Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenna Walker.
Hi Jenna, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I have been in the design industry since 2002 and moved to metro Detroit in 2004. I started my career in house with Olympia Development, working primarily with the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings, and other development projects in the District Detroit. During my time there, I completed a Master of Science in Historic Preservation Planning, with a specialization in Downtown Revitalization in 2009. I have combined my passion and expertise for design and preservation on projects across the state and beyond, from Detroit to Main Street communities. My work extends from hospitality, community, wellness, and residential spaces including hotels, restaurants, clinics, libraries, municipal offices, retail, community centers, multi-family, and single family. While we occasionally work on new construction, most of our work centers on rehabilitation of our historic buildings. This has been a long and circuitous journey, working at a few architecture and design firms, in house for developers, in a design strategy and research role for a major furniture brand, and spending 4 years as the director of Interior Design at Lawrence Technological University before COVID-era education burnout and a series of family health issues had me rethinking my path. RWDC had always been there in the background, but it wasn’t until searching for a place that combined my passions for interior design, historic preservation and stakeholder engagement in the design process continuously failed, that I decided creating it myself would fill that void in the marketplace and allow me to serve my clients this way.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t know anyone who has had an entirely smooth path. For me, the demands of motherhood and aging parents, along with a couple of acute health issues at home shook my foundations and forced me to refocus on what was important, how I was living, working, and showing up in the world. I have explored paths that I thought would be great but turned out to be misaligned, including jobs, clients, and strategic partners. While uncomfortable, there is always a lesson and growth on the other side.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Our expertise lies in bespoke, experiential interior design and supporting adaptive use through tax credit process management. We ensure projects align with the requirements to access important historic preservation incentives. We love working with building owners, business owners, communities and developers to help bring their vision to life. Having started out in-house for a developer, we approach design from a client-centric angle, not the traditional AEC firm process. We integrate stakeholder engagement to ensure the design meets the true requirements of those who will use the space. We don’t design based on trends, we design based on brand – whether the personal brand of a family for their home or that of a business. We have a wide range of offers that allow access to design and preservation insight – from consultation calls, Onsite Insight, to full design and preservation services. We have an intentionally small team so that I am on every project and client do not get lost in the layers of large firms. Our field has been consolidating like many others and we are intentional on ensuring personal, human touch for spaces where people come together. Our work is rooted in belonging and connection, creating places where people come together in a time of digital-first, often isolated cultural dynamics.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I grew up in West Michigan, surrounded by the commercial furniture industry there. I was artistic and creative in many forms but also did very well in school. In 8th grade we had to write ourselves a letter about our future – I said I was an interior designer. I did not even know what real interior design was. Many people think of what they see on HGTV and decorating as interior design. The education, training, and day to day tasks are much more technical with code, drawings, procurement, and project management taking up much more time than creative components like material and color selection or concept sketching. I am right and left brained. Design was a practical way to bring those together. I have always loved traveling and the qualities of community and this work pulls from those passions.
Pricing:
- First Look – $350
- Onsite Insight – $2500+
- Foundation Concept Package – $5000+
- Collective Co-Design – $15,000 min, typical range $25,000-$150,000
- Historic Tax Credit – Varies by Project
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.reedwalkerdesign.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reed.walker.design.collective/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennareedwalker/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReedWalkerDesignCollective
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reed-walker-design-collective
