Featured Designer- Jennifer Hortsman

The Featured Designer of December is Jennifer Hortsman of Studio M Interiors.

Share your background
I have a varied business background and decided in my late 20s to return to school for Interior Design and start a 2nd career.
While attending school for Interior Design, I completed an internship at the F Schumacher & Co showroom at IMS. I was lucky enough to connect with a designer who bought frequently from the showroom and was in need of an assistant. I finished an internship with her and was awarded a full-time position once I graduated. I worked for her high-end firm for 5 years, specializing in unique, colorful and bold interiors all over the United States and Internationally. After she moved her practice to Hawaii, I ventured out on my own for 2 years, specializing in hard surface selections for investment properties and furnishings for a handful of residential clients.
In 2012, I joined the team at Studio M Interiors, the interior design firm within the Mingle Showroom in Plymouth as their Design Coordinator. I trained the assistants and new incoming designers, as well as preparing the firm to handle the influx of business associated with opening the 25,000 sqft. one-of-a-kind showroom called Mingle. In September of this year, I began to take on my own clientele again and am able to design projects at any scale, price range and style.


If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why
Crested Butte, Colorado. It is nestled in a valley amongst the beautiful mountains, babbling brooks and gorgeous scenery. My husband and I LOVE to ski/ snowboard and fell in love with this quaint town. We would really like our young daughter to learn to love the snow at an early age. She is a little daredevil, so I have a feeling she is going to be on skis early! The amount of mountain homes has really increased in the area, because they say “People come for the snow but stay because of the summers!”
Describe your dream home in five words
Natural, Organic, Unique, Organized and “Green”

What are your hobbies
I love yoga, gardening, reading, walking, music, watching a variety of TV shows ( Including design shows!) and word searches

Five things you can’t live without
My husband ( he is my best friend), my organic face moisturizer ( I have finicky skin), my Galaxy 4S phone ( I can do everything from one gadget), seeing the sun every day and last but, not least – my daughter Sylvia (she is the love of my life).

What are your favorite shops and restaurants
  • Shops:
    • White House/Black Market for work related clothing
    • Patina for anything funky gift related
    • Moss Envy for eco-home items
    • Peapods for eco-baby chic items
  • Restaurants:
    • Sparks in Bryn Mawr Neighborhood for date night
    • Hazellewood in Excelsior for their fantastic popovers
    • The Bad Waitress for brunch on a sleepy Sunday morning
    • Bacio for my favorite salad and wine combo
    • Barbette for their French fries
Describe one of your favorite projects
I was lucky enough to work on a project in Tel Aviv, Israel. It was an 8,000 sq ft home with exquisite detail. Very fresh American interiors, clean and crispy, incredible mill work, Poggenpohl kitchen, all custom home furnishings and draperies. We spent 7 days installing and staging the home for the family. It was a 3 year labor of love- full of new furnishing sources, learning about the customs process and at an exquisite level of detail that few people get to experience. 
Who are your favorite artists and interior designers
  • Artist- I would be a tie between Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso.
  • Interior designers- Katie Ridder, Celerie Kemble, Kelly Wearstler and Jeffery Alan Marks. 

 What is your favorite room in your home, why?
It would definitely be my lower level bathroom. We completed a full lower level remodel within the last two years and added a large guest bathroom, complete with a double head shower, heated tile floors, comfort height toilet and white granite topped vanity. Our home is more traditional with a bit of coastal colors, so the softness of the blue wall color and the natural travertine tile mixed with a modern 3 colored glass tile really made it my favorite room in the house!

No room would be complete without…. Overlapping lighting.

Do you have “go to” paint colors, if so which ones
Benjamin Moore # HC-172 ( rever pewter), #947 ( Navajo white) and #1059 ( Moccasin) are soft neutrals that anyone can live with, no matter if they trend towards gray, soft white or sand. I really LOVE bold color and I have some favorites such as #1327 ( Gypsy rose) and # 552 ( Pleasant Grove). 
A big thank you to Jennifer Hortsman for giving us a peak into a few of her favorite things and a few great project photos! You can learn more about Jennifer and Studio M interiors, here.

Game Rooms

With winter right around the corner, wouldn’t it be great to have a place for the kids to hang out, a room out of sight of everyday living. Basements and converted attics make great spaces for these rooms. Even beyond everyday family time, game rooms make a great addition to entertaining spaces. If an attic or basement is out of question, a spacious area or unused formal dining room work great as well.

Many people consider using the living room as game/kid room but realistically this isn’t ideal. Lets face it, anyone who has or had children knows your home is not as tidy as one may dream with little ones running around. The living room is typically the first room visitors see when they enter the home. A closed storage unit with a few toys is ideal in this space, save the big toys for the game room.

A game room can be many things, while it doesn’t have to include a pool or ping pong table, if you have the room why not?  It can be as simple as a game table and four chairs, having a great place to  play games or cards. I recommend a pedestal table with four upholstered game chairs, this will allow more space and comfort for each player.

Game rooms can also double as homework spaces, so think about including a computer and desk.

As you can see game rooms can be small and cozy to large and extravagant. Whichever way you choose go, the game room is a great addition to any family home.