Talk Shop: Jess Weeth // Weeth Home
About jess
When Jess Weeth founded Weeth Home in 2019, she brought together two lifelong loves: fashion and interiors. After beginning her career in fashion, Jess found herself drawn to textiles, product development, and the world of design, ultimately returning to her hometown of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, to launch her own firm. Inspired by East Coast heritage and life by the water, her work feels collected, classic, and effortlessly at home.
Today, Jess leads a talented team of designers working on residential projects along the East Coast, with her work featured in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, and Veranda. Named to The Expert Top 40, Jess has built a distinct point of view rooted in beautiful materials, thoughtful details, and a deep sense of place. We hope you enjoy Jess's Talk Shop interview!
Describe your style in three words or less:
Romantic, Classic, Heritage.
What have been the three biggest influences on your aesthetic in your life:
International travel at a young age shaped my love of architecture. I remember visiting my aunt’s flat in London when I was 14 and thinking it was the most elegant way of living.
Growing up in a beach town is more in my DNA than I knew. There’s not only something about living by the sea, but also about the ebb and flow of seasonality that always makes me think about how spaces will live and feel at different times of year.
Lastly, an early career in fashion really opened my eyes to the design process. Getting a chance to see factories firsthand widened my curiosity for how things are made and deepened my love for textiles.
How did you start your company, and/or what is your favorite thing about what you do:
I started my company after a career in fashion turned into a passionate love for all things design. My husband, Alan, and I had the opportunity to renovate and decorate an old house, and I was hooked. After moving back to my hometown and tackling another fixer-upper, friends and friends of friends started asking me to help with their homes, too. Online interior design classes and a few trusting clients started the ball rolling, and the rest is history.
I love the hundreds of details we get to bring to life throughout a project. The way we might layer multiple fabrics and a trim to make a sofa we’ve used before feel entirely new and personal, the mix of stain and paint finishes on the cabinetry in a tucked-away bar, and how a mural wallpaper blends seamlessly into the millwork we’ve designed. The process of making all those decisions is rewarding, but it’s actually seeing the thing come to life that I love most.
Do you have a mentor in your career, and if so, how have they helped to shape your trajectory:
While I haven’t had a mentor in a traditional sense, I feel fortunate to have picked up invaluable pieces of advice from industry-adjacent partners and friends who have been there since the beginning. I’ve worked with the same family-owned fine furniture store for a decade, and they really informed my initial understanding of quality and sourcing from a trusted vendor base - and gave me the confidence very early on that I had what it takes to do this at a high level after having seen designers over the years. The talented photographer, Keyanna Bowen, who has shot all of my work, has also grown alongside me and has been a sounding board as I’ve navigated a path of growth that at times came at an uncomfortable rate. That and having been raised by parents who instilled in me a belief in hard work and resiliency has really grounded me during the highs and lows of being a business owner in a creative industry.
What does your home say about you:
It shows how our aesthetic has evolved and matured in the last eight years – individually, as a couple, and as a family. We’ve been more intentional about the bigger pieces we’ve brought into our home, anchoring our home with things we love and know that we’ll always have with us. At the same time, we’ve been a bit freer about smaller things like pillows and decor, buying little things we love because it brings us joy in that moment, but not being afraid to move things around as the house evolves.
Where do you find inspiration:
Textiles are forever a source of inspiration for me. I’m a very tactile person, and I love thumbing through the fabrics and papers, and finishes we’ve amassed in our studio - and I’m always on the lookout for new. Admittedly, I hoard samples of things that I have an emotional response to, even if I don’t yet have a project in mind. I keep little piles on the cabinet next to my desk, or pinned on a board, so that they’re there to jump off from when I’m at the early stages of a space.
Who are your style icons:
I used to watch Audrey Hepburn movies when I was young and was always enamored with her style, grace, but also her sense of irreverence. Since becoming more immersed in the world of interiors, I’ve been so drawn to the decorating and fashion sense of Lee Radziwill. I know I’m not alone in loving her way of bringing eclectic and bohemian elements to her effortless sense of glamour.
What are your key ingredients for entertaining:
As much as I love the idea of a casual, loose gathering, I have a hard time not going all out when we host. I love to make my own floral arrangements, so I usually order fresh stems that I place in my collection of vessels throughout the house. I’m also a little bit of a crazy person about lighting and tend to put all the lights on, but dimmed down low. And I have learned that no one can relax if you’re not relaxed, so I try to have a drink in hand by the time the first guest arrives.
