Jeanne Barber ’07
Degrees: B.A. in political science; J.D., University of Connecticut School of Law
Job Title: Owner and lead designer, Camden Grace Interiors in West Hartford, Connecticut
Favorite Trinity Memory: Living on the Long Walk with three of my closest friends (still close to this day!) and blasting the quad with our karaoke machine. We would crouch below the window so no one knew where the music was coming from and sing and laugh until our bellies hurt. While one roommate did a mean Tina Turner impression, the rest of us were not blessed with vocals, so we really tortured anyone who was outside listening to our antics.
Why did you found your company? Lawyering was my career, but design was my passion. In 2015, I gave birth to a premature daughter with health complications. It was a eureka moment for me—life is short, why not follow my passion? Today I lead a seven-person award-winning interior design firm that tackles projects throughout the United States, from designing single rooms to whole homes plus renovations and new builds.
What do you do in your role? When I first started, I was designing and decorating homes, but I was also the HR department, in-house lawyer, billing department, and marketing manager. Luckily, as Camden Grace has grown, the number of hats I wear has been reduced. While I still have a small hand in everything, now I am able to oversee the creative direction of all of our design projects and also play an active lead role on our larger projects and those that especially spark my interest. I love designing homes that have soul, which to me means a home that reflects our client’s interests and looks collected over time; mixing patterns, eras, and forms is our specialty.
What do you enjoy most about your work? No two projects are alike because no two clients are alike. We get to know our clients intimately. I’m a people person, so I really enjoy the process of learning about their families, hobbies, traditions, and travels. For example, one of our clients was a Boy Scout who had saved all of his old badges, which we framed as part of an art installation. Another client brought back from her travels an Aztec stone rubbing we featured in her entry. I love seeing clients light up when they see their spaces transformed with items that are meaningful to them.
What are the biggest challenges you face? HGTV—and now AI—can create unrealistic expectations. First, things don’t happen with a snap of the fingers like on TV. Luckily, lead times have normalized since the COVID furniture shortage, but custom and bespoke items that are crafted by hand still take time. Second, quality design requires an investment. Cutting corners never pays off. Do it once and do it right, even if it means narrowing your project scope. Third, AI has changed the game, with clients showing us AI-generated inspiration images. While AI can offer cool ideas, they aren’t always feasible to implement. When my daughter swooned over a bed that looked like it floated atop a pillowy cloud, I had to break it to her that I couldn’t pluck it from the sky.
How did Trinity prepare you for your work life? I learned at Trinity that if you’ve done your homework, no question is dumb—ask away—and really listen to the answers. Fully understanding the problem is the only way you’ll be able to offer effective solutions. This was true in my career as a lawyer and now as the owner of Camden Grace. On a daily basis, I am asking clients about their lives. The answers elicited help us create a winning design strategy. It’s easy to make a room beautiful; it’s harder to make it beautiful while also balancing client priorities about functionality, durability, and investment.
What was the most memorable course you took at Trinity? “Sexual Orientation and the Law” with Renny Fulco. This was 2005, when this area of law was newly evolving. We analyzed court decisions that could potentially set a precedent for gay rights, including Loving v. Virginia, which struck down a prohibition against interracial marriage. When the Connecticut Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2008, they cited this exact case, and I remember thinking, “Wow, what we learned in the classroom wasn’t just an academic exercise.”
For what are you most grateful to Trinity? My husband, Drew Barber [also ’07]. Our Matriculation speaker told us our future spouses might be among the group of us seated ’neath the elms, and he was right.
To learn more, visit the Camden Grace Interiors website or follow on Instagram @camdengrace_interiordesign.
