the blog
Project Highlight: A Taste of Tapas in the Blue Ridge Mountains
As the world opens up again, restaurant-goers are more excited than ever to enjoy a well-crafted meal outside the walls of their own homes. And eating out is about more than just food— the smells, sounds, and sights of a restaurant elevate a meal to an...
Design is Risk-Taking: Why You Should Say ‘Yes’ When You Could Scream ‘No’
Have you ever been invited out on a weeknight and felt the temptation to cancel last minute? Excuses are always easy to come by— “I worked hard this week,” “I don’t have anything to wear,” “I shouldn’t go out to dinner again so soon.” But instead of giving in to the...
Design is Relational: How to Build Client Relationships that Last a Lifetime
When I think back on JAI’s journey over the past 20 years, there are many fond memories of innovative designs, exciting grand openings, and trips to beautiful places. But truthfully, my clients have made the biggest impact on me in my experience as a designer and...
How to Start Your Own Design Studio and Make it Out In One Piece: Everything I Learned from my First Project
If you would have told me a couple decades ago that I would be starting my own business in my late 20s, I would have laughed and said, “no way!” But there I was, a 28-year-old designer and solopreneur saying yes to a 182-room Courtyard by Marriott historic conversion....
Looking Back on 20 Years of Hospitality Design: Part 2
In the first part of this series looking back on JAI’s hospitality design journey, we walked through ten meaningful projects we took on in the past 20 years. In part two, we continue that journey – taking you through even more projects that have defined JAI and the...
