Meet Prudence Bailey

I am the founder and lead designer of Prudence Home + Design which I started in 2015. I started the firm with no formal background in interior design, just a huge passion and vision for what I wanted to accomplish. I never imagined what it is today, and I can’t believe how far we’ve come in such a short time! Like so many people interested in starting a company my first challenge was simply settling on a name. Fortunately, I met Jonathan Adler in 2006 and I’ll always remember him telling me that if I ever started my own company he would “buy anything from a woman named Prudence” so I did! What fun! 

“Trust is a key ingredient to any successful relationship including interior design.”

Before Prudence Home + Design, I spent almost 20 years in software sales and financial services. Believe it or not that experience really helped me build my business. It may be surprising to know how much of interior design revolves around Project Management and this was very intensive part of my work. I apply these skills daily to my client’s projects.

My Grandfather’s guidance was that if I worked at what I love, it would never seem like “work,” and the success would follow. I have always taken those words to heart both for myself and for my clients. I want my clients to love working with me and have fun along the way. At the heart of this experience is being open and honest every step of the way, and always being absolutely transparent in terms of pricing.

 
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Favorite Paint Color

There is no wrong color to paint your walls! However, it’s critical to make an encompassing plan and decide what, exactly, the paint is going to do for the room as you layer furniture, art, and décor. I often start by determining if paint is going to be a supporting player or the dominant player. For example, I love blue and white for furnishings as it always feels crisp, clean and relevant. To balance that combination, I often paint the walls in Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White as it gives this gorgeous color duo a clean backdrop. I want the beautiful blue fabrics we are providing to be the star, and the white paint color to help it shine.

 
 

“I thrive on the joy I see in my clients after we reveal an exquisitely transformed space that is much more expressive of their lifestyle and taste.”

 
 
 
 
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Q: How does your work bring you joy?

I thrive on the joy I see in my clients after we reveal an exquisitely transformed space that is much more expressive of their lifestyle and taste. Seeing them so happy never gets old, and always makes the hard work worth it. This brings me immense joy. 

Q: Most exciting work accomplishment?

My most exciting accomplishment was completing the design, implementation and styling of 27 rooms for Eva Amurri, The Happily Eva, in just one month! In December of 2018, I designed all the rooms in her home as well as her Studio; and then started ordering and implementing the spaces in April for a photo shoot and June reveal. I worked around the clock, and despite having been exhausted from the effort, I’m so proud of how it turned out, and how much she loved the experience and outcome! 

Q: Best advice you’ve ever received?

Don’t ever pass up an opportunity that comes your way.  I have been very open to doing what it takes to grown my business and brand in the marketplace and in the design community. Also, be willing to take a few steps back financially, to take leaps ahead in the long run. Heading this advice has really helped me to surpass our goals in a short amount of time.


Q: Hardest part about being a business owner?

The pressure of having to constantly make money to keep the lights on and pay your employees. It can sometimes feel like a lot of mental stress. It quickly makes you realize that you need to lean forward in going after new business. You can’t simply wait for it to come to you.


Q: Who would you love to collaborate with?

There are so many wonderful possibilities! The one that comes immediately to mind would be a collaboration with Schumacher on a fabric or wallpaper line. That would be a dream come true! 


Q: Favorite small business?

I absolutely love Fairfield County Antiques and Design Center. Vintage décor pieces and furniture are always a part of my projects. I spend hours on end looking through everything they have.


Q: How do you recharge?

I am an avid runner. It helps me de-stress and mentally work through challenging issues so when I sit down to tackle them, I am ready. The endorphins I feel from a great run can last all day, even through the toughest of meetings. While I am super fortunate that I have never had any upset or difficult clients, it can still be stressful when juggling so many homes and needs at one time. Running is my refuge.

 
 
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Contact Prudence Home + Design to inquire about interior design and styling services


ORC Spring 2019 Reveal
 
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If you’re here for the first time, welcome! I’m Jana Bek, a New York and Ann Arbor, Michigan based interior designer with a lifestyle line of home décor, textiles, & lighting. I have a love for bright colors, bold prints, and designing spaces & home décor that help transport you to your dream destination.

