Jennifer Levy got into interior design by renovating her own home in Brooklyn and loving the process. She made the transition from professional photography to interior design after realizing her talents could best be utilized through a career in interior design. It’s her job to oversee renovations and decorating, track all of the parts that go into both the decorating and renovating, and also interface and be the buffer between the tradespeople and the client so the client doesn’t have to deal with every detail of the project. She says many of her clients feel that hiring an interior designer actually saved them money in the end because it removed the inefficiencies and challenges that they would have dealt with on their own.
[00:02:32] How did you first get into interior design?
[00:02:54] Can you break down what interior designers do and also explain how you can help people through renovating and saving them time?
[00:04:40] What do you think are the 2 most important qualities of a successful interior designer?
[00:05:45] How do you know where to start implementing your vision when you first walk into space?
[00:07:03] How did you effectively make a career change from a professional photographer to an interior designer?
[00:09:05] Did you enjoy renovating your home?
[00:11:15] What’s your favorite area of Brooklyn and why?
[00:12:15] Do you have a favorite restaurant in Carroll Gardens?
[00:13:21] Where is the hottest place in Brooklyn right now in terms of where you're getting most of your business?
[00:14:51] What have you learned about financial cycles in your business?
[00:16:41] What are some of the biggest ways your city has changed over the past decade?
[00:17:51] Where did you grow up?
[00:19:01] Where would you focus your search in Brooklyn if you were to buy a property right now?
[00:19:54] What advice would you give to someone looking for an interior designer?
Jennifer Levy
Founder of Can Design
Jennifer Levy got into interior design by renovating her own home in Brooklyn and loving the process. She made the transition from professional photography to interior design after realizing her talents could best be utilized through a career in interior design. It’s her job to oversee renovations and decorating, track all of the parts that go into both the decorating and renovating, and also interface and be the buffer between the tradespeople and the client so the client doesn’t have to deal with every detail of the project. She says many of her clients feel that hiring an interior designer actually saved them money in the end because it removed the inefficiencies and challenges that they would have dealt with on their own.
She sees fearlessness and creativity as the most important qualities of a successful interior designer, as well as strong communication skills and a good, developed eye for design. She has her clients fill out a questionnaire to get a sense of their expectations and pain-points, their aesthetic and functional needs for their space. She loves the process of outlining her vision for space and turning it into a reality.
Jennifer lives in Carroll Gardens and it remains her favorite area of Brooklyn. Frankies Spuntino on Court Street is one of her favorite restaurants, as well as Buttermilk Channel, for their great atmosphere and fried chicken, which is “transformative”. She’s getting a lot of business in Windsor Terrace and Midwood and is also seeing a lot of activity in Downtown Brooklyn and the Navy Yard. She sees the Midwood area as a good place to invest because there are really nice apartments there and it’s an undervalued area of Brooklyn.
Jennifer says that your relationship with your interior designer is pretty intense and you need to feel very comfortable with them, have good communication and trust their taste and intentions. Her website, cavdesign.com, allows you to book a free phone call with Jennifer to discuss your project and see if she might be a good fit. She highly recommends The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss and The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann.
