Our small company was growing; and we embarked upon designing a new workspace to accommodate all of the opportunities that lie ahead. With this came the challenge of evolving our brand. Our space speaks to who we are. It’s where we produce our work: where we meet with clients, creative and strategic partners and collaborators; spend long days and nights and eat many many meals. Second to the actual work, it is our biggest brand statement (and for most who work here, a second home!). It needs to serve as inspired gallery for the work we produce; as well as provide the unique technical and professional environment, and creature comforts necessary to do our best work.

We are filmmakers, collaborating with creative types: writers, art directors, film directors and producers, composers and anyone else needed to bring a project to life. It was important for our space to feel like a workspace, but comfortable and inspired; and a place that passes the critical muster of tastemakers without feeling pretentious, fussy or trying too hard — remaining true to our Portland roots. We also wanted to retain the integrity and feel of the original building. Jessica and Chelsie quickly caught on to our unique and idiosyncratic, non traditional business needs; and the overall vibe of our company, and individual collection of creative voices of the staff. They listened, and always came back with thoughtful options based on our notes. Yet we never felt they were compromising their own strong design sense; nor our preferences. We always felt their commitment to good design; and equally important, good design that we were happy with, and was appropriate for our business needs and an honest representation of who we were as a company and as the individuals who make up the company.

We have an amazing space and showcase for our thriving business, thanks to JHID. We couldn’t have done it without them.

Patty Brebner Joint Editorial

While optimizing the limited space in our tiny 887-square-foot loft was the primary objective, equally important was creating a space we would relish coming home to and accommodate our love of cooking with friends. Having spent many years remodeling our former home with an ever elusive feeling of satisfaction from those endeavors, we had no desire to relive that process and so the search for a design team commenced. After meeting with Jessica in person and sharing thoughts and images of our vision, we were confident she could help us create the living space we were longing for.

We loved working with Jessica and Mira every step of the way. They both have tremendous passion for their work, respect for their clients ideas and concerns, and are vigilant attention to detail. They infused their clean modern aesthetic into the industrial and earthy elements we wanted and the result is a space that is both warm and inviting, while also streamlined and elegant. They were unrelenting in convincing us to incorporate many modern design elements that give the space incredible lightness and openness that amazes anyone who sees the space. We did not expect to engage them through the last finishing touch, but their value in the process was continually reinforced with each incremental detail. Their intuition and professionalism stood out in all of our interactions with them and their warmth and charming personalities made this an especially fun and rewarding project that has exceeded our expectations.

John and Monique Menconi NW 13th Avenue Loft

When my business partner and I embarked on a children’s dental office project together, Jessica and her team came to the rescue. After several years of working at different dental offices, and having the ‘same old visual’ it was refreshing to hear her firm’s design proposal and ideas. We were instantly excited with their clean and modern suggestions… Rubber-cork flooring, yellow accents, designer lighting, hanging barn doors, abstract art sculpture… A mid-century modern look and a children’s dental office, all in one. I didn’t think that it was possible to have both and still be a functional working space. Turns out, you can! From concept to conclusion, this team has been a pleasure to work with and we look forward to sharing our designer dental offices with the children and families that we serve in the Seattle area. Finally, we have an office that reflects our sensibilities, with a quality comparable to the level of care we provide our patients. Thank you Jessica, Mira & team!

Purva Merchant Seattle Kids Dentistry

My husband found Jessica’s website in 2007 after we had just moved to Portland and into our circa 1905 home, when we were looking for someone to help us change the color scheme and round out the furnishings. The house had been extensively remodeled already, but after having worked with interior designers on our houses in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, we knew what could be done to customize the look and feel of a home—and did Jessica and her team at JHID ever do that!!We weren’t even sure exactly what the entire scope of the project was, but I clicked with her low key, instinctive style and we were off and running, with countless fun and productive brainstorming meetings and me saying “can we do this and then see how I feel about the next step?”. I had a vision for the house I could not completely articulate. I believe I could only think of the words “lovely, comfortable, timeless, layered and indestructible” (as our son was a toddler)—all of which I can happily say we have achieved and more!Jessica gave it that extra pizzazz and style you can’t get from a Big Box store. I wanted a cozy but uncluttered look, and Jessica brilliantly managed to achieve that, finding or designing the perfect light fixture, mirror, chair or pillow for each room in our house. And although I was initially resistant to the idea of using antiques, Jessica quietly persisted, and my new favorite word is “patina”, which, to paraphrase Ralph Lauren, gives “the most beautiful homes a touch of history, of memory, of things that have been passed along, living side by side with the very modern, which is the essence of personal style”.Thank you, Jessica!!

