4 min read
While most kids spend their childhood leisure time picking dandelions in the field during T-ball or racing friends on bikes through the neighborhood, Emily Janak spent hers cheerfully advising strangers on which chintz to choose. “My mom loves to tell that story,” Janak laughs at that favorite bit of family lore. “I was toted around to auctions and antique stores all over the South my entire childhood, and I’ve been opinionated about interiors for as long as I can remember.”
That early immersion in Southern design still informs her work today, though Janak’s aesthetic feels refreshingly distinct from both the typical buttoned-up ethos found below the Mason-Dixon Line, as well as the pared-back western vernacular surrounding her firm’s home base in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. “Having my own home published in House Beautiful in 2022 felt like a turning point,” she adds. “It was a true representation of my aesthetic, which looks a bit different from what you typically see out West, and it gave me confidence that there was space for my point of view.”
Though she’s drawn to feminine patterns, Janak never lets her rooms skew too saccharine. Instead, she’ll weave in a touch of mid-century practicality or a smidge of rugged Western charm, resulting in a look that’s entirely her own—and entirely beyond categorization. “Good design isn’t about neutrality or resale value,” she adds. “It’s about conviction. The most compelling rooms have tension, specificity, and a clear voice, not just safe choices.”
That pointed clarity extends not just to her well-trained eye, but to the way she runs her business, too. Janak is candid about the lessons that sharpened her process early on, particularly when it comes to making the tough but necessary choice to turn down a client. “I learned the hard way that not every client is your client,” she adds. “Saying yes to everything can dilute both your work and your energy. Learning to be more selective and trusting that alignment matters more than volume made my work sharper, and my process calmer.”
Today, success looks less like scale and more like alignment, both within her internal team (a group of powerhouse women Janak says she “owes everything to”) and in the luxury vacation community she typically serves. “What moves me most is helping people create homes where their families want to gather and return to,” she says. “If I can help create a place their children come back to for holidays decades from now, that’s success.”
Get to Know Emily
House Beautiful: What do clients hire you for that they can’t get anywhere else?
Emily Janak: Clients count on me to bring personality to their spaces. There should always be a point of view. Our job is to vet the endless options available today and present what feels exceptional. If you trust your designer, Option A, B, or C will all be strong, and each will inform the next decision. Don’t look back. You’re hiring someone to comb through the mundane and uncover the remarkable.
HB: Is there a historical era, culture, or art movement that informs your work?
EJ: I joke that I came out of the womb a British monarchist. As a child, I collected coffee table books about the Royal Family and chose fabric for my bedroom that mimicked Roman shades in Kensington Palace. Ironically, I now live in a 1967 time capsule in Jackson Hole, the opposite of Kensington. One day, my husband and I will restore the architecture to feel untouched, and I will undoubtedly fill it with eclectic British antiques.
HB: How are you building a sustainable design practice?
EJ: Practicing design in a place where only about 2 percent of the land can be developed makes you thoughtful. What’s worthy of this land? Construction here is significant, financially and environmentally, so it matters. My husband and I have developed a passion for restoration in our personal projects. We recently relocated a 1920s dining pavilion and a 1940s stone cottage that would otherwise have been demolished. Preserving and celebrating history feels worthy. I want to contribute to projects that endure for generations. Being a good steward of the land is part of being a Westerner, no matter the size of your plot.
HB: What emotion do you most want someone to feel when they enter your spaces?
EJ: I want guests to think, “I’ll remember this night for the rest of my life.” Candlelight. Interesting art. Beautiful glassware. Seating that invites you to linger. Luxe but never stuffy. A room that works equally well for a cocktail party and for debriefing over coffee in your robe the next morning.
HB: What’s a hill you’ll die on when it comes to interiors?
EJ: There’s a fine line between refinement and dilution. A project should evolve, but it shouldn’t be watered down by too many compromises. That’s why we invest time upfront ensuring alignment. That said, I love the push and pull between client and designer. Designing something I wouldn’t choose for myself can be the most rewarding challenge.
