Today we’d like to introduce you to Gina Jacobson.
Hi Gina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Having known from a young age that I wanted to be an interior designer and own my own business, I went to college for it and then worked for a local designer in Madison, WI. I began building CL Designs in Madison and then moved to Duluth to keep growing. Continuing to learn about business and interior design keeps me on my toes in both arenas.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been a relatively smooth road. Talking myself up is not one of my favorite things to do, so making sure I do that sometimes has been a challenge.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about CL Designs?
Something that is important to know about CL Designs is that its goal in each project is to make a space visually pleasing to that client, to use products that are environmentally friendly, and create an area that is functional for that client’s lifestyle. I specialize in 1-hour consultations that answer immediate questions that a client has regarding their homes or workplace, creating visual concepts, including 3D renderings, for residential or commercial interiors (especially restaurants), and styling a room or entire environment to make it feel finished and comfortable for that client.
I would say I am known for the service level that I offer my clients. Anyone can order something online, but I offer individualized designs to make interiors more beneficial in the long term and the process of attaining them more thorough, seamless, personalized, and fun.
What sets me apart from others is that I am the only 1-person interior designer in the area that does not represent any brands or companies. This helps me personalize each design to that specific client and give them designs that truly fit their goals, rather than cookie-cutter options. Clients have direct access to me, as well, so their questions or concerns are heard right away, rather than going through a third party or other staff members.
Brand-wise, I am most proud of my Pinterest and Google presence, actually. I am proud that I only represent my own work on Instagram (not posting others’ designs just because I am relaying that I like them, as some other designers do). I am also proud of the integrity I have built into my brand in terms of what is truly important to me including using environmentally-friendly products and making aesthetically-pleasing and functional interiors.
I would like your readers to know that I am also the only designer who offers Seasonal Interior Design which addresses the needs of each season in its functionality and decor. It is something that can be subscribed to yearly for the 4 seasons. (The questionnaire to start this subscription can be found here: https://cldesignsfit.com/get-started/)
I would also like your readers to know that I offer Add-Ons to the 1-hour Consultations that include follow-up documents outlining what was talked about during that 1-hour consultation and giving clients preliminary design ideas for their interior project, including items such as layout or color palette.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
This is going to tie into why I became an interior designer. 😉
My mom and I took many day trips to small towns outside of Madison, WI where I grew up. She and I would get into the convertible, turn on some music and head out through the winding country roads, always taking the “scenic route”, as she’d call it. We would land at a coffee shop or gallery or little neighborhood that had a lot of character. The coffee shops would be the galleries themselves sometimes and the neighborhoods would have “painted ladies” which, one could argue, were also galleries, of sorts, given how much of them were handmade!
Those were the trips that sparked my interest in architecture and interiors. It always struck me how detailed, interesting, and unexpected those buildings were with their turrets, wrap-around porches, and surprising floor plans. It was, and still is, a joy to tour such historical places and admire all of the skills that went into creating them!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.CLdesignsFit.com
- Instagram: @CLdesignsFit
- Facebook: @CLdesignsFit
- Twitter: @CLdesignsFit
- Pinterest: @CLdesignsFit
- Google: CL Designs
Image Credits
Julia Graylow Photography
CL Designs