Jessica Spies and Martin Sommer West Hills Victorian

We found JHID while searching the web for design ideas for our kitchen. We ran across a design blog featuring Jessica’s clean, modern style tied with classic elements and respect for the home’s history. When we learned she is based in Portland and had a chance to meet her, we knew we had a perfect match for our new kitchen and main living interior design. We viewed this project as a lifetime investment for our home, not simply a 10 or 15 year upgrade to put in trendy materials and bells and whistles. Jessica shared this perspective with a passion and commitment to getting every last detail right to match our family’s needs and to get it perfect for the home. It is difficult to explain Jessica’s talent, but she was able to pull together a design that matched our style in a way we could never have communicated to her. She was not only open to collaboration with us, but patiently welcomed and incorporated our perspective with amazing results. The outcome is uniquely ours and perfectly suited for our classic home. Jessica is a lovely person that we now consider a friend and we look forward to continuing to work with her on many more projects.

Tim and Sonia Bergler White Brick Mediterranean

After years of collecting magazine clippings and online images that reflected our family lifestyle, we had a difficult time figuring out how to incorporate them all into our new home. Jessica and her team were an absolute blessing. Together, Jessica and Jesse created a space we can’t wait to come home to. From the personalized artwork in the cozy den, to the live edge table and light fixture in the dining room, JHID sourced and created unique and personal furnishings we never could have found ourselves. We appreciated Jessica’s concern for sustainability as well as her commitment to using local artisans and services whenever possible. We simply adore our home thanks to JHID.

Lisa da Silva Brush Prairie House

We asked Jessica Helgerson Interior Design to help us furnish a large oceanfront home in a relatively short timeframe. They executed beautifully, creating an inviting modern space with a vintage mid-century look that we love. Jessica and Jesse took our diffuse design ideas and crystalized them into the beautiful home—indeed, sanctuary—of our dreams.Coastline views feature prominently in almost every room, and they struck the perfect balance between unobtrusive, simple design and truly distinctive, beautiful pieces (much of the furniture was of their own design). The view inside now rivals the view outside, but without visually competing. We get so many compliments from visitors–if only we could take credit!Incorporating our ideas and input throughout, Jessica and Jesse got to know our tastes in a way that really made it a collaborative and fun process. JHID was fabulous to work with and we couldn’t be more pleased with the result.

Allen and Franklin Oregon Coast House

From our very first meeting, we knew we had made the right choice selecting Jessica and her team at JHID for our remodel at Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade. We bombarded Jessica with a mish-mash of conflicting requirements, Sci-Fi artwork, and vague ideas that she and Emily promptly turned into an amazing looking design that was at the same time durable, functional, and affordable.The project was–to say the least– daunting. We were constrained by a very limited budget with only sixty days in the entire renovation schedule. Even with the time and budget constraints everything still had to be “industrial strength” to last many years in a commercial environment. Jessica accommodated all of our requirements and still managed to bring us in on time, on budget and with a result that looks like it cost ten times what we actually spent. Emily was equally amazing to work with and worked many a late night helping us get to the finish line in time for our grand re-opening. Needless to say, JHID will be our first call for our next project!

Clay Cowgill Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade

There are many things we loved about working with Jessica and Emily. They understood what we meant when we said sustainability was important to us. They had a strong opinion and vision, but they really listened to us about the things that inspire us and incorporated our entire list of “wants” into the design. And, quite miraculously, they were able to bridge the gap between a wife who likes a “colder” look and a husband who likes things “warmer”. We really can’t say enough good things about JHID. One of the great benefits of moving into the 937 Condos is having a beautiful blank canvas on which to start drawing. The daunting part is having a beautiful blank canvas on which to draw!Jessica sharpened her pencils and, using the input we gave her, produced a result we would never have been able to achieve on our own. We are simply in love with our home thanks to her vision and her ability to execute it.

