Master of the Southwest: Interior Designer Jaimee Rose Creates Cover-Worthy Homes
2024 MASTERS of the SOUTHWEST Award Winner - Jaimee Rose
“Listening is the greatest skill that a designer can have.”
Jaimee Rose Interior Designer
By John Roark | Portrait Photography by Melissa Valladares | Interior photography by John Woodcock
In an older Phoenix neighborhood, one house stands out, like the prettiest girl or most handsome boy in a class picture. Singular, striking and nuanced in detail, this is the one that catches your eye—not because it is in any way ostentatious, but because it is evident that every inch of this building was very carefully considered, planned and delivered by its owner, Jaimee Rose.
With scores of interior design projects under her belt here in the Valley and stretching from Utah to Washington, D.C., Rose has at last built her own dream home. The 4,800-square-foot, four-bedroom Tudor revival charms at first glance and delivers, hands down. The interiors are warm, luxurious and rich in textural detail. The designer has a thing for imported drawer pulls, knobs, hinges and cabinets and is now fluent in overseas vernacular. “In England, they don’t call it door hardware, it’s door furniture,” she says. “It’s not a doorbell, it’s a bell push.”
And characteristic of the designer—who always has numerous irons in the fire—the story didn’t end when she and her husband, Tyson, recently moved in. She’s already writing a book about the project.
If anyone has the chops to fearlessly tackle that next chapter, it’s Rose. Born in Provo, Utah, and raised in Mesa and Gilbert, from an early age she dreamed of a career as a newspaper reporter. The journalism major minored in French and interior design. She cut her teeth as an intern feature writer for both the Baltimore Sun and Los Angeles Times and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist as a reporter for the Arizona Republic’s story on the 2011 shooting of then-Congresswoman Gabby Giffords.
“I loved everything about newspapering,” Rose says. “I got to be a part of this magical period that is gone now, when writers had the time and space to dive in and have these incredible experiences. But it was changing as I left.” The luxury of researching and writing long-form stories gave way to churning out more deadline-driven news more often.”
When it became evident that “newspapering was not a financially wise career path,” Rose began doing interiors for friends, which led to other design opportunities. “It was easy for me,” she says. “I have always been able to walk into a room and see what it needs, what’s wrong, what’s out of scale, out of proportion. I have an instinct for what materials need to be mixed. It’s not anything I have to think about, and I am so grateful for those instincts. Thanks, Mom.”
Recognizing where her skills needed sharpening, Rose returned to school to learn AutoCAD, building methods, materials and construction, which gave her the confidence and knowledge that she needed. “Then,” she recalls, “it was like a rocket ship to the moon.”
Fast-forward a decade, and Jaimee Rose Interiors is one of the Valley’s most sought-after and successful design firms. While she describes her aesthetic as “collected, neutral and a little European,” she and her staff of 10 collaborate on projects of diverse styles, spanning Napa modern, to masculine and streamlined, to industrial organic, to romantic Cotswolds. Her clients range from 25-year-old pro baseball players to empty nesters. “People who come to us want the full package, the turnkey experience that we deliver,” she says. “When we walk the finished project with the homeowners, every surface is styled, down to personal photos—black and white, of course—in the picture frames; the throw pillows are placed; the beds are made with freshly steamed sheets. We don’t stop until every detail is on point. You bring your toothbrush; we bring the rest.”
“With their words, behavior and body language, people are telling you what they want from you, from their home. If you know how to listen, you can get a very happy client very quickly.”
—Jaimee Rose, interior designer
The tools she honed as a journalist have served Rose well when it comes to interior design.
“As a features writer, I was trained to look for the details that matter. I still do that. For narrative assignments, I wrote about feelings, so I know how to read them,” she says. “Those skills are surprisingly helpful in presenting a project to a client. You’re making a sales pitch. You’re selling them your creativity, and you’ve got to explain it in a way that can be understood. We go through that process with a lot of questions and answers. Once a reporter, always a reporter.”
For her collaborators, this foundation is invaluable. “I liked Jaimee from the start because I love and relate to women who don’t have egos but who have strength and confidence,” says architect Meredith Thompson. “We all hear clients in different ways. But Jaimee really listens and can vocalize what the client wants to everyone on the team. Are we thinking about this correctly? Have we approached this the right way? Is there a better way? It’s not just about her, she’s thinking about all of these things at once. That makes her an incredibly strong interior designer.”
Key to that strength is Rose’s immersion in every aspect of a project. “I get very involved in the architectural process,” she says. “I believe that the home is an architectural envelope. The architecture and the interior need to get along. They need to be friends.
