing how you can get high style with affordable laminates!  Love how they were able to incorporate the very trendy waterfall countertop which wraps around the base also.  They also have a lot of great wood grained laminates to create a hassle-free and easy to maintain shiplap wall.  

Wilsonart does a lot more than just laminate!  They have a beautiful collection of quartz products with a wide variety of styles, colors and textures. 

Photo courtesy of Claire Jefford of Creating Contrast Designs

They also do some wonderful things with their solid surface collection.  Check out their "Wet Walls" system that allows you to install directly over tile for a quick bathroom update.  

Wilsonart Wet Wall System – Benjamin Grey 1887K-22 (behind mirror wall), Grey Elm 8201K-12 (shower), Pearl Sequoia 5001K-07 (vanity wrap) and Mangalore Mango 7984-38 (vanity reveal).
 

These wet walls can simply any bathroom remodel project!  So, if you're entertaining the idea of undertaking a kitchen or bath renovation, be sure to think outside the box with your surface solutions.  Laminates, quartz and solid surface materials from Wilsonart are for more than just countertop materials.  They can provide a chic, yet affordable option for any surface in any space!

Please note: According to FTC rules, I need to disclose that my trip to KBIS was sponsored.    While I did not get paid for my time at KBIS, my hotel, airfare and some meals were covered.  As I write about our sponsors  I wish for you to know that I do not receive any additional monetary compensation for doing so.  And please note, the views expressed in this blog are totally mine! 

JSI Faves: DXV and Grohe Up Their Luxury Plumbing Game!

Jennifer Stoner Interiors has been heavily involved in a lot of renovation and construction projects for the past several years, with a big emphasis on luxury bathrooms.  This year at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) in Orlando, Florida, all of the plumbing lines had beautiful showrooms with a lot of energy and new introductions.  One standout was the Lixil Corporation's showroom with their luxury brands, DXV and Grohe.  Each of these lines had some particularly ingenious and beautiful new introductions!

Exhibiting a versatile combination of modern design and functional geometry, the new DXV Modulus collection offers bath fixtures, faucets, furniture and accessories ideal for a luxury bathroom setting in residential and hospitality applications.  This assortment expands the DXV Modern Movement, a curated selection of bath collections that celebrate the play of artful lines and flowing forms against contrasting, geometric structures.

Showcasing softly angular lines, the elegantly simple form of these DXV Modulus bathroom lavatories incorporates a sink bowl, a “dry” ledge and a semi-wet, transition zone to gather toiletries and personal accessories for convenient access. A coordinating solid surface accessory tray is designed to integrate perfectly onto the adjoining transition zone. This rectangular tray can easily be moved and stored in the matching wall-mounted DXV Modulus vanity or storage cabinet drawers.  This is the perfect example of form meeting function!

And check out this new DXV tub!

The waterfall feature that comes out just below the headrest is inspired by hot springs and is designed to deliver a soft veil of warm water from an elongated spout.  I already have one of my clients ready to specify this for the master bathroom in the new home that we're helping to design.  I have a feeling that we'll be placing these in a few other client's homes as well.  How about yours?

Another star in the Lixil Corporation's portfolio is the German plumbing powerhouse, Grohe.  Grohe is the world's leading supplier of luxury plumbing fixtures.  Over the past ten years alone, the success of GROHE has been confirmed by more than 240 design and innovation awards.  This year at KBIS, Grohe has expanded their Grohe Smart Control shower fixture offerings with their new GrohTherm Smart Control Trim.  

The “Push, Turn, Shower” experience has become even more multifaceted, thanks to a new model and combination options being added to this popular line of smart shower controls.  The expanded range includes a concealed behind-the-wall model that offers an innovative universal rough-in valve for more efficient installation. This concealed GrohTherm SmartControl trim offers the option of having up to three shower outlets running through a single wall plate.  In a shower with multiple showerheads and body jet sprays, this eliminates the need for multiple valves and diverters or "handles" in the shower.  With all of the money we can spend on beautiful tile in our showers, this sleek design allows the tile to become the main focal point!

And your plumber will thank you also!  Behind the wall powering the GrohTherm SmartControl trim is the new Rapido SmartBox. This innovative valve has some unique features that make installation simple and easy. Water supply inlets are positioned at the bottom of the valve, eliminating the need for additional adaptors and simplifying installation. This pioneering valve also adds no additional depth to the wall trim with its super slim design, maximizing room in the shower for user comfort. 

This is the kind of nerdy stuff designers who do a lot of bathroom remodels get excited about!  Sometimes it's what's going on behind the wall that really makes all the difference to the final look of your shower.  If you're considering a bathroom remodel project, give us a call!  We can inspire you with all sorts of great product we found at the 2018 KBIS show.  

Please note: According to FTC rules, I need to disclose that my trip to KBIS was sponsored.    While I did not get paid for my time at KBIS, my hotel, airfare and some meals were covered.  As I write about our sponsors  I wish for you to know that I do not receive any additional monetary compensation for doing so.  And please note, the views expressed in this blog are totally mine!