Houston to Colorado: My Interior Design Philosophy, Evolved
When I founded Jamie House Design in Houston, Texas, the vision was clear: create beautiful, deeply personal interiors that feel like home for the people who live in them. Over the years, that vision has remained steady—rooted in authenticity, beauty, and a love for exploration—but with our move to Centennial, Colorado, something new has taken root: a deeper sense of place, purpose, and soulful connection.
From Shanghai to Houston to Berlin to Centennial: What 20 Years Taught Me About Where I Actually Want to Work
I started Jamie House Design designing homes in Wuxi and Shanghai. Then I built a practice in Houston with a focus on The Heights neighborhood. In 2017, I moved to Berlin and continued working with Houston clients remotely. In 2021, we moved to Centennial, Colorado. In 2022, I joined an architecture firm. By the end of 2024, I'd left to rebuild my independent practice.
After 20 years designing homes across three continents, I'm clear about what I want to build: a hyperlocal practice where I'm genuinely present for every project.
This is the story of how I got here.
Shanghai: Where It Started
Before I ever had Houston projects, I worked in China, designing American style subdivision homes in Wuxi and clubhouse amenity levels in high-rises in Shanghai, learning to navigate international vendors, understanding how design principles translate across cultures.
That experience taught me to source globally, work with fabricators across continents, and recognize that while good design is universal, context is everything. A home in Shanghai requires completely different thinking than a home in Houston, even if both families want beautiful, functional spaces.
It also taught me I wanted to work closer to home.
Houston: Building Something Real
When I started taking Houston projects, I focused deliberately on The Heights, the historic neighborhood where I lived. 1920s bungalows with pier-and-beam foundations. Historic district restrictions that required fighting for many design decisions. But I’ve always been devoted to history and preservation so it was a joy.
I spent two years getting approvals for one renovation. I learned to read the neighborhood intimately; which homes were worth saving, which contractors could execute difficult work, how to navigate preservation requirements while modernizing for contemporary life.
That hyperlocal focus worked. I knew my territory. The business grew because I understood the specific challenges of Heights homes in a way someone driving in from across town never could.
Berlin: When Remote Work Taught Me What I Actually Value
When my husband and I decided to move to Berlin in 2017, I thought I'd build a practice there. German industry regulations made navigating that without German fluency nearly impossible, especially with a small child.
So I kept my Houston clients and worked their projects from 5,000 miles away.
My talented assistant managed installations and contractor meetings on the ground. I flew back several times a year for client presentations and project walkthroughs. We made it work; the projects turned out well, clients were happy, the business stayed afloat.
But I hated working that way.
Video calls can't replace being there when a contractor needs a real-time decision that will affect the entire project. You can't assess how afternoon light hits a newly opened kitchen over Zoom. You lose the crucial conversations that happen standing in someone's living room, understanding how they actually live, not just what they say they want.
Berlin gave me access to incredible European design markets, vendors I'd never encountered in the US, materials and fabricators that expanded my sourcing capabilities considerably. I visited showrooms across Germany and Scandinavia. I learned a tremendous amount.
But I missed being present for my work. The gap between doing good work remotely and doing great work on-site became undeniable.
From Berlin, I became much more selective about which projects I'd take on. If I was going to work this way, it needed to be worth the frustration of not being able to show up when it mattered.
Colorado: The Path to Independence
When we moved to Centennial in 2021, I took a position at an architecture firm. On paper it looked right; high-end mountain homes, sophisticated clients, a legitimate firm with an impressive portfolio.
The reality didn't match. The culture wasn't what I'd hoped. The projects were beautiful houses, but I wasn't solving the design problems that interest me; understanding how families actually live, balancing beauty with function, creating spaces that work for decades, not just for the photoshoot.
I left at the end of 2024 to rebuild my independent practice.
What I'm Building Now
After two decades of designing homes internationally, I'm doing something I've been circling for years: focusing exclusively on South Denver suburbs within 20 minutes of my Centennial home.
Not because I can't work farther, I've proven I can work from another continent if necessary. But because I've learned that being present for projects produces better design than being remotely excellent.
I want to know these neighborhoods the way I knew The Heights in Houston. I want to understand that Smoky Hill ranch homes from the 1980s have specific challenges; closed floor plans from a different era, builder-grade materials showing their age, layouts that don't reflect how people actually use kitchens now.
I'm learning which Centennial contractors consistently deliver quality and which ones need close management. I'm understanding how light works at 5,800 feet versus sea level, how to choose paint colors that won't wash out in Colorado's intense sunshine, which local vendors I can rely on.
I want to work with Castle Pines families whose custom homes have builder-grade interiors that don't reflect their actual taste. I want to help Littleton homeowners modernize Mid-Century Modern and Craftsman homes while respecting architectural character. I want to serve Highlands Ranch families who need spaces that balance beauty with the durability their active households require.
