CHENAULT JAMES Interiors

Effortlessly blending traditional and modern design, Chenault James, a former Columbus resident, is the successful owner of Chenault James Interiors. Based out of Louisville, Kentucky, Chenault is sure to always produce a timeless design with a hint of classic southern charm.

By CAROLINE KOSTUCH

THOMAS HART SHELBY PHOTOGRAPHY

Living in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, Chenault James is not only the proud owner of Chenault James Interiors, but she is also a wife, mother, and co-founder of Pappy & Co. with her triplet sisters. Being that she is family-oriented, Chenault was first influenced to do design by her grandmother, and this signature sentimental timelessness is carried over in her work. Always being a history lover, she is sure to appreciate the history and value of each aspect of her designs, making them even more appealing to her clients and others. Always searching to repurpose and elevate old or used pieces, her designs are all about propelling the project to the next level. Taking time to sit down with SVM, Chenault James kindly answered some questions discussing her design influences, her special style, and more.

I have large magnetic wall panels on my office walls where I can pin up things that inspire me. Recently I felt the need to go back to the good old days of ripping out magazine images and creating inspiration boards.

Who or what inspired you to become a designer? I really didn’t know what I wanted to do for a career well into my post college years. I always knew I would do something in the creative field. As I did some soul searching to hone in on what I thought would be fun or interesting or what I might be good at I decided I should try and get a job with an interior designer. I called up a designer I knew and asked him for a job doing anything they needed. I got the opportunity to manage his resource library and from there I moved up the ranks to become his right hand girl all the while gaining a massive amount of experience. Before I knew it I was on my way to becoming a designer that would one day have my own firm but I definitely didn’t set out with that dream or goal. I think it comes down to keeping your nose down and working hard while also following your intuition to know what feels right. Looking back I had unknowingly been influenced by my grandmother’s style and appreciation for fine quality materials.

You’ve been based in Louisville for a few years now, and Columbus before that. Could you share how living in the South still influences the way you decorate and live? Although Louisville might be considered the gateway to the midwest we are below the Mason–Dixon line and we consider ourselves southerners!

We have a foundation of deep roots, family heritage, and tradition that runs strong. I can’t help but love traditional design and design that tells a story of a connection to generations past. I love incorporating old pieces into a design and breathing new life into them.

Because of the pandemic, we’ve all been housebound for way too long! What are some easy ways to refresh our interiors? Being cost conscious is always on my mind so paint of course is the most simple and least expensive way to give your space a little refresh. Even if it’s just walking around with a paint brush and touching up all the dings in the trimwork from kids and dogs running amuck. Also, something as simple as fresh new bath towels can have a huge impact on how your space feels. I know for me, getting rid of my dingy white towels felt great.

What makes a room feel good to you as soon as you walk in? It definitely has to have elements that have interest, whether it’s the apparent age of an item or if it has meaning because of whose it was or where it came from. If you walk into a room that instantly feels amazing but you’re not sure exactly why, you can always bet on it being the layers of interest and stories that can be told based on what the room holds and it being an authentic representation of the client. On the contrary you can feel the difference when you walk into a space where every item came out of a box.

How would you describe your style? A balance of modern and classic, honoring tradition and the art of craft and challenging convention.

What’s your approach to deciding whether you’re going to wallpaper or paint a room? When budget isn’t a concern I would say there’s only one way to go and I’m going to choose wallpaper or a wall finish such as plaster 99% of the time!

Given that you love to use one-of-a-kind pieces in your projects, we’d love to know what is your own most-treasured possession? Hands down it would be the large encaustic painting by my dear friend and Columbus neighbor Marge Tilley. She was right around 90 years old when she painted it and it was at a time when I surely couldn’t afford it but I knew it would be something I would treasure for a lifetime and always be a happy reminder of our close friendship and the influence she had on me.

It used to be that people clipped photos out of magazines for design inspiration; now we’re bombarded with both digital and print images and it’s so hard to keep track of all the ideas we love. How do you keep everything organized? This is a constant struggle!! Between instagram, pinterest, iphone screenshots, and chrome bookmarks I definitely struggle with knowing where I saved something. For the most part my team and I use a shared pinterest account where we have private resource and inspiration boards that are organized by category and within the category we have it broken out into sections. In addition to this I also have large magnetic wall panels on my office walls where I can pin up things that inspire me. Recently I felt the need to go back to the good old days of ripping out magazine images and creating inspiration boards. There’s nothing like taking all those images that stop you in your tracks while flipping through a magazine and seeing what stories come out of them when you can actually touch them and move them around and cluster images together to make stories etc.

Is there a color palette you naturally gravitate towards in your designs? I naturally go to greens and every shade of coral. I adore all color except for mauve but sometimes I have to push myself a little bit to explore other unique color combinations.