Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Lai. Him and his team share their story with us below:
In 2006, Jason Lai received his Bachelor of Arts in Business Marketing and Communications from California State University, Fullerton. After studying business for three years, he couldn’t shake his deep passion for the beauty of interior design and decided to follow his heart to enroll himself in an Interior Design program to receive his certification.
Jason has accumulated over 18 years of interior design industry experience and has owned his own company, JL Interiors, for the past 12 years. He has mastered a spectrum of styles; from contemporary to traditional and anything in between. His success in the industry is attributed to his attention to detail, his ability to listen and carry out a vision. If you show him an inspirational image and share your goals, he will make it a reality. Although driven and focused to bring his style to life, he is sensible to the resale value all the while attentive to the clients’ goals. JL Interiors is an LA-based creative/diverse firm that specializes in residential interiors. JL Interiors empowers homeowners to design their dream home that they can be proud of! The design isn’t just about making things beautiful; it’s also about making things work beautifully. JL Interiors does it ALL!
Jason’s clients will tell you that he is resilient, relatable, humble and extremely organized. He has had the pleasure to feature his designs on television shows such as, Bravo’s “Best room wins!” which he took the crown for contemporary design, “Million Dollar Listing LA”, and “Open house” on NBC showcasing his personal home in Santa Monica, CA. Jason has also been featured on several Tastemade home “Weekend Refresh” revealing his design skills to the world. His work has also been on Los Angeles Times, Elle Decor, Pasadena Now, The Global Design Post, Locale LA, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, and other published magazines.
Aside from design, Jason loves to travel and experience different cultures and food. He will try anything once. During his travels, he finds new inspirations to showcase through his interior design work. He considers himself somewhat of a wine connoisseur and loves spending time with his husband & family/friends in the Santa Barbara wine country. Jason recently got married to his husband, Justin, and their wedding was featured on Martha Stewart and Carats & Cake. He’s the type of guy that will talk to a stranger on planes and become best friends with, it’s happened before, she officiated his wedding!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Starting any business comes with it’s own challenges from finances to acquiring new clients, but deciding to start my business in 2010 came with extra hurdles as the economy was only beginning to recover from the great recession of 2007-2009, but I thought to myself that if I can’t make it now then I will never make it! Luckily with great networking skills, resilience and a lot of hard work, I was able to thrive during that time. Not only has my design aesthetic and approach grown, so has my company. In 2010, I started the company with myself and one other, working out of the guest bedroom of my West Hollywood apartment. Today, we have grown to a fun and diverse family of 7 with a newly renovated office in Santa Monica, CA. It has been humbling but truly a proud moment. 2021 presented an extra obstacle as I finally followed my instincts to part ways with my business partner which has proven to be the best decision I have ever made. It was a long time coming and the business is thriving; I couldn’t be happier with my decision. We definitely made our fair share of mistakes but I have learned from them. We always provide the client with solutions. I am human, everyone makes mistakes but it is how you deal with it that sets people apart for either success or failure.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a residential interior designer. Our firm is diverse and filled with wonderful personalities. We specialize in anything interior related. Anything from rip and replace, renovations, furniture to building a home from ground up! We are known for our space planning, our design aesthetics, and we don’t like to waste space. We do anything from modern, contemporary, mid-century modern, transitional, and traditional to anything in between. Show us your aesthetics and it’s our job as interior designers to make it a reality with our twist of course! I’m most proud of being recognized as a resourceful designer who is able to work with a multitude of clients’ budgets; from celebrity clients to clients who are on a realistic budget. I think everyone deserves an amazing home that they can feel comfortable in and bring them joy. Honestly what sets me apart is that I listen to my clients and adapt to what my clients need. I am as realistic and as truthful as possible when it comes to what works and what doesn’t work. I have been gifted a talent to be able to go into any room and be able to reimagine the different possibilities to best utilize the space for function without jeopardizing beauty. It is my mission to build a personal connection with my clients. As proven that the personal connections usually turn to friendship.
What does success mean to you?
I measure success by how happy my clients and employees are. I believe it’s the connections you make and how happy it makes one feel. Success, to me, is a feeling and not a price tag.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.JLinteriors.design
- Instagram: @JasonLai.InteriorDesigner & @JLinteriorsdesign
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/jl-interiors-santa-monica
Image Credits
Headshots – Jamie Fisher from http://www.fishyfoto.com/ Room shots – Marc Boileau from Sky Red Production
