Today we’d like to introduce you to Jane Nichols.
Hi Jane, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I received my interior design undergraduate degrees and have engaged in both commercial and residential design for over thirty years. After working with Taliesin Architects in Scottsdale, Arizona, I was inspired to pursue graduate school to teach interior design fulltime. I have since dedicated my career to education while continuing to practice design. I have held leadership roles in interior design studios and academia, leading me to my current role as department chair at High Point University since 2012. Throughout my career, I have received recognition for excellence in design awards from ASID, which has bolstered my confidence. Recently, I ventured into entrepreneurship and purchased a design franchise with my daughter, named Nichols & Rose – Decorating Den Interiors. This business venture has been fulfilling, and I am currently focused on balancing my university responsibilities with award-winning interior design. I find great joy in working with seniors to create their dream homes and in collaborating with nonprofit organizations to transform spaces that reflect their vision and further their mission.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’ve experienced many of the ordinary obstacles during my career journey, such as balancing career with parenting, divorce, financial struggles, and co-caring for aging parents. I believe that most of these challenges have built greater empathy in me; because I have been that over-stressed mom, and that mortified woman in line at the grocery store asking the clerk to remove items from the bag because SNAP didn’t cover it, and that person at the office having an emotional break-down in the bathroom. I have had an amazing career but have also been released from a position due to “creative differences” and have worked my way back from bankruptcy to owning a home and a business. Watching my parents age and die has informed and ignited a passion in me for creating senior living environments that provide dignity and delight. I believe that we take what life throws at us and are judged by our responses. While successfully overcoming these obstacles, I also recognize my privilege, of growing up in a supportive home, having access to great education, and living in a country at peace.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Students sometimes ask me if I “miss doing interior (fulltime)?” My response is “No! Because I get to help twenty or more students develop new design solutions every single day!” Being an educator has honed my design skills in ways that practice never could-because I’ve learned to assist in solving design problems, help to refine design iterations, and consistently ignite creative thinking in others. Two things make me the proudest; one is hearing from alumni that they are successful and enjoying their design careers, and the other is being recognized for design excellence by my peers, particularly for the nonprofits I’ve designed.
I have three areas of specialization; one is sustainable design, which I integrate into every course and every project; the second is designing healthy environments for aging with dignity, and the third is interior design for nonprofit organizations-which provides me with so much positive feedback -I do pro-bono interior design for them.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I am a strategic risk-taker. I try to imagine all the possible outcomes, including that dreaded one, “What’s the worst that could happen?”-which I follow up with-“Will I feel worse if I DON’T take the risk?”. I generally land on the latter. I’m lucky and have been successful with the risks I’ve taken. When I met my ex-husband who asked if I wanted to emigrate to Canada-I said YES to him! When I left a good paying job to return to graduate school, I said YES to myself! When I launched my Airbnb business, I determined that I had more to gain than to lose, and when I was asked to move from AZ to NC to teach university and direct the academic programs, while it was NOT an easy move, I accepted the challenge. My most recent business venture with my daughter has been the biggest risk and yet seemed to be the easiest decision ever. Taking risks builds mental and emotional muscle and self-confidence, because that “Worst thing that could happen” actually seldom does!
Pricing:
- Interior Design Services-Included with Min. Purchase or $150 per hour
- Interior Design Fees-Gratis to Nonprofits
Contact Info:
- Website: janenichols.decoratingden.com
