secrets and lives —
AND THE 7 SINS with JENI PRIEST
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n 2016, Jeni Priest moved from Calgary to Kelowna with her husband and son, uprooting her design business after more than 20 years. Starting fresh in a new community was just as daunting as it was exciting, but she quickly fell in love with the Okanagan climate and culture. “My husband’s from Kelowna and always wanted to move back,” says Jeni. “He sold me on the lifestyle, and now I know why!” She adds: “The beauty of the Okanagan, you just can’t get it anywhere else. From the weather to the water, to these mountains and vineyards, you get all of your favourite travel spots in one place. It kind of makes me feel like I’m always on vacation.” For the keen-eyed designer, who’s dabbled in painting and art her whole life, it also provides some spectacular inspiration. “I do landscapes, and I also like to dabble in charcoal,” she says. “It’s a little nod to my family history, and something that I connect to. I think what’s cool about art, or any creative realm, is that you have to get over the fear of making a mistake...Sometimes it turns out amazing, and it goes in a direction you never expected.” The same is true of design, and with Jeni’s newest design-in-a-box venture, she’s helping clients find that “something amazing,” at a fraction of the cost. “My business partner Carla and I came together with this idea; not everybody can afford an interior design firm, but everyone still wants a really great space.”
MAKEUP BY KATHRYN RAMSAY
WORDS ANGELA COWAN
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PHOTOGRAPHY LIA CROWE
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