This is the work that interests me, solving real design problems for people who'll live with the results for decades.
What 20 Years Actually Taught Me
Global experience matters. Shanghai taught me to source anywhere, work with craftsmen across continents, understand how design evolves in different cultures. Berlin expanded my vendor network and material knowledge. Those capabilities are assets I bring to every project.
But presence matters more. Remote work taught me that transformative design requires being there for crucial decisions. You can't delegate the conversation that happens when you're standing in someone's kitchen, understanding how they actually cook, where the real bottlenecks are, what drives them crazy every morning.
Architectural training is non-negotiable. My minor in Architecture from Texas Tech matters more now than when I graduated. Being able to read construction drawings, understand structural systems, and coordinate effectively with contractors is what separates surface-level improvements from transformative renovations.
Independent practice serves clients better. I'm not tied to furniture showrooms or specific brands. I source from custom fabricators, trade-only vendors, vintage dealers, Colorado artisans; wherever I can find exactly what your project needs. Recommendations are based solely on what serves you best.
Clear focus beats constant growth. Early in my career, I took every project I could. From Berlin, I became more selective because logistics forced me to be. Now I'm choosing limits deliberately: South Denver suburbs only, 20 minutes from Centennial, 12 homes per year maximum.
I recognize that exceptional design requires presence.
How We Can Work Together
I work with clients at different stages of their design journey. Some need comprehensive project management; others want expert guidance while managing execution themselves.
Design Consultation — Two-hour in-home assessment with design direction, material guidance, and contractor recommendations. $500, credited toward full-service within 60 days. For homeowners who need professional insight but will manage their own project, or who want to understand what's actually involved before committing to larger scope.
Partial Design Services — Kitchen and bathroom design, space planning, material selections, furniture plans, design coaching. Professional design for specific project phases while you handle procurement and installation. For capable DIYers or those with budget constraints who want professional design direction.
Full-Service Design — Comprehensive project management from architectural planning through final installation. Custom millwork, contractor coordination, complete procurement, styling. This is how transformative design actually happens; when someone who understands both architecture and interiors manages every decision from concept through execution.
What Makes My Approach Different
After 20 years, here's what I bring to your project:
Architectural expertise. I read construction drawings, understand how buildings work structurally, and coordinate effectively with contractors. This isn't decorating, it's architectural problem-solving. When renovating older homes especially, you need someone who understands the building, not just the finishes.
International perspective, hyperlocal focus. Years designing homes in Shanghai and Berlin, sourcing from European vendors, attending international design markets, that global perspective matters. But I'm applying it exclusively to South Denver neighborhoods I'm learning intimately.
Independent practice. No sales quotas, no showroom affiliations, no pressure to specify particular brands. I source from custom fabricators, trade-only vendors, vintage dealers, wherever I can find exactly what your project needs.
Flexible service structure. Three service tiers accommodate different budgets and involvement levels. Many consultation clients convert to full-service once they understand what's actually involved. Others successfully manage their own projects with professional design direction.
For Centennial, Littleton, Castle Pines, and Highlands Ranch Homeowners
If you're considering renovation or furnishing your home, here's what you should know about working with me:
I'm building my Colorado portfolio deliberately, with clients who value the design process and understand that transformative results take time. I don't take every project, I work with people who want a designer genuinely present for their work, not just collecting fees from across town.
What I bring is 20 years of experience designing homes across three continents, architectural training that means I understand how buildings actually work, and a deliberate commitment to focusing exclusively on South Denver suburbs.
I've designed everything from Shanghai apartments to Houston historic bungalows to new construction mountain homes. Now I'm applying all of that experience to the neighborhoods within 20 minutes of my Centennial studio.
If that approach resonates with you, let's talk.
About Jamie House Design
With 20+ years of international design experience and a minor in Architecture from Texas Tech, Jamie House brings both creative vision and technical expertise to every project. Based in Centennial, she works exclusively within South Denver suburbs, bringing a global design perspective to the neighborhoods she calls home.
Related Articles:
Interior Designer Centennial CO — Why I focus on established homes in Smoky Hill, Walnut Hills, and Southglenn
How I Approach Ranch Kitchen Renovations — The specific challenges of 1970s-1990s ranch layouts
Littleton Historic Home Design — Preserving character while modernizing Victorian, Craftsman, and mid-century homes
What Interior Design Actually Costs in Denver — Real numbers for consultation, partial, and full-service projects
Why I'm a residential interior designer: a reintroduction | Jamie House Design
I have always believed that the way we design our homes has a profound impact on how we live. A well-designed space isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about function, comfort, and creating a sanctuary that supports and enhances your lifestyle. That belief is the foundation of Jamie House Design.