 
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To recap, I designed our Brooklyn one-bedroom apartment for my One Room Challenge (ORC) , and I’m so excited to share the tour! My goal was to transform the look of a rental into an inviting, bold, and colorful home. I’m really thrilled with the result!

And once again, I cannot sing enough praises to the sponsors and companies who played a central role in bringing our apartment to life; and to Linda for organizing this exciting challenge. Please check out the planning posts if you haven’t been following along!

 

Entry

Entries are intros into your home and ours in just that, a classic foundation with a bit of edge, color, and pattern! In our adjacent hall, the ART Furniture chest provides so much necessary foldable storage, a must for small space living!

 
 
 

Living/Dining room

Bold and modern was the plan, and after I landed on the artwork, everything fell into place! Our sofa is as comfortable as it is beautiful, and Arianna Belle makes the prettiest pillows. Set this all against the burl coffee table, and the space feels rich and warm!

 
 

These modern chairs swivel to give the space versatility and comfort. Perfect for taking in the Manhattan skyline and entertaining guests.

 

Many of my favorite art sources are in the mix! Artfully Walls, Natural Curiosities, and Kristi Kohut.

 
 

In our dining corner, the mirrored screen reflects the light from the windows and frames in our little dining nook. When combined with a classic tulip table and the gorgeous custom Scout Design poufs, the space feels larger than it’s footprint, open, and inviting.

 
 

Bedroom

I wanted our bedroom to be a calm oasis and the stunning Pacific Designs plum grasscloth transformed a “white box” into a “jewel box”. I’m also so thankful to Ballard Designs, and they’re C.O.M. program, for rushing this custom bed, in our new lilac gray brushstroke fabric, for the reveal! The apartment came with harsh industrial roller shades, and the luxurious Barn & Willow roman shades have completely softened the spaces!

 
 

Details of our French modernist chair and Loloi rug (which brought every element of the bedroom design together). Can you believe those flowers are faux? I’m so happy that NDI was a sponsor this season because everyone needs to know about their delicate, life-like arrangements! The Jen Lin art is another great addition from Scout studio, it’s a unique piece made up of a series of sculptured lucite discs that bring presence to the room without sacrificing floor space!

 
 

A pair of line drawings by Femme Colaris for Artfully Walls complete the space.

 
 

I want to also give thanks to my friend, and uber talented stylist, Olga Naiman, who gave me such wonderful advice and helped add that extra layer of character, and to Lindsay Brown who captured the spaces so beautifully with her photographic talent!

I hope you enjoyed the tour! Stay in touch with my designing and inspiration on Instagram (@janabekdesign) & Pinterest

 

 

 
One Room Challenge Spring 2019 - Week 5

If you’re here for the first time, welcome! I’m Jana Bek, a New York and Ann Arbor, Michigan based interior designer with a lifestyle line of home décor, textiles, & lighting. I have a love for bright colors, bold prints, and designing spaces & home décor that help transport you to your dream destination.

 
 
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I’m so excited to be included in my ninth season of One Room Challenge! I’ve participated both as an invited participant and as a linking guest, and each avenue is an exciting opportunity to get your space looking awesome at top speed - with a wonderful design community supporting you along the way! If your joining-in this season, I wish you all the best in your sprint towards your space’s transformation!

 
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Last week I described some of the challenges I was working on with respect to our living/dining room area. I’m excited to report that most of the pieces I envisioned have arrived, and although chaos still reigns with open boxes and packaging here and there, I can see that things are going to work out beautifully! So, as the living room pieces are being assembled, hung, and arranged, I’ve turned my attention to the bedroom.

I chose a gorgeous plum grasscloth from Pacific Designs to highlight the subtle lilac gray brushstroke pattern of the bed, and it’s even more stunning in person! The color and texture is sure to transform our small bedroom into a luxurious oasis.

However, given that we are renting, I didn’t relish the thought of permanently hanging the grasscloth. To my delight, when researching solutions, I came across this clever DIY for temporarily hanging wallpaper. Over the next few days we’ll be putting Erin’s instructions to the test, so look forward to next week’s reveal to see how it turns out!

