For nearly a decade, interior design was Jamie Haller’s side hobby.

​

She needed a creative outlet separate from her full-time fashion job, so she and her husband would restore historic Los Angeles homes in their free time. “We would buy a 1920s Spanish-style fourplex to hold as an investment and remodel the whole thing,” she explains. “It was really passion-led.”

​

Friends and acquaintances would frequently ask Jamie to reimagine their homes, but she wanted to keep interior design as just a personal endeavor—until the pandemic hit. Buy-and-hold real estate was too risky in the early quarantine days, so she finally had the bandwidth to accept client projects. Eventually, she quit her job and renovations became a primary part of her career (alongside the shoe line she launched around the same time.)

​

Jamie gained confidence in her interior design pursuits when her mid-century Pasadena ranch project was featured in Architectural Digest. “I wrote it in my manifestation journal, which is super woo-woo to say, but I felt like it was going to happen with this particular house,” she remembers. “That was a major moment for me because it's something everybody wants and it felt very validating that my hobby was recognized as being good.”

​

AD isn’t the only one who noticed Jamie’s talent for honoring the history of old homes and infusing them with her fashion-industry penchant for colorful textiles—clients all over LA and beyond are drawn to her special touch. Here, she shares the thought processes and secrets behind her work, from the first thing she does when designing a room to the underrated material she loves to use.

​

The first thing I do when I design a room

I walk around it a lot and just stare. I stare from every angle, envisioning in my brain how it might all come together. I’m just thinking and absorbing and playing out scenarios. It's how I suss out what might be the direction. Then, I pull everything out, all the wallpapers, paint colors, and stains I might use, so I can have everything in front of me, and start finding the pieces that have gravity in the space. It's different every time.

​

The architectural era that inspires me most

I really love the history of older homes built between 1901 and 1910. They have a lot of soul. Redoing them is transformational for the house, but also for me: rolling my sleeves up and getting into the stories of the house. I get something deeper back. I also like mid-century homes because stylistically, they're cool. And I always love the funky shapes and angles of 1960s and 70s furniture. Each decade has its own things that I love.

​

The one thing that should always be made custom

Upholstery. I really like to bring in textiles that have color and pattern on furniture pieces. It's hard to buy those items in stock because obviously, stores are selling what the greatest number of people are going to want to buy, which is likely white and beige. But finding an amazing vintage chair and then picking a wacky, beautiful fabric, does so much in terms of bringing energy and interest into a space.

​

The colors I’m loving right now

In the past year, I went through a moodier phase where I was heavily into burgundies and deep browns. But in the last month, I've weirdly been thinking about gray mixed with natural wood again. I know, everybody probably hates gray after the past 20 years of seeing it everywhere, but there's something about it that's forward. I think it might make a comeback, but who knows?

​

What makes a room feel cozy every time

Wallpaper. Low light. Vintage rugs. When I put all of those elements together, it adds so much depth to a room.

​

The most underrated material I love to use

Since I work on a lot of homes from the 1900s, I love Douglas fir. It is so beautiful in all of these homes. I don't think I would make cabinets out of it, but it has an authentic nature, so I tend to make a lot of custom baseboards and custom millwork with it. It replicates what was originally in the home. It feels special, so I like that.

​

What I always buy vintage

I love to buy vintage coffee tables and lighting. I can really go on a deep dive looking for the perfect vintage light. It doesn’t even have to be the exact same era as the home, but it adds a really special touch and a patina that's different from what you can buy new. Another category I always shop vintage is mirrors. I just love vintage glass, whether it's in a mid-century house, a 1900s craftsman, or a Victorian bungalow. It adds a lot of depth by bouncing light around.

​

My biggest architectural pet peeve

If somebody calls me and their home is full of vinyl windows, I almost can't take the job because it just ruins it for me. I don't want to be a total snob, but there's almost nothing I can do that's going to fix it. And at the same time, people don't necessarily want to replace all their windows. So that's my pet peeve.

​

The hotel that represents ultimate luxury to me

The Bowery in New York. It's my favorite hotel. I love hotels that are comfortable and have a lot of depth, soul, history, and moodiness. The rooms are very peaceful and they're not dark. They're light and they have beautiful windows. The materials in the bathrooms are perfect. I love staying there.

​

The place I can’t wait to go back to

I loved going to Egypt. My husband and I went there on our honeymoon. Their furnishings are so beautiful: so much wood and beautiful carvings. The skyline's so pretty. I love the architecture and the museums. One day, we’d like to take our kids there. I also love Europe. I spend a lot of time in Italy now, but Egypt is different. It was a really special place to visit.

​

At home, you’ll most often find me

Sitting in the living room in a side chair working on my laptop; in my garage, which is my warehouse, packing shoes; or in the kitchen, cleaning and cooking.

​

What’s next

We have a new Pierce & Ward collaboration coming out this month. We did one last spring with some penny loafers, so that was a really fun marriage of both of my worlds. They sold really well, so we decided to make some more. We added a new color. I've got a lot of exciting interior projects in the works. And I'm launching a denim line and a clothing line, so I have a lot on my plate.

​

Want personalized design advice from Jamie Haller? Book a consultation.