With nearly 20 years of experience in high-end residential design, I have worked on projects ranging from small historic remodels to expansive 12,000-square-foot new construction homes. My career has taken me across Houston, Florida, the Cayman Islands, and even China, collaborating with discerning clients to craft deeply personal, beautifully layered interiors. Before launching Jamie House Design, I honed my skills at several luxury interior design firms, developing a signature approach that embraces color, pattern, texture, antiques, and original art in all its forms—from canvas to pottery.
I have always believed that the way we design our homes has a profound impact on how we live. A well-designed space isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about function, comfort, and creating a sanctuary that supports and enhances your lifestyle. That belief is the foundation of Jamie House Design.
With nearly 20 years of experience in high-end residential design, I have worked on projects ranging from small historic remodels to expansive 12,000-square-foot new construction homes. My career has taken me across Houston, Florida, the Cayman Islands, and even China, collaborating with discerning clients to craft deeply personal, beautifully layered interiors. Before launching Jamie House Design, I honed my skills at several luxury interior design firms, developing a signature approach that embraces color, pattern, texture, antiques, and original art in all its forms—from canvas to pottery.
My passion lies in working closely with people, truly understanding their needs, and improving their daily lives through thoughtful design. A well-designed home should reduce stress, providing a peaceful, functional space where everything has its place—exactly where you need it. From custom millwork that maximizes storage to carefully curated furnishings and art, I focus on the details that make a home feel effortlessly elegant and uniquely yours.
I don’t believe in simply choosing art to match a sofa. Instead, I curate meaningful collections over time, layering textures, antiques, and unique pieces that tell a story and create a lived-in, welcoming environment. My goal is to design homes that feel deeply personal, timeless, and like a true retreat from the outside world.
Your home should work for you in every way. Whether it’s a kitchen designed to streamline your morning routine, a living space that invites relaxation, or a bedroom that feels like a private sanctuary, my approach to full-service interior design ensures every detail is considered and beautifully executed.
If you’re ready to transform your home into a place that enhances your life, Jamie House Design is here to guide you through the process. Let’s create a space that is as functional as it is stunning—a true reflection of you. Contact us today to get started.
Inspired by Interior Designer Rose Uniacke
I have been enamored by Rose Uniake's home. Every inch has been thought through, every mundane cord hidden. Every detail is handled, and handled in a beautiful way. It's a marvelous inspiration for how your home can serve your life.
Her home was built in 1861 for James Rannie Swinton, a society portraitist. Rose herself got into the industry by restoring antiques. Her mother is also an antiques dealer with a shop not far from Roses.
I have been enamored by Rose Uniake's home. Every inch has been thought through, every mundane cord hidden. Every detail is handled, and handled in a beautiful way. It's a marvelous inspiration for how your home can serve your life.
Her home was built in 1861 for James Rannie Swinton, a society portraitist. Rose herself got into the industry by restoring antiques. Her mother is also an antiques dealer with a shop not far from Roses. Upon opening her own showroom, of antiques and custom designed furnishings and accessories, she quickly became the go to designer in London for classic restrained interiors.
“Rose is a remarkable talent, charting a route utterly distinct to her. Her austere interiors hum with atmosphere; every corner is an essay in balance, restraint and exquisite quality.”
Her own is the epitome of restrained elegance. Of course the backdrop of amazing architecture, of which she had a hand in restoring, certainly makes that easier. In my experience having minimal restrained interiors requires first fixing the architecture of the home, whether traditional or modern. No surprise that's my favorite part of working on client's homes.
Often when discussing interiors with clients we start talking about whether something matches or if it goes. The idea of any interior is to look collected and thoughtful. But a client, or someone working on their own home, can get scared and default back to matching. Like say the fashion "rule" of not wearing brown with black. Well that's an absurd rule. Just as is making sure everything in a room matches.
That said I want to discuss Rose's bedroom and why it works while seemingly nothing matches. The first most important, to me, element in a room is texture. It's what adds a rooms patina. In this space she combines the warm natural wood floors with an animal hide rug, a natural (as in not starched within an inch of its life) linen dustskirt and the metal of the bed all keep the space interesting even if one was only looking down. But to pull your eye up she has incorporated the same linen from the bedskirt to the panels on the bed. In a room with such grand proportions any bed besides a canopy bed would be insignificant. Without the linen panels on the canopy bed the feeling would be too harsh. With every hard surface there's a counter soft surface. This balance keeps the room livable. In terms of bedside tables and lamps they're both completely different. Admittedly the nightstands being different heights drives me batty. However having different nightstand styles and lamp styles is a chic way of infusing the owners style into the space. Say the woman is more modern while the husband is traditional, they each have their style in their space. While still being a complement to each other.