John and Melissa Tydlaska Portland Apartment

The team at Jessica Helgerson Interior Design is absolutely fabulous to work with!Being in the restaurant business is about a lot more than selling food. When we came to JHID we needed a design the would match the elegance of our food, helping our visitors enter into the experience we wanted to create. Jessica and her team succeeded on all levels. From the initial design stage Jessica was there to help us craft a vision for our restaurant, and throughout the implementation of the design she led us through a major renovation. Shutting down is never something a restaurant owner wants to do. Jessica made the process painless, and we were left with a stunning result.Jessica Helgerson and her team, are a staple of Portland’s creative community. Their versatility, commitment, talent, and, what I can only describe as, their ability to empathetically cast her clients poorly formed design vision, make for extraordinary collaborators. I look forward to working with her on many projects to come!

Huston Hedinger Wildwood Restaurant and Bar

We hired Jessica Helgerson Interior Design after selling our turn of the century craftsman and moving to a 1950s ranch house. The simple lines of it’s more modern aesthetic really appealed to us, but we didn’t know how to accomplish what we envisioned. Our primary project was a kitchen and dining room remodel, along with updates to the rest of the first floor living room, bath, and bedrooms.JHID designed a beautiful new space for us that makes the most of our view and natural light.  They opened up the kitchen to the dining and living rooms, added new windows and doors out to our southern facing view, and created a private hall to better separate the bedrooms from the living spaces.  The space is fresh and modern, but incorporates classic mid-century elements along with some of the original vintage details of our home. They also gave us a great furnishings plan that we are excited to put in place over time.Jessica challenged us to make some design decisions we definitely wouldn’t have made on our own, but in every case, they were absolutely the right ones, and she never pushed too hard. One of the highlights is a dramatically dark hallway embellished with large abstract flowers that ends with a glamorous mirrored linen cabinet. It definitely has that “wow” factor that everyone notices when they visit the house, without being too over the top.We used to look at the gorgeous photo spreads of the ranch houses in Sunset magazine with envy, but not anymore!  Thank you Jessica and Emily!

Kristin Watkins and Paul Garrahan 50s Remodel

Jessica and her office helped us create the house of our dreams.  When my husband and I bought our 1906 Portland house, we wanted to stay true to the period architectural details of the place while also creating a home that encompassed our love of modern design.  Jessica’s impeccable attention to detail, strong sense of spatial layout, exquisite taste, and ability to carefully listen to our desires resulted in a house that is better than we could have imagined.  From a custom wall of glass cabinetry that opened up the kitchen to an entry mirror that’s a piece of art in itself to furniture that perfectly fits our sensibilities, her solutions were creative, thoughtful, and always right on the mark.  She’s also a pleasure to work with—fun, smart, and calm during the inevitable hiccups that occur during any large remodeling project.  As a design writer and editor,  I’ve seen literally thousands of homes and talked to hundreds of designers.  After working with Jessica, I would put her at the top of her profession.  I couldn’t recommend her more highly.

Deggeller Family Turn-of-the-century Modern

For a house that once sat on the market for months on end, it is now the crown jewel of the neighborhood thanks to Jessica’s vision. Jessica took a home with no flow and poor design and created a wonderfully livable home that flows seamlessly, adding openness and light where ever possible.  Her knowledge of design really shines in all the details. Not only was she a pleasure to work with, she was efficient and well-organized. She made a process that could easily be overwhelming and stressful anything but – it was fun!

Kelly and Alexis Zahoudanis Portland Mid-century Modern

Jessica was a pleasure to work with, first to last. With the Tupai Room, her first commercial project in Portland, she transformed a cold and sterile warehouse space into a warm, inviting and distinctive dining destination. Her “light wall” fixture is a truly inspired design, one that we could not visualize at first but with which we are now absolutely thrilled. It never fails to elicit the same response from our clients. Jessica’s open-hearted approach to integrating our own design ideas and suggestions with her own proved to be a singular advantage in the design process, by allowing us all the necessary space to re-think our own assumptions. Suffice to say, we usually ended up agreeing with her! Jessica’s expertise, sensitive yet practical aesthetic and her knack for collaboration and constant learning make her an ideal partner for any design project. But our highest recommendation is that through her hard work and good listening, she has become our friend.

The Platt/Rodriquez Family Andina Restaurant

To my untrained eye, the challenges looked, frankly, insurmountable. I hoped to carve a functional commercial kitchen and inviting cafe space out of a dingy narrow box of less than 180 square feet, but I wasn’t at all sure that it could be done. Thanks to JHID’s design savvy and technical ingenuity, we ended up with a bright and sparkling jewel box that makes the most of every cubic inch. We get compliments on it all the time.

