Event Interiors | Joshua Jones

Joshua Jones Bio Feature 2

What do we love so much about our newest Event Producer, Joshua Jones? Well to start, his effortless style and positively alluring Southern charm. However, as a house of creatives, we also appreciate Joshua’s background in interior design. As the event industry evolves, we are seeing top tier event decor companies creating environments that take on the feel of a beautifully designed permanent space. It allows guests a richer experience as they explore detail upon detail, layered designs, and textural concepts that bring together a well curated theme. We’ve asked Joshua to share a little bit about his background and how he envisions bringing his design philosophy into the event environments Kehoe Designs creates.

Designing “Event Interiors”

At Kehoe Designs, our collective capabilities allow us to go far beyond what most consider as event decor. Our craftsmen provide custom furnishings, tailored accents, lighting schemes and floral decor that transform spaces into living, breathing places. Much like interior design, our “event interiors” are thoughtfully fashioned to reflect our clients’ style, personal brand, and objectives. As Joshua Jones explains, “both with interior and event design, our job is to be ‘environmental storytellers,’ creating expressive settings that tell the tale of who and what a space is all about.” Of course, there are some differences and we asked Joshua what he is most excited about exploring in a large-scale event design house, like Kehoe Designs. “While funky boutique hotels and highly-conceptualized home interiors do exist, I have found that I am allowed a much more expressive, stylistic approach when designing for events. Often tied to a significant moment or big celebration, these environments beg to be painted a little more brilliantly in their execution than a permanent interior might be. That’s where the fun comes in! With its immense pool of creative talent and mind blowing inventory, Kehoe Designs allows for ‘big ideas’ and maximum personalization.” To illustrate his point, Joshua has perused our archives for event interiors he feels reflect that perfect blend of interior design infused with just the right amount of event decor dazzle.

*Photo Credits
Image 1: Event Decor by Kehoe Designs, Planning by Colin Cowie; Images 2: Decor and Photo by Kehoe Designs; Image 3 & 4: Decor by Kehoe Designs, Photos by Soleil Media, Image 5: Decor by Kehoe Designs, Planning by Underwood Events, Photo by Spottswood Photography

The Art of Conceptualization

Formally trained in interior design at the Fay Jones School of Architecture, Joshua understands the importance of conceptualization, or as he so eloquently puts it, “nurturing abstract concepts into vivid reality.” “When I meet with a client, I love learning about who they are and what their story is all about; carefully sorting through their inspiration photos or exploring the depths of their Pinterest pages. For each image, there is an underlying reason as to why they decided to tear out that magazine page or ‘pin’ that particular thumbnail. And since a picture does say a thousand words, my job is to edit down that vocabulary to a few key words that can be used within our design concept,” says Joshua. Best advice to brides trying to conceptualize their own weddings via programs like Pinterest? “Only select images that truly make your head spin. Once you have a collection of images, go through them one by one and scribble down colorful words that describe them. Stay away from subjective words like ‘gorgeous, pretty, or whimsical’ as these types of words can be translated differently by everyone. Instead, stick to words that pack a powerful and meaningful punch like ‘organic, linear, monochromatic, or fluid,’ allowing for more defined and cohesive design decisions,” answers Joshua. To provide examples, we thought we’d share just a small sampling of the beauty found on Joshua’s personal and Kehoe Designs Pinterest boards.

Citrus Infused
Nice Day for a White Wedding
Lavender & Lace Mint Condition

Brand Illustration

Another element exciting to Joshua’s expertise is his experience with graphic and illustrative design. “As someone who is thrilled to act as a co-illustrator to my clients’ events, I know how important it is to create a strong brand identity within event design. Corporate events, non-profit galas, and even brides-to-be all have a strong personal ‘brand identity’ and its my job to extrapolate that brand into a designed environment,” says Joshua. Having worked for a number of branding campaigns as notable as Cover Girl, he knows that for the corporate client, bringing innovation to the branding process is also important. “It’s an opportunity to combine powerful art and decor with creative product displays, and custom care packages that all stay true to the company’s brand books and marketing strategies,” he explains. For supporting visuals, we’ve put together a few events demonstrating the power of creative branding for our corporate clients!

Mariano’s Grand Opening – Arlington Heights

Bio Convention, Newseum, Washington D.C., Planning by Janice Krieger

Crate & Barrel, 50th Anniversary, Chicago History Museum

To conclude, we invite you us to help us welcome Joshua Jones to our team! We are so excited to incorporate his impressive range of capabilities. And we’re equally delighted to have you benefit from his marked sense of Southern hospitality. While Joshua insists hospitality isn’t a southern or northern thing, we’re convinced you’ll be just as enchanted as we are by the warm, welcoming environments he conceptualizes and helps to create!

BIO BITES: Joshua Jones

What do you consider one of your biggest quirks? I am a left-handed person trapped in a right-handed persons body! I habitually flip through magazines from back to front, tie bows upside down, and position my right hand as a left-handed person might do when writing. I must have picked it up from my left-handed mother, who also gave me her right-brained, art-oriented creative mentality.

One important lesson you’ve learned from relationships? Since 2014 marked my tenth year anniversary with my partner, I can safely say that good communication is key. Being honest and transparent with a heavy dose of laughter has been our life force. It’s a life lesson that is just as beneficial when working my clients!

How would you spend an ideal Saturday morning/afternoon? A warm, breezy morning with a fresh-brewed chai tea latte in my cup holder, my favorite people along for the ride, and my GPS set for a dusty flea market or a bustling farmers’ market. Whether on the hunt for vintage artifacts or just-snipped flowers for your home, there’s something magical about the energy and camaraderie among friendly strangers all on the hunt for the perfect found treasure.

Is there a designer that sums up your style? While it may sound sappy, I truly find beauty in all styles of design. While my personal style evolves with the world around me, I am personally drawn to eclectic vintage objects that tell a unique story juxtaposed against classic clean lines. (For instance, my dining room hosts a distressed wooden farmhouse table paired with contemporary Louis Ghost Chairs.) With that said, I wouldn’t be angry if I had to share my brain with Philippe Stark.