About Stil James
The name Stil James comes from two points of inspiration: ‘Stil’ meaning ‘style’ in Danish, a culture that heavily influences our aesthetic; and James, Natalie’s daughter’s middle name, as she was the true inspiration for being brave enough to start this business with babies in tow.
Early on, we decided that our design work means nothing if our process isn’t tight & our client-experience isn’t a top-priority. With accountability, collaboration & high-performance drilled down into every project & partnership, we take pride in serving our clients in a way that allows them to both participate in & enjoy our process.
Over the past several years, Stil James has grown to a 8-woman team with one common mission at the heart of our work: to guide our clients & elevate their surroundings through thoughtful, personalized design. Our projects range from neutral and serene to bold and striking, as we ensure that each project we take on is a reflection of the people we are working with.
Making the decision to change your space is hard enough as it is. We want to have fun along the way & create beautiful things together.
XO The SJ Team
Our Team:
Natalie Owens
Founder
Design advice to live by?
Being in a space that brings you comfort and peace is one of the best things you can treat yourself to. I love re-working my own spaces to accommodate my life as I evolve in my home & with my family. What works for my lifestyle today may not in five years, so don’t attach yourself to things but allow yourself to create for the now and feel unapologetic about falling in love with things that bring you great joy in your home or your wardrobe.
The most inspiring part of your job?
People. Our team, our clients, our partners. All of the people in my work life & the creativity they bestow upon me each day. Watching people fall in love with clothing for the first time is also pretty special & often emotional for me. Typically when we first meet a client they have little to no connection to their clothing. As we walk through our process & begin to shop and put clothes on them that truly work for their life and their body, there’s a shift in the way they feel about themselves. It can be quite a magical experience for all of us.
What are you watching, reading or listening to right now?
I can’t answer that truthfully… I’m all about those murder shows. I am reading My Wife Said You May Want To Marry Me: A Memoir by Jason Rosenthal and I’m crying the whole way through. Oh and House & Home. Always.
Victoria Armour
Managing Partner
Design advice to live by?
Have fun. Be curious. Try stuff. Trust the process. Don’t overcomplicate it. In a world where design inspiration is at our fingertips and trends are always changing, making decisions can feel overwhelming. By leaning into it and sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone you can end up surprising even yourself. It may sound cheesy, but home design really is as much about the journey as it is the destination (though the destination does make for beautiful pictures!).
The most inspiring part of your job?
It amazes me how I never stop learning, but at the same time am always teaching. I absolutely love it. Everyone from our team brings a unique point of view and the collaboration that happens on projects and behind the scenes is incredible. It’s that moment when someone throws out a new idea or comes to a meeting really inspired that you see the magic happen.
What are you watching, reading or listening to right now?
I am a podcast junkie and most days you can find me listening to pretty much anything and everything. Whether I’m driving, working out, grocery shopping, you name it- I typically have my AirPods in. Lately I have been devouring The Tim Ferriss Show, All-In, Ten Percent Happier, The Goods, The Interior Collective, The Ed Mylett Show, Trade Tales, and the list goes on.
Maja Owens
SENIOR DESIGNER
Design advice to live by?
Design a space that makes you feel happy and cozy, a place you can’t wait to get back to. Don’t get too caught up on what’s trendy and what everyone else is doing. Make it your own.
The most inspiring part of your job?
The creative team I get to work with every day and finding different design solutions for those tricky, tight spaces. Watching clients walk in to a newly designed space is a pretty special moment. There’s nothing quite like it when their face lights up and they realize: “we can stay here… this is our home.”
What are you watching, reading or listening to right now?
My husband and I are big fans of true crime. We always have a Dateline recorded and ready to watch. We just finished Black Bird mini series.
Vickie Mastrapas
Home interiors & personal styling
Design advice to live by?
The most thoughtful spaces are curated over time: photos from family vacations, a piece of art you have been saving up for, a collection of treasured books or a piece of driftwood from your favorite beach. Don’t be a slave to trends. Take time to get to know your likes and dislikes and then bring that love and self-awareness into your home.
The most inspiring part of your job?
I love learning about my clients and helping to bring clarity, insight and expertise to their project. My favorite part about the design process is seeing months of hard work culminate in joy and relief, as our clients fall in love with their new space.
What are you watching, reading or listening to right now?
I’m rarely watching anything, but I can power through a good book in 24 hours. Anything by Sarah J. Maas is devoured in record time–front to back, several times over.
Mayanna Jerome (MJ)
JUNIOR DESIGNER
Design advice to live by?
Invest in the right pieces and think quality over quantity. Sure, you may be able to furnish your living room for the same cost of that custom sectional, but always be thinking about longevity.
The most inspiring part of your job?
The most inspiring part of my job is being privy to the intimate parts of my client’s lives: their home & wardrobe. The complete trust they give me is something I never take for granted and feel very honored and privileged to be a part of.
What are you watching, reading or listening to right now?
Currently reading Daughter of No Words by Carissa Broadbent, a self-published author I admire. The novel is very Game of Thrones meets Hunger Games with a little magic thrown in!
Leah Keeping
JUNIOR DESIGNER & draftsperson
Design advice to live by?
Everyone loves a magazine worthy house but sometimes you have to give and take in areas to achieve a custom design that works for you and your family.
The most inspiring part of your job?
Getting to work alongside and learn from the knowledgeable and successful people on my team as well as having our clients show and trust us with such a personal part of their lives- their homes!
What are you watching, reading or listening to right now?
I’m not normally a reader but everyone has been raving about the Colleen Hoover books, so I’ve started with “Regretting You” and it’s got me hooked!
Your signature style?
As a new designer getting to see it all, I feel I am still trying to nail down my signature style, I have always loved timeless design juxtaposed with colour and vintage pieces.
Julia Maksymiv
SOCIAL MEDIA
How did you get started in social media?
I started working in social media in Ukraine more than 5 years ago when I was doing my Bachelor’s in University. I thought it would be the first step to my marketing career, and here I am still doing it 5 years later! Social media developed so much and is always changing. It really makes for a dynamic job and I truly love what I do.
The most inspiring part of your job?
I love putting all the pieces together to create something engaging for my team & our followers (picture/video, music, and text). Sometimes I feel like a producer of a TV show!
Next big thing in social media that you are excited about?
I like to preserve the true colors and emotions of the content. You will never see a strong filter or a lot of effects on my photos and videos. I think everything has its own beauty, especially when creating content for a design firm, so my signature style is just keeping things simple and authentic and if it’s not all looking the same, then I’ve done my job right.