Rugs are always an integral part of a room design and it’s especially so in this case. At High Point I had the opportunity to visit Loloi’s stunning showroom, and peruse their vast assortment of beautiful rugs. When I spotted their Loren rug, I knew it would be the perfect piece to tie the all of the purple and gray tones together. It has the look of a timeless vintage score.

 
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In terms of artwork for the space, I wanted something big and bold that would pop against the grasscloth. I’ve had my eye on these line drawings by Femke Colaris for a while, and knew a pair of them would be a dreamy choice for the sexy mood of the room. The Serge Mouille inspired sconce will set off the pieces nicely, and also provide reading light for the gorgeous French modernist chair I splurged on.

That’s it for this week! I’m in major crunch mode so wish me luck! For my interim planning, check in on Instagram (@janabekdesign) & Pinterest!

 


 
One Room Challenge Spring 2019 - Week 4

If you’re here for the first time, welcome! I’m Jana Bek, a New York and Ann Arbor, Michigan based interior designer with a lifestyle line of home décor, textiles, & lighting. I have a love for bright colors, bold prints, and designing spaces & home décor that help transport you to your dream destination.

 
 
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I’m so excited to be included in my ninth season of One Room Challenge! I’ve participated both as an invited participant and as a linking guest, and each avenue is an exciting opportunity to get your space looking awesome at top speed - with a wonderful design community supporting you along the way! If your joining-in this season, I wish you all the best in your sprint towards your space’s transformation!

 
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When I design any space, it always begins with the textiles and artwork, as they both ground a room, and bring it to life. These choices would ordinarily be part of my initial planning, but as I mentioned last week, knowing we needed beautiful foundation furniture ASAP, I modified my process.

Since it’s a bit to take in, I’m walking you through my choices for our living/dining room area this week, and our bedroom next week.

I was having the hardest time wrapping my mind around our living/dining room, because I couldn’t land on the right artwork for the space. I was trying to make pieces we had work, but everything felt forced. That all changed on my trip to High Point market. I’m such a fan of Natural Curiosities, and they just launched a subsidiary company, Arte Maison. It’s equally beautiful, more affordable, art greatness.  

Perfect timing for me, because I fell in love with their Mod Circles series, I immediately ordered 6 pieces, and begged them to make the timing work!

With that, everything else fell into order. I wanted to go funky, edgy, and bold, and additional artwork and textiles were so much fun to find. One of my other go-to sources for inspiring art is Artfully Walls (their artwork is actually in most rooms in our Ann Arbor home)! I always find unique pieces on their site, their framing is fantastic, and their pricing is so reasonable.

 

These pieces are going to help me layer in the edge and funk I’m after:

 
 
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I know that this is a sconce, but it’s also a gorgeous sculpture that will add additional edge to my entry, isn’t it sexy? I wanted to use additional pieces from Hudson Valley Lighting but I can’t hang ceiling fixtures in our apartment, c’est la vie!

 
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I’ve long been obsessed with Clarence House’s Tibet print, and the hot pink option will provide an exciting punch for the living room. The fabric is on its way, and fingers crossed I can find a Brooklyn upholsterer who is keen to make me throw pillows in one week!

 
 
 

Arianna Belle makes the most beautiful pillows and I’m using two of her olive velvets to bring harmony to the design, and a mini conga line pillow for more fun!

 
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Our brushstroke fabric makes me happy, and with the artwork establishing the palette, I finally knew what I wanted to create with our on-trend ORC sponsor, Scout Design Studio. Their poufs, in our blush brushstroke fabric, will make a perfect pairing for the dining room area. Scout is a literal treasure trove of furniture and decor. Their selections updates daily, and it’s an awesome blend of their custom creations, vintage scores, and cleverly curated decor and artwork. I cannot wait to have their custom poufs in our place!

 
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That’s it for this week! Next week I’ll be discussing textiles & art for our bedroom design. For my interim planning, check in on Instagram (@janabekdesign) & Pinterest!