Do you collect anything:
We’ve started to collect antique pewter and silver plate serveware and flatware. I recently found a small pewter teapot and pitcher set with rattan-wrapped handles that I adore.
Favorite Instagram accounts to follow for inspiration:
Julia Amory >> Sage wisdom for running a business
What design “rule” do you always follow, and which is made to be broken:
I’m an avid believer that repetition gives a sense of balance and unifies a space. The rooms we design nearly always demonstrate this from a palette and texture perspective. I tend to break the rule that there has to be three feet of space to walk between furniture. I find the cozier rooms have more seating and small pieces layered in closer together, and it’s more inviting.
What are you working on right now:
A mix of residential projects up and down the East Coast, many in our coastal Delaware beach towns and along the Eastern Shore, with some as far as South Florida, Charleston, the Hamptons, and Cape Cod. We also have an exciting new collection of free-standing cabinetry and bathroom vanities that we have been working on for months with Unique Kitchens + Baths, one of our favorite partners.
Wardrobe staples:
Waisted dresses, colored flats, chore coats, and cognac leather accessories. And I do love an inky navy in almost any material.
Favorite fabric/wallpaper:
This is like picking my favorite child! Right now, I keep coming back to Rose Cumming’s Bellflower, Soane Britain’s Karun Thakar Floral Lattice, and Carolina Irving’s Patmos Stripe.
Best interior advice you ever received:
I once heard Rita Konig say that if you can decorate a house with a mix of new and old, the spaces will feel timeless because it’s literally that – not of one time. I wouldn’t say that we have a rule about using vintage pieces, but they do always end up finding their way into the styling. A treasured item from the past always adds soul and a sense of permanence to a space.
Best career advice you ever received:
Before I became a designer, I had been growing my career as a fashion buyer. I felt ready for a change, but I was honestly scared to leave a successful career for a bit of the unknown. Around that time, my dad, who is normally more on the cautious side, gave me a small framed quote from Mark Twain that read: Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. It turned out to be the push I needed!
Types of home purchases you invest in, and save on:
I think great lighting can make a space, so I tend to invest in great ceiling fixtures and sconces - always on dimmers to allow you to set the ambiance of the room. I love to source side tables and stools from vintage and second-hand shops, which always saves cost and has the added benefit of a little imperfect quirkiness and interest.
Your greatest extravagance:
The custom Calacatta Viola fireplace in our living room.
Favorite places to shop for home:
A great piece of upholstery is something that can last forever, and some of my favorite lines are Hickory Chair and Chaddock. For one-of-a-kind pieces, I love Iatesta, and I am always on the lookout for interesting vintage and antique pieces from local stores and marketplaces like Chairish, 1st Dibs, and Etsy to give rooms personality.
Most prized possession and why:
My husband had a bracelet made for me by a local artist who used the gold and gems from two pieces of inherited jewelry that needed some love, one from my mom and one from my grandmother. It’s unassuming but I wear it everyday.
Your interiors motto:
Come back to the things you’ve always loved.
Your life motto:
Can it be the same motto? I stand by that on a deeper level, too.
Advice for someone looking to define their own interior style:
Study rooms that feel good to be in. What is it about the space that makes you feel cozy, warm, and invited? I think we’ve all fallen victim to this mindset of designing from fear of what we don’t want, which can lead to a design that really doesn’t say much. In the rooms that I love most, there’s usually some element that requires a bit of risk in the design process, but that’s the thing that makes the room memorable.
Take Ten: My Favorite…
Food: Pasta! (or any of my mom’s Italian cooking)
Drink: Summer’s here, and I love a Hugo Spritz.
Film: Growing up, it was My Fair Lady, and now I look forward to putting on The Holiday every Christmas season. I’ve also watched the Harry Potter movies with my son no fewer than 50 times.
Hotel: Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michaels, MD.
City: London.
Bedding: Leontine Linens.
Tea or Coffee (and how do you take it): Coffee, please! At home, Nespresso Melozia with a bit of cream. On the road, with oatmilk and vanilla.
Playlist: Heavily influenced by my partner, Alan, Khruangbin radio is usually playing in the studio (The Universe Smiles Upon You is our go-to album).
Weekend Activity: Biking to the beach in Rehoboth with the kids (our little twins turned five this spring, and I may actually get to read a book this summer!), then a boat ride to nearby Lewes for dinner.
Design Book: Veere Grenney’s Seeking Beauty, or Life Along the Hudson by Pieter Estersohn.
