Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Neilas.
Hi Jessica, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
This is my 20th year as an interior designer! I knew I wanted to be an interior designer since I had a dollhouse as a child, and I would renovate the rooms with whatever supplies I could scavenge from my father’s studio, a graphic designer, and whatever unlucky piece of clothing I took scissors to, for bedding and drapes of course. I got my Degree in design in Toronto from OCADU, and I got my first industry job at an up-and-coming boutique firm. While there, I learned about the industry and was fortunate to work on local and international projects in the high-end residential custom homes sector. After 7 years, I co-founded a design company, Seven Haus Design, with an architect, and I also worked as the VP of Interior Design for a residential developer, Streetcar Developments. We were a small team dedicated to designing and constructing mid-rise buildings. We did 3,500 units in the 5 years I was there, and it was a massive education in structural engineering, HVAC design, the building industry, and urban residential development. I took an interest in Health and wellness in interior spaces, and that propelled me to start a new design company, an all-female design company, Wolfe Interior Design (wolfeid.com), focussed on luxury interior design from a standpoint that enhances the lives of those indoors and helps them not just enjoy beautiful spaces but to also to thrive within them. Wolfe just turned 7 years old on October 1st, and this same year, we have expanded into the US as Thoughtform Design Build (thoughtformdb.com). My husband and I have always had an intense entrepreneurial spirit and felt drawn to the US. Wolfe has projects in Miami and LA, and we felt with Austin’s awesome growing energy in the housing market, we could move here and service the Sunbelt. We are thrilled to be welcomed by the Austin building industry and excited to add to Austin’s entrepreneurial vibe and super cool art & design industry.
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Smooth? Nope. Being an entrepreneur is always challenging, and if it’s not, it feels like you’re not doing it right, at least to me, and finding the courage to continually pursue what thrills you have created the biggest hurdles in my life. Committing to doing so creates upheavals and risks in all aspects of one’s life, professionally and personally. It asks you to do everything you can to build and create something, and sometimes, that means ending or tearing down other things. On top of that, there are also recessions, x2, hard, expensive learning curves, disappointments in relationships, clients and design outcomes, huge risks and failures, managing employees, etc.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Thoughtform designers specialize in 4 specific things that set us apart from other firms:
- Luxury Hybrid Living
Post-pandemic living requires our spaces to do more and have more conveniences, functionality, and comforting amenities, such as work-from-home environments and options, fitness and wellness spaces, specialized acoustic solutions, particular organizations, and designs created to make our new reality as easy as possible. - Wellness Interiors
We are known for having a thoughtful approach to interior design, and with that, we also bring in wellness practices and principles through the advocation of biophilic design elements; we use environmental psychology, research-based design principles, superior air and water purification, acoustic attenuation, maximization and control of natural light, healthy lighting involving systems which are set to obey our circadian rhythm and intelligent lighting systems which transition to allow for high energy activities or lower lighting for rejuvenation and relaxation, superior temperature control, healthy amenities (infrared saunas, reverse osmosis, cryo-baths, pools, indoor herb gardens), etc. - We are True Interior Designers
Unlike many ‘interior decorators or ‘designers in Austin,’ our scope of work ideally starts at the project’s inception, Before a client hires an architect or builder. We help shape the project from the very beginning of the process to the final execution. Our interior scope also starts at drywall’. We take over from the Architect and choose every finish you can see at the end of the day when you walk through your project, from HVAC diffusers to door stops, cabinetry, tiles, stone, lighting, flooring, basically every single surface and finish. We also review and coordinate the interior Architectural layouts, A/V features, M&P design, and structural drawings for the best possible outcome. - Super Technical ID Drawing Packages
Our drawings are second to none; we take a forensic approach to detailing and coordinating every interior element and finish together. Architects love us because we draw architectural standards and use the framework they have created; builders love our drawings for the tender process but also for the interior construction, and clients love us for the result, smooth process, and money. We save future pacing coordination issues upfront.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
“Nobody cares, work harder.”
“You are the Architect of your own life.”
“Victory loves preparation.”
Contact Info:
- Website: thoughtformdb.com
- Instagram: @thoughtform_db
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@designedforhumans2921/videos
Image Credits
Ryan Emberley (team, and interiors), Jules Lee (shots of Jessica)
