Search

Friday Five with Jennifer Fisher of J.Fisher Interiors

Photo by Kerri Lohmeier

Jennifer Fisher is an interior designer based in Austin, Texas, where she heads up her own firm, J.Fisher Interiors. The dog-loving designer (peep her adorable dogs below!) has over 13 years in the field, starting in Los Angeles where she worked for noted interior designers, like Waldo Fernandez and Madeline Stuart, who have both been named as two of the top 25 designers in the U.S. on the regular. She fell for the vintage furnishings on the I Love Lucy show as a child and that love fostered her keen eye and passion for what she does. Her firm has a solid reputation for eclectic interiors where she effortlessly merges beloved vintage with modern pieces for a polished and clean look. Fisher’s work has graced the pages of various magazines, including ELLE Decor, and she’s been recognized as one of the best interior designers in Austin. Take a look at her mix of inspirational picks below, in this week’s Friday Five.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

1. Spain
Spain is one of the most inspirational places on earth, and there are so many places in Spain that I find inspirational. The culture in Spain is so family and community-centric. And their design reflects that. Everything they do is based on that lifestyle that celebrates togetherness – even down to the way they design city blocks. They have common areas and squares for people to come together. They eat dinner around 8 or 9 p.m., and they’re not in such a hurry. And siestas. I mean who wouldn’t love a culture that celebrates naps? Spain is by far my favorite place on earth. It’s such a beautiful blend of culture and design.

Photo courtesy of Yoga Journal

2. Yoga
I honestly couldn’t live without yoga. It has to be a part of my weekly routine, or everything else suffers. If you’ve ever seen my schedule, you’ll notice I never schedule anything on a Tuesday or Thursday morning because that’s my time to recharge. It’s more than meditation. It’s exercise that helps me stay centered. I’ve noticed that when I skip yoga I get really frazzled, and I can’t sleep, and I can’t think. I’m just a different person. There are plenty of places on earth that I find inspiration, but the place that I find peace and calm is on this simple purple mat. I lead a fast-paced life, and yoga is the time my mind needs to just slow down and appreciate things. I can lie in child’s pose and just breathe. But I can also test my own limits and feel a sense of accomplishment when I’ve mastered a new pose. It’s a mood lifting, mind clearing confidence boost that I look forward to each week. It’s something I do just for me.

Photo by Kerri Lohmeier

3. Pit Bulls
My bullies are my babies, so I definitely couldn’t live without them. I’ve rescued three of them, and they are absolutely amazing animals. I think I really identify with pit bulls because they’re just these misunderstood creatures. They’ve got this tough exterior, but they’re loyal and gentle when they’re treated with kindness and respect. They get this reputation of being “bad,” but it’s just because they wear their heart on their sleeve — or I guess on their paw. You’ll notice that pit bull owners are always the first to tell you what babies their dogs are. That’s because they actually know them, and they see what soft hearts pitties have. At their core pit bulls are loyal, gentle creatures, so they definitely top my list

Photo courtesy of Architectural Digest

4. Ellen Degeneres
Ellen is just the embodiment of kindness and generosity. She’s definitely the most inspiring person on my list of heroes. She’s just so genuine, and she leads by example. I think the world needs more Ellens. She’s an advocate for animal welfare, leads a vegetarian lifestyle, and her whole mission in life is to bring joy to others. She dances, she gives, she loves, and she rescues animals. She’s just exactly what the world needs. What a lot of people don’t realize is that she’s actually really into design. She always has a hand in the design of her houses, and my former boss used to do some work for her. And she’s every bit as authentic in real life as she appears on her show.

Photo courtesy of World Wildlife Fund

5. The Earth
People have this misconception about Texans that we’re just a bunch of leather-loving cowboy carnivores. But it’s just not true. One of my life’s greatest passions is my commitment to the earth. I became a vegetarian initially because of the suffering and abuse that animals raised for food are subjected to. My heart just couldn’t take it. Then I started to learn more about the impact that animal agriculture has on the environment, and it just strengthened my commitment to living a cruelty free lifestyle. I don’t call myself vegan, because I’ll sometimes eat dairy products when I’m traveling. Vegan options aren’t as widely available as they should be. But I’d say my diet 95 percent plant-based. I try to lead a lifestyle that is conscious and aware of what I’m wearing, buying and eating. In my work I try to let my clients know that there are environmentally conscious options out there that perhaps they just didn’t know about. I don’t preach, but instead I try to channel Ellen and live by example.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.