Playful and Inventive - J7 Architecture + Design

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jean Santelises, Principal at J7 Architecture + Design, located in New York, NY, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We are a design firm that specializes in commercial and residential architecture and interiors. We believe architecture is a transformative practice, enhancing human experience.

We embrace warm modernism with a connection to material and landscape, subtly expanding design boundaries. Working from offices in Manhattan, the Hudson Valley in upstate New York, and the Dominican Republic, we deliver inspiring, joyful and functional spaces for an international clientele.

We gravitate toward a warm, clear palette, using color and pattern to illuminate space. Our signature details are playful and inventive, with attention to material quality and texture. We strive to create an enveloping sense of place that challenges preconceptions of modern architecture.

Tell us about yourself

The adventure of creating new spaces and motivating positive change in people's lives is a great motivator. We are storytellers, using design as a tool to create an immersive experience. This motivates us to strive for the best and to keep growing our design practice.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I started J7 on my own, and now we are an office of 5 in 2 locations doing international work that is exciting. Our growth comes from creating lasting relationships with our clients and collaborators. We are super excited about what the future brings and how we are continuing to grow.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

There's a lot more required than designing when running a design business. Project management, client relations, billing and invoicing, day to day coordination. All are important components that must be done in order to run a business successfully. The hardest thing is making sure all are addressed when your mind is mostly focused on the design components.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

1. Stay authentic. You do your best work when you are true to your beliefs and your design sensibilities. Find in every project the core idea or reason for doing it and hold on to that when the road gets tough.
2. Know and respect your worth.
3. Your biggest allies are your clients. Listen to them, and remember we are designing to meet their vision and goals.
4. Know your strengths and weaknesses and work with people that complement and complete those.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://j7.design/projects/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/we.are.j7/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/j7arc/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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