As a young girl, Jacquelene Dent loved to watch HGTV and she credits the popular home decor and remodeling interior design network with igniting her passion for design.
Dent, an artist in architecture design, she brought her gift and passion to St. Louis by Tennessee to work at The Lawrence Group in summer 2023.
She describes the firm as “A great place to work.”
Dent says she is supported and the projects the firm takes on are very creative and inspirational. “The company plays a vital role in shaping the landscape of St. Louis architecture and design, each project is very invested in being a part of the community,” said Dent.
She is also proud to work for such a philanthropic firm. The Lawrence Group projects help create social and economic change in the neighborhoods they serve. They are developing an impact on environmental change, donating time, money, and services to charitable and mission-based organizations.
One of those projects was designing the suites at The Women’s Safe House. The Women’s Safe House is a women’s shelter that aids women facing domestic violence by providing emergency services.
When the opportunity presented itself the designer quickly jumped on board and helped lead the project. “The design community here is very giving,” said Dent. Her team helped raise $5,000 for the suite they were assigned.
“Before I start designing I look at any space and consider what it is now and what it could be.” Dent says the suite feels like healing, a place of rest, where someone can refresh and feel whole again,”
Mary Sue Sutton, Senior Interior Designer at the Lawrence Group said, “ The fact that Jacquelene stepped up to co-lead this renovation project as a brand new employee really impressed me.”
Sutton noticed Dent’s role as a leader when she kept their team on task with regular team check-ins and assigning, and taking on, various responsibilities during the design and implementation process.
“She organized the weekend volunteers and kept things light and fun while we worked. We all loved the playlist on her phone,” she said.
The senior interior designer describes Dent as someone who is smart and efficient with their time.
The interior designer’s vision called for hues of blues and greens to create a feeling of peace, her color palette reflects warmth and calmness. She added, “Trying to understand how someone would feel in that situation, how I would feel coming home even if the home was temporary was a motivating factor for the look and feel I was aiming for.”
Being a newcomer to the firm openly says her wrap sheet isn’t that long however, she did design a research ophthalmology lab for Wash U, and said, “It was a great learning experience.”
The architecture design firm is redeveloping abandoned spaces The City Foundry’s entire campus is designed and developed by The Lawrence Group.
Feeling proud of the organization’s accomplishments the designer said, “Being able to pinpoint and see the fruit of what the firm has been part of around St. Louis gives me a sense of pride”
Dent says designing isn’t just picking out pretty things as you see on TV, it’s considering how things flow and bundling codes.
The young interior designer went to college at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga; she has a bachelor of science in interior design degree. Dent moved to St. Louis two years ago, the proclaimed army brat grew up all over the South and thought St. Louis was a great place to establish her roots. St. Louis has a lot of diversity compared to Tennessee. “So far I am loving it, being able to experience St. Louis is fantastic.”
The field of architectural design isn’t a very diverse field and her experience in college was a glance at what the real world in design looks like. The 30-year-old designer started her career 8 years ago in 2016. The research she has found on her career is disheartening.
According to Dent, only 3% of architects are Black, she adds, “The interior design side is even lower. Trying to find someone to look up to who looks like you was and is still difficult.”
However, hope is not all lost, Dent finds the version of herself she aspires to be, Kimberley Dowdell, a Black woman architect. When Dent was working at HOK architecture firm in Tennessee Dent remembers Dowdell reaching out to her, giving the young designer advice and reassurance of her place at the firm. “That moment made designing worth it for me, pushing the profession for the Black community.”
Before her big move to the little big city called the Lou, Dent worked for Divine Innovation she helped redevelop Knoxville. She worked on a lot of historic buildings preserving those buildings to revitalize them. Her projects included bars, restaurants, boutiques, and hotels.
Dent talks about the project she worked on, revitalizing a neglected HUD HOUSING apartment complex. “Revitalizing them was very near and dear to my heart.” She was impressed that after the renovation the rent didn’t increase. “Everyone deserves to have the same living level regardless of their income.”
The designer enjoys dabbling in all types of design, she likes to visit the projects she helped create to see people enjoy those spaces and being excited to be in them. “It’s a rewarding feeling.”
Ashley Winters is a Report for America reporter for the St. Louis American.
