10 Questions for Judy Schindler of JS Design + Build, Inc.

After working with other general contractors for years, interior designer Judy Schindler decided to become one herself.

“It gives me validity with the contractors I’m working with,” said Schindler. “I can talk the same language. I know it makes me a better interior designer.”

Schindler first moved to Napa in 1978 with her then-husband Bill Dodd. For many years, her business was known as Judy Dodd Interiors. Recently, she changed the name to JS Design + Build, Inc.

Schindler described her design style. “What I try to do is offer a clarity of vision.” She prefers a sophisticated, not fussy look. “You don’t want to go too far,” she said.

“Make your design well-balanced,” and in the end, “the client says, ‘I just love my home.’”

 

Which three people would you most like to have dinner with?

My father, Thomas Rhodes, who passed away. I miss his wit and wisdom.

Michelangelo for his creative mind.

Michelle Obama would be interesting.

What job would you like to try/not like to try?

I’ve wanted to be an interior designer since I was quite young. The combination of interior and architectural design with the contractor’s license is the best profession I can imagine.

I could never be an exterminator — bugs and rodents just aren’t my favorite thing.

What was your first job?

My first job was at the May Company at a mall in Oxnard. I was in a program called Junior Managers. I was 15. There were five of us selected from Ventura County high schools. Let’s just say I have a healthy respect for those that choose to be in retail. 

Things I can’t live without.

Other than my wonderful husband Mark, my sons Jeff and Brian and my fun and loving family and friends and books.

What’s on your to-do list?

A second home on the ocean in Mendocino.

Whom do you most admire in the business world?

My father. He was an entrepreneur who worked hard and succeeded. He was the embodiment of a Horatio Alger story.

What is one thing you hope to accomplish in your lifetime that you haven’t yet?

To be published in a national magazine.

If you could change one thing about your business, what would it be?

I would want people to understand the importance of having a professional interior designer for their residential and commercial projects. We make the process smoother for the client and the end result is so much better.

What’s the most significant project you’ve been involved with in your career?

I just finished a large and wonderfully collaborative residential project with a terrific client that understood and truly appreciated the importance of good design. I was privileged to work with Tim Cooney of Cooney & Co. General Contractors, Myles Davis of Myles Davis Electric and Chris Hedberg, a very talented landscape designer. The communication and camaraderie we shared with our client was, and continues to be, very special.

What other business person(s) would you like to see featured in “10 Questions?”

Tim Cooney, Cooney & Co.; Paul Campbell, Power Screen; Liz Davis, Alkar Human Resources; Brent Shortridge, Philip Zorn and Francis Mahoney, vintners that have Taste at Oxbow; Rhea Zimmerman of Blossom Chiropractic Studio; Mark Gelow of RPM Mortgage; Randy Gularte of Heritage Sotheby's International Realty; Gloria Curry of Gloria Curry Day Spa; John Imrie of Malloy Imrie & Vasconi Insurance Services; Greg McManus of the Napa Valley Wine Train.

More from Judy Schindler

What’s the worst job you ever had?

I had the unenviable job of telling people not only how they had to spend their money on maintaining and upgrading their vacation rental condos but what the repercussions would be if they didn’t do what was asked of them. Thank goodness the people I worked with were great.

How did you get into this business?

It was always my parent’s dream to build a house so for years we went on Sunday drives looking at houses. Eventually they built their own house and I was fascinated by the excitement and transformational aspect of the whole process. Then to really inspire me, my mother, Betty Rhodes, took me to the first Pasadena Designer show house and I was hooked.

What’s something people might be surprised to know about you?

I was listed in the Who’s Who of American High School Students.

What is your favorite charity?

Hospice of Napa Valley and Habitat for Humanity.

What was your childhood ambition?

To be an interior designer. I am fortunate enough to have been be doing it for over 30 years and I still love it.

If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be?

Rancho La Puerta. I just returned and I can’t wait to go back.

What is the biggest challenge your business has faced?

It is important to stay educated and up to date with the evolving building industry. My latest certification, Green Point Rater, through the non-profit organization Build It Green, gives my clients and me an advantage in building or renovating their space into a healthier, more energy-efficient living or working environment.

Each Wednesday the Napa Valley Register’s Business Focus asks “10 Questions” of a local entrepreneur or businessperson. Readers are welcome to suggest business people to be profiled. To suggest a candidate for “10 Questions” e-mail: jhuffman@napanews.com

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