A pandemic pivot

Jasmine Hempel

If you were to ask sixth-grade Jasmine Hempel what her favorite shows on television were at that time, she would most likely answer with, “Room by Room” or “While You Were Out,” design shows on TLC that she would watch on repeat. She started to watch those shows after seeing her parents re-design the first floor of their home that year, specifically the kitchen.  

“I fell in love with home design after seeing my parents design theirs,” said Jasmine. “I clearly remember my mom wanting to knock down a wall to create an open concept for our kitchen, or having a larger counter to play games on. I liked the idea that she was creating a space for us centered around family – that is what really excited me.”  

With design on the mind, the love for it never went away for Jasmine. She initially wanted to pursue it post-high school, but it was right at the time the U.S. was coming out of a recession. “Both of my parents do not have a college degree and encouraged me to get a four-year degree first to fall back on due to the times,” said Jasmine. “I could do design after that if I wanted to, so I did!” 

In 2015, Jasmine graduated from Marquette University with a Corporate Communication degree. She moved to Philadelphia and started working at an interior design firm doing their media relations. The stars aligned when the firm’s manager left, and Jasmine ended up filling her shoes – being exposed to clients, how to run a design studio, expense reports, hiring and running every aspect of the business. 

“Seeing the scene and being immersed in the firm in that way sparked my desire to be back in design,” said Jasmine. “I think within 90 days, I was applying to grad schools, knowing that I wanted to be an interior designer and have my own business.” 

After receiving her Masters, Jasmine got a job in commercial design - designing workplaces, museums - anything outside of the home. Commercial design meant all the design decisions came down to being a business decision based off of money, which often meant removing the emotions and human component to design. 

“I liked the work I was doing there, but I knew I wasn’t going to do it forever,” said Jasmine. “Then, the pandemic hit and I became a little more removed from it. I was losing fulfillment and asking myself, ‘Why I am doing this?’ and ‘Am I supposed to be doing this?’” 

One of over 38 million workers in the U.S. as part of the “Great Resignation” in 2021, Jasmine pivoted – quitting her job to follow her dream of opening her own business. 

“It took me almost a year to say goodbye, which is a tribute to the people I worked with and worked for,” said Jasmine. “I loved the people and still keep in contact with them, it’s just that the context of what I was doing was not serving me anymore. Now in my late 20’s and with the pandemic, something clicked - I needed to focus on me and what I wanted. I swear it happened after I turned 28, I became my own person and I accepted who I was.” 

Today, that part of Jasmine is 1028home. True to her word and her dream of having her own interior design business, she opened 1028home. 

Below, Jasmine answers more questions about her company – 1028home – current design trends, how to take on a room redo and more:

What is 1028home?  

1028home is a residential interior design studio whose mission is to make interior design approachable for all. You should be proud of your living space regardless of where you live, how much money you make or if you rent or own your home. If you’re in an apartment, own a home, rent a home and more, you should be proud of it. There are so many ways you can be proud of your home and it doesn’t have to be expensive or permanent. 1028home is relatable, tangible and is not for the 5% or the people that make six figures annually. 

1028 (Oct. 28) is my parents anniversary . It’s a number that I see quite often. Sometimes, I’ll look at the clock and I’ll see 1028. It will appear at different times. For me, 1028home represents what I remember my home as -  being a little sixth grader seeing my parents build something that gave them a foundation. 

Talk about the important educational piece that comes with interior design. 

One of the main pillars of 1028home is education. Interior design and architecture have been made to be almost inferior – as if they are things you don’t know about. You see it on TV and in the magazine, but how real and tangible is it to have a real white kitchen with quartz countertops, etc.? It’s important for us to give people the tools and confidence to do it themselves – it is the long-term educational process with interior design where people succeed. 

Sometimes on TikTok or tutorials you see on YouTube, it will plant a seed in someone’s head, but it’s for the short-term. Whereas, if you’re giving someone concrete knowledge on why plants are important for the home or to find the natural light because it will make a room seem bigger, are things you can apply to numerous homes for the rest of your lives. It all goes back to 1028home’s mission of helping other people be proud of their spaces and to know that they can do it! No matter your living situation. 

What happens when a client reaches out to you? 

First, we will sit down and have an initial phone call. Sometimes they’re called “Discovery Calls” and it’s very much us getting to know you, your personality and living situation. Then, we dive into the actual space you want to renovate or redesign. 

From there, we get into the weeds of the functions of a space. People can forget about the function of the space when they start doing things like looking at the color green and then pairing it with something else. You have to figure out the overall function. You could have a beautiful design, but if you don’t remember why you want this space, it’s not going to matter. It’s going to be beautiful, but it’s not going to be used. Then, we get into aesthetics and design. 

If someone knows their design style, we’ll put together a Pinterest board and I’ll have them send me images. If they don’t know their design style, I’ll put together a board variety and have a ‘likes and dislikes’ session. I’ll also have them make a list of their own favorite things. 

After we work on and finalize your board for your room, I provide live links to retailers. 

Something that I think is really important is that yes, we might usually source big-box retailers, but we also love to support small businesses. So, if anyone was to request a small business be used – or only female-owned business or black-owned businesses, we would more than honor that. With most things, unfortunately, it comes down to price. And, people are trying to save money. That’s why we love Target. 

What if someone is confused about their design style? 

I encourage you to go back to the core of who you are. Do you like to travel? Be indoors or outdoors? Do you like more of a dark and intimate mood? Looking inwards, it will reflect outwards in your living space. 

What are some 2022 design trends?  

The biggest one that I’m seeing is black kitchens. I’m not sure how I feel about them because I am white and navy girl kitchen at heart. I’m also seeing a lot of color cabinetry, which I think will continue longer than people expect. I’m seeing a lot of transient spaces – meaning – and it’s kind of pulled from the corporate room – you’ll see things like a small table next to your chair so you can work in your lounge chair or pull next it to your couch. Because work from home setups have changed – it’s becoming more normalized. 

Antiques are coming back in and being mixed with black and white photos. It’s a weird merge of old and banged up items with perfect, clean, black and white prints. I think it’s because we’re at that age where families are still giving us furniture, but we’re also able to add what we like. It’s like an escalated version of college furniture. 

Advice to someone who is looking to redo a room and have never done it before? Or DIY projects? 

Regardless of the space, start consuming media. Look at images of bedrooms if it’s a bedroom, kitchens if it’s a kitchen. That will give you instant points of comparison, visuals and what you like and don’t like. What you might think is functional in your space sometimes might not be suitable in the home you currently live in. I want a kitchen island, but I can’t have one right now. 

Setting your budget is also very important. It can be set and you can make it work. It can be a total renovation redo, to adding a few quick accessories and pillows to totally change a vibe for under $100. There are easy ways to change a space. 

For women business owners or those looking to start their own business, what is your advice to them? 

Just do it. Absolutely cry yourself to sleep one night and the next day, say to yourself that you can do it. This is by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it’s also the most rewarding. I know I’m saying that at a very early stage, but it gives me hope. 

With that being said, I think there’s a difference between fear and your intuition telling you that you’re not ready yet. Listen to your intuition. I’ve wanted to do this for a very long time, and I was scared. But I also knew internally, it wasn’t the right time, so I listened to my core and my heart. 

But just do it! What do we have to lose at this point? 

A look into 1028home:

Interested in contacting 1028home, getting design inspiration and more? Follow 1028home on Instagram and check out their website here.