Exclusive: HGTV's Jenn Todryk says this is the single most impactful design lesson she's learned in her career
The No Demo Reno star sat down with H&G to share what she's discovered in her design career – and one discovery stands out above all
With a HGTV show and a book to her name, it's safe to say Jenn Todryk is among the most influential design figures of our day – and with her résumé comes a host of knowledge that impacts how we decorate. Naturally, therefore, when H&G sat down with the personality herself, we were keen to uncover some of her most surprising pieces of wisdom – and her stand-out design lesson was at the top of our agenda.
'The biggest and most obvious lesson I have learned is that everyone thinks beauty is different,' Jenn says.
'It takes different shapes. It's not the same for everyone. I have a style that I like to design and decorate around, but I have to get to know the client. At the end of the day, I could design the most beautiful space for me, but then the client might get into the space and absolutely hate it.' So, how does this impact Jenn's decorating ideas, and what can we learn from her ideology?
As Jen explains, every client's taste is subjective – meaning it is hard to say that a single one-size-fits-all trend will work for all.
'I have to dig into who my clients are. I have to make sure they hire me, and they know my style, so they know what they're getting into. But I have to be able to figure out what they like, even if they don't know what they like themselves – and then incorporate them into their design,' Jenn comments. 'I do this so they think it's beautiful. At the end of the day, they're the ones living with it.'
Inspiration for how to incorporate personality into a home can be seen in the new season of No Demo Reno, which premiers on September 14th on HGTV. However, we can also look to embracing sentimental items – whether that involves decorating with antiques, family heirlooms, or art that means something to us personally.
Jenn Todryk is the creator and owner of The Rambling Redhead, a blog focused on a mom sharing her life on the internet. She has a love for home decorating, which led to her show, No Demo Reno, on HGTV. She shares her home with her husband, Mike, and owns a local coffee shop, Armor Coffee, located in Allen, Texas.
'The biggest takeaway after doing this is I can think something's beautiful, but it doesn't mean everybody will,' Jenn says. 'I really have to put each client into their own home design. You can use their personalities in their space, and that's what makes them the happiest overall.'
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Beyond interiors advice, we're taking notes from Jenn's book, Whine: 50 Perfect Wines to Pair with Your Child's Rotten Behavior, available via Amazon below.
Whine: 50 Perfect Wines to Pair with Your Child's Rotten Behavior – $6.05 on Amazon
Spanning sweet, pink wines to full-bodied reds, Whine has the humor (and libations) to help you survive parenthood, according to Jenn Todryk herself.
Megan is the Head of Celebrity Style News at Homes & Gardens. She first joined Future Plc as a News Writer across their interiors titles, including Livingetc and Real Homes, before becoming H&G's News Editor in April 2022. She now leads the Celebrity/ News team. Before joining Future, Megan worked as a News Explainer at The Telegraph, following her MA in International Journalism at the University of Leeds. During her BA in English Literature and Creative Writing, she gained writing experience in the US while studying in New York. Megan also focused on travel writing during her time living in Paris, where she produced content for a French travel site. She currently lives in London with her antique typewriter and an expansive collection of houseplants.
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