Meet Jodi Miller | Interior designer & Home stager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jodi Miller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jodi, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
For me it felt as if there was no other choice, in a good way. I’m lucky enough to have grown up with this passion for interior design. My first year in college I did pursue a different career path but it didn’t take long to realize that I wanted to act on this passion of mine and turn it into a career. I’ve always been told by my father that if I love what I do, I won’t work a day in my life. That sounded pretty good to me so that’s what I went after.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Interior design is be a great way to express yourself creatively and tell your story. I wish more people would style their home for themselves and not for others. Home should always be a sacred and safe place and helping others create that feeling brings me so much joy. While I do have my own personal style, being a designer is about listening to your clients needs and wants and helping them tell their story first, while pushing their creative boundaries comes second. The connection I try to make with each one my clients is important and I believe that mindset is what sets me apart from other designers. Not only do I enjoy hearing about their lives/history and their family, it’s necessary to know these things to create the function and aesthetic balance that they’re looking for but can’t quite curate themselves. Honestly, learning about a new client and their needs is the most exciting part for me. I love finding solutions specifically for their lifestyle and most of the time I research and learn new things from those projects as well.

I’ve always known I’d want to work for myself one day but it’s not something you can rush. After going to school and getting my education in interior design I knew the experience came next. I worked for various employers doing commercial and residential design. During Covid is when I first tried out home staging, getting to imagine how families might use this new space and create that visual for them really sparked joy for me as much as designing. Eventually, I felt that nudge to go off on my own. I don’t think you’ll ever feel “ready” to start a business, but feeling confident in your knowledge while also being open to learning knew things is a good place to start when heading in that direction. And there are plenty of knew things you’ll need to learn. Be open to it and allow yourself to make mistakes, that’s how we all learn and grow.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh man, this is a tough question for a Coloradan. There’s so much to do and see here. I guess my favorite thing to do here and show others would be to get away for a long weekend and visit a mountain town. Bonus points if you’ve never been there before. A few of my favorites are Crested Butte, Ouray and Salida. There’s usually art galleries in these towns filled with local artists. That always inspires me as well as checking out the local thrift stores, so much good stuff to go through. And you always want to ask the locals for the best eats. Also, love sparking up conversations with them, never a dull story and love hearing how they got to such a remote place. I always walk away from these trips rested and inspired.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’m blessed to have always had the support of my friends and family around me. Having a village lifting you up, it’s very empowering while also holding you accountable. There are definitely valleys during the entrepreneurship journey and I have my husband to thank for riding through those times with me and helping me see the purpose of it all.

Website: https://lakedriveinteriors.com

Instagram: @lakedriveinteriors

Image Credits
A couple of the images are photographed by Rae Barber and Amanda Proudfit Photography.