“I love working with talented architects because we all make each other so much better,” Rose continues. “I think that improves the finished project. I want to be in every architectural meeting. I want to talk about the roofline and think with the architect about materials and how they will flow from the outside to the inside.”
That collaborative spirit is rare, says custom homebuilder Brad Leavitt. “Jaimee has heavily influenced the exterior architecture on every project I’ve worked with her on. It’s not very common for a designer to want or have that level of involvement. Designers like Jaimee who are confident in their understanding demand respect, and they get it.”
Currently, Rose is collaborating on a rural European-meets-modern Arcadia dream home with Thompson and a 20,000-square-foot estate in Gilbert with Leavitt. She has no intention of slowing down. When time allows, she and Tyson jet off to their favorite destinations, London and Paris, to relax and recharge. “I have to get out and see new things,” she says. “We all do because it gives you new life. You need to have fresh experiences that you can translate into new ideas.”
The Gospel of Interior Design According to Jaimee Rose
I firmly believe in a bench-seat sofa. Multiple cushions can look messy. A bench seat is a chic way to get a more tailored, custom look.
Let’s end the trend that every bathroom in the house must be different. We need continuity, where the home’s fundamental design storyline carries through. Consistent cabinetry and floor tile—then we bust a move with lights, mirrors and wall treatments.
Down with niches. It is the messiest place in the whole shower, and when you use accent tile, you’re telling people to look there.
I will do anything to hide a shower niche.
Have something living in each room, besides you. I can’t design without plants and greens. I won’t do it.
I feel like my hands are tied down.
Mix up the matching. We don’t like pairs of end tables or lamps. Keep your eye out for things that are special and unique.
Go with the glow. I would rather have a million lamps and zero can lights. You feel prettier, cozier. It’s also important to add fire to a room if you can have it.
Draperies? Non-negotiable. When they go in, the house feels instantly warm.
Defy convention. Details make a room sing. Look for furnishings that are not round or square. Seek out organic shapes.
Celebrate art. The minute you have artwork on your walls, it starts to feel like a home. We make sure we incorporate original art in every project, even if we create it together with the clients and their kids.
Sources
Interior designer: Jaimee Rose, Jaimee Rose Interiors, Phoenix, jaimeerose.com.
PRIMARY SITTING ROOM—Architect: Cosan Studio, Scottsdale, cosanstudio.com. Builder: Tinker Development, Scottsdale, tinkerdevelopment.com. Bench: bradleyusa.com. Art (by Susan Hable): soicher-marin.com.
HALLWAY—Builder: McIntyre Development, Phoenix, mcintyredev.com. Tile: Craftsman Court Ceramics, Scottsdale, craftsmancourt.com.
KITCHEN—Builder: E&A Custom Homes LLC, Mesa, eandacustomhomes.com. Cabinetry: Rysso Peters, Scottsdale, (480) 946-0088. Countertops: MJ Stone, Queen Creek, (480) 695-7658. Faucet: waterstoneco.com.
KITCHEN DETAIL—Builder: mcintyredev.com. Cabinets: Highborn Cabinetry, Scottsdale, highborncabinetry.com. Art (by Jaimee Rose): jaimeerose.com.
DINING NOOK—Architect: Kent Architects, Phoenix, kentarchitects.com.Builder: Fairmount Development LLC, Scottsdale, fairmountdevelopment.com. Cabinets: Rysso Peters, Scottsdale, (480) 946-0088. Framing: Matage Framing, Mesa, matageframing.com.
GIRL’S ROOM—Architect: cosanstudio.com. Builder: tinkerdevelopment.com. Bed: mosshomeusa.com.
BOY’S ROOM—Flag: juxtaposition.com. Lamp: cb2.com.
BUTLER’S KITCHEN—Builder: eandacustomhomes.com. Sconces: Visual Comfort & Co., Scottsdale, visualcomfort.com.
BACKYARD—Architect: cosanstudio.com. Builder: tinkerdevelopment.com. Landscape: Refined Gardens, Scottsdale, refinedgardens.com. Nestrest: dedon.ie.
PRIMARY BEDROOM—Builder: eandacustomhomes.com. Rug: loloirugs.com.Night stands: arteriorshome.com.
GIRLS’ BATHROOM—Builder: eandacustomhomes.com. Cabinetry: Rysso Peters, (480) 946-0088. Countertops: MJ Stone, (480) 695-7658. Wallpaper: designersguild.com.
GREAT ROOM—Architect: cosanstudio.com. Builder: tinkerdevelopment.com. Fur chairs (custom): bradleyusa.com. Fabric (shearling): mooreandgiles.com. End table: Solido LLC, Phoenix, solidollc.com.