Rick Wilson Café Vélo

Jessica was a godsend during our difficult remodel project. She is clearly an experienced professional and her ability to work with architects, builders and subcontractors is amazing. If we had to do our project all over again, the only part that we would keep the same would be Jessica! Her creative use of materials and her impeccable taste gave us a design that we absolutely love. Jessica is a pleasure to work with and we would highly recommend her to anyone!

Renee Martin

We interviewed several designers and Jessica was by far and away the best person for our project. It was apparent from the moment that we met her that she is in an entirely different league than other designers in Portland. She listened carefully to our requirements and gave us an exquisite design scheme that is as functional as it is imaginative and beautiful. Throughout our project, Jessica’s professionalism, her attention to detail and her knowledge of the entire construction process were invaluable and we can’t thank her enough for all she’s done for us.

Leif Pietila

C.A.L.M. staff and clients are thrilled with Jessica Helgerson’s work! Jessica personally met with each of our staff members and redesigned each private office, our main reception area, as well as our kitchen, bathrooms, and counseling rooms to meet the unique needs of both clients and staff. She added skylights to bring in natural light. Her wonderful color scheme and space designs create the calming, inviting environment essential for our work!

Anna M. Kokotovic, C.A.L.M. Director

We so much enjoyed working with Jessica and everyone at JHID. Jessica’s enthusiasm and style bring out the best in a collaborative effort.I appreciate Jessica’s intelligent consideration of a design direction in our work together. The many various and often conflicting ideas and demands during the design and construction phases were resolved into an integrated design where all the players felt they contributed. Jessica’s understanding of building materials and finishes gives her the confidence to capitalize on fine workmanship. For example, on one project we worked on together, on the strength of her vision a fine finish plaster job was allowed to stand unadorned and is now the most exquisite feature of the house.

Gretchen Zee, Architect

Jessica understands and supports our architecture while giving our clients a timeless yet personal look inside. She brings great style and a strong green sensitivity to our projects and all the others I have seen her work on. She is a joy to collaborate with and makes our work look its best!

Dennis Thompson, Architect

An extensive remodel can be overwhelming, but working with Jessica Helgerson made our project a pleasure. The combination of her superlative taste, extensive knowledge and experience in design, and her thoughtful and consistent attention to our vision resulted in a successful and satisfying collaboration. Thanks, Jessica!

John Kelley, Architect Hill House

I have known Jessica Helgerson for approximately 10 years. She has helped me on two very large projects. One was to design, build and decorate a rustic log mountain home. The other was to gut, design and decorate a more formal condominium. Both projects were completed in a more than satisfactory manner.She is extremely competent and has always conducted herself as a professional, not only with me but with all those she comes into contact with. She is truly a pleasure and full of talent.

Shayna Rockwell

Where do I begin? Charm, wit, political and social responsibility? We had the good fortune to retain Jessica Helgerson Interior Design for a complex ranch residence project on our property in Santa Ynez, California. Their work at every level was superior. They were involved in every aspect of the project, from suggesting several critical architectural changes to design to color and furnishings. What I appreciated most about JHID was how quickly and thoroughly they were able to grasp our overall design goals and then, just as effectively, suggest a range of options to realize our vision. Jessica and her team were a pleasure to  work. It was fun, and how often do you hear that?

Dennis Patrick Zaca Creek Ranch

Several years ago we purchased a run down little beach house and engaged Jessica Helgerson Interior Design to help us do a mini remodel to make it livable until we could draw up the plans and complete a total remodel of the house. Jessica gave it a fresh, beachy feeling by using seagrass carpeting, bamboo flooring, and reclaimed teak.Because of our beachfront location, it took almost two and a half years to obtain permits for our big remodel, but because of Jessica’s efforts, we had a comfortable hideaway during that time.We then involved Jessica in every phase of the interior planning for the major remodel, from the selection of doors, windows, surfaces, and hardware to the design of cabinetry, furniture, fabrics, and accessories. She has created a space that promotes serenity and is a joy to be in. All in all, we couldn’t be happier with our finished project and our experience with JHID.

Liz and Harold Green Faria Beach Residence