A Forever Home with Jackie Barnes Design

By Kim Beach

A product of White Oak on the west side of Cincinnati, Jackie Barnes was a driven woman from her early days at McAuley High School. Jackie then attended Xavier University where she majored in psychology, afterwards adding her master’s in sociology from the University of Cincinnati. She landed a job at Children’s Hospital, where she helped families for over 19 years.

During these 19 years, Jackie’s life had many exciting changes. In her early years, Jackie took up running and was involved with the Leukemia and Lymphoma’s Team in Training. While training for the Chattanooga Triathlon, Jackie met her future husband, Josh. Josh was from Indianapolis but had landed in Cincinnati after graduating from UC’s DAAP program. Josh and Jackie settled down in Wyoming, Ohio, and eventually started a family. They have a son, Fletcher, who is 15 years old, and a daughter, Gwyneth, who is 13.

Amidst life’s highlights, Jackie was also faced with challenges. In 2015, she was diagnosed with lymphoma and went through a vigorous series of successful treatments. This was a pivotal moment in her life and she began to think about her “purpose and passion.” While attending a retreat with Crossroads Church in 2017, Jackie decided to pursue her dream of working in the design field.

creative outlet, so the birthday parties I would throw for my children were somewhat ridiculous.”

As a younger girl, she had always been interested in fabrics and textiles. Her creative spark also explains her “over the top” birthday parties for her children. Says Jackie, “I needed a hustle. She posted her design-help availability on Facebook and work began to pick up. Jackie eventually went part-time at CCHMC and was enjoying her leap into the design world.

In April of 2019, Jackie quit her corporate job and opened the doors to Jackie Barnes Design. Looking for networking options with her new-found company, Jackie joined the Route 50 Networking Group (through a referral of her client, Rebecca Endres). I met Jackie through this group and was immediately impressed with her passion and work ethic. She loved doing business on the east side of Cincinnati and began looking for a permanent home for her business.

When her current space became available, Jackie jumped at the chance. The new home of Jackie Barnes Design at 4204 Plainville Road is “perfect,” Jackie says. She is thrilled with “the location, the neighbors and the energy of the area.” The studio opened in April 2024, and she is thrilled with the response. She is enjoying the sense of community, the walkability, the central location and the welcoming spirit she has enjoyed so far.

Her design career started with an easy request. Jackie had a friend who was an architect and a client who needed assistance with picking out a few light fixtures. After successfully tackling this project, Jackie continued to help the client with tile selections and other details. This client referred Jackie to another friend, and it evolved from there.

Jackie was still working full-time at Children’s while juggling her design side

She is excited to meet local families and help them to create memories with their “forever homes.”

As Jackie describes her design philosophy, “We care about giving our clients the best experience. We are working with your home; your personal spaces and it is an intimate process that we take very seriously. We want to work with homeowners to create what makes them happy. To help them find their style, not necessarily choose

Barnes (from previous page) the style for them.” Jackie would also like to get involved in more commercial work, helping to style local boutiques and offices.

Design-wise, Jackie loves the color blue and is inspired by two fellow designers, Emily Henderson and Kelly Wearstler. When asked about a trend she would rather not see again, Jackie is quick to respond with “black plumbing fixtures!”

When not working, Jackie enjoys reading and running. She loves spending time in the Village and specifically enjoys the “perfect Mariemont day,” which includes shopping, dinner, a movie, and then ice cream - of course! Jackie has also traveled extensively and says her favorite destination is Japan. She loves how culturally different it is and embraces the true “humanity” of the country.

We are thrilled to have Jackie Barnes Design in the neighborhood and Jackie could not be happier. She relates, “I am so grateful to be where I am. I love our new location and appreciate the support we have received. We have an amazing team, and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together.” She is thankful she took the risk on her passion and reminds everyone to “lean into what you love.”

If you would like to contact Jackie or her team, you can reach them at hello@ jackiebarnesdesign.com, 513-374-8472 or for more information: www.jackiebarnesdesign. com