In this pulled back image you can see how the room flows. The headboard is upholstered in the same fabric as the chair. The bedding accents and table skirts are various shades of green. The green is pulled across the room to the chair by using a green throw. The dark drapery panels serve to draw your eye up visually expanding the size of the room while countering the weight of the bed. Again adding balance. The wabi sabi nature of this space makes it feel thoughtful and comfortable without being precious. When a room appears too planned it can feel uncomfortable. A space can be like a painting. It's pretty to look at but certainly that's all one would want to do with it.
Rose has so many gorgeous spaces to review and I didn't even get to discussing the video. I do hope you watch it. Even the video production is done with a thoughtful restraint. It's gorgeous.
The more I dig into Rose's interiors the more I want to discuss restraint and the beautiful importance of it. So I'll do that in the next post. Well actually I'll continue with Rose this week. I love to really dig into a designer's work and the art of design.
Here are a few more gorgeous images of her home...
“I like playing with space. I don’t like furnishing just for the sake of it. I like referencing the context of a building.”
The purpose of this blog is to study the art of interior design and how it relates to all facets of life. I love to take a design subject and dig deep into it learning what one can from the process.
Now based in Denver, Jamie House Design continues to offer expert interior design services for high-end remodels throughout the US and abroad. Whether you’re preserving a beloved home or updating a space to better suit your lifestyle, we bring thoughtful design, timeless materials, and unparalleled attention to detail.
If you’re considering an interior design project, let’s create something extraordinary together. Contact Jamie House Design today to discuss your project.
Another Day in a Designer's Life
I did my best to document what I did along the day, missing large chunks and even leaving my phone at the studio at one point. D'oh! This is my studio day. I take one day a week to not schedule appointments so I can have large chunks of time to really get into projects. It's a struggle, but man everyone benefits from my studio days.
I did my best to document what I did along the day, missing large chunks and even leaving my phone at the studio at one point. D'oh! This is my studio day. I take one day a week to not schedule appointments so I can have large chunks of time to really get into projects. It's a struggle, but man everyone benefits from my studio days.
So first of all I broke my cardinal rule and met a contractor at a jobsite on my studio day. The day before was super rainy and I just did not want to jobsite in the rain. I mean look at this mud! Interior Design is glamorous and chic.
This meeting was reviewing cabinetry and millwork drawings that I designed onsite to be sure everyone understands my concept and details. DETAILS. They're so important. I prefer to design all of the millwork if possible as well. It's much more fun to dream up ideas than to search catalogs.
This is so embarrassing. But it was requested that I actually BE in my posts sometimes ;) It was SO COLD.
I got to see how my wood floor inlay design turned out and I LOVE it. BUT I don't love the mud and power tools all over it... Really this site is so muddy with all of the rain they've done a good job trying to keep it clean.
I'm back at the studio to have coffee and emails. I usually run out the door quick in the morning and bring coffee along but since I knew the meeting would be quick I'd rather have my coffee in my fav mug cozy in front of the laptop. My desk is really a table, not the final but great for now. This is usually the state of things around here during the day. This randomness is actually organized chaos I promise!
So working working working is going on. A quick Skype call with my business coach, so paint color selections I should have photographed. These apples taste JUST like candy. Almost too sweet. Almost.
My assistant insists that we sit in the same chair. It's really cozy. & I love it. Perks of having a home studio!
So still in the office working through projects. I can't live without my notebooks. I write everything down. I just can't go full digital, I think with my hands. I've always sketched out plans and drawings before putting them into AutoCAD. I still have to write out ideas and to do lists before adding them to my calendar or emails. Are you fully digital?? I am more than I was a few years ago but I love to draw things out, it's like meditation to me.
Here's where I left my phone (my life!!!) at the studio. There is a great reclaimed wood dealer in my neighborhood so I popped over to meet a contractor there to look at some reclaimed beams that were brought in from Roundtop for a fun project I'm doing. This picture is from a few days earlier but you get the idea. This place is full of treasures.
So I ended the day meeting up with some good friends for a double date and we popped by a client's place to see how everything's going since we were close. Also since my client doubles as my friend's mom ;) Her place is really livable and cute. Maybe one day I'll share some about the people behind the rooms I design. This space is a complete reflection of her. And look she even lit candles! The sweetest. This room was wood paneled and just blah before. My most favorite part of interior design is creating spaces that reflect my client's tastes and lifestyles. I have the best job.
Now based in Denver, Jamie House Design continues to offer expert interior design services for high-end remodels in Houston and beyond. Whether you’re preserving a beloved home or updating a space to better suit your lifestyle, we bring thoughtful design, timeless materials, and unparalleled attention to detail.
If you’re considering a kitchen remodel, let’s create something extraordinary together. Contact Jamie House Design today to discuss your project.