WHEN TALENTED PROFESSIONALS TALK, WE LISTEN.
Every home has a story and every homeowner tells it through its design. Whether it’s a wall covering, paint color, art piece, furnishing, fixture, or antique, what is in the home is an expression of its owner. WHJ profiles two design professionals who help curate these stories—Susan Weiss of Emerson Bailey and Jennifer Hoey of Suede Studio.
Emerson Bailey
Susan Weiss, Founder & Principal
With an established and specialized design and antiques gallery that supports clients and sources for the trade, Susan Weiss brings something exceptional to Bozeman. Located in the Cannery District, the Emerson Bailey gallery and design studio is a destination for discovery of objects that tell a story. Whether looking for something hundreds of years old or seeking something contemporary, Emerson Bailey offers the extraordinary. Meet Susan Weiss, curator, creative, and conduit to inspiration.
What services do you offer?
Emerson Bailey is a full-service interior design studio and antiques gallery. We are uniquely qualified to help clients discover the rare, and oftentimes inaccessible, world of antiques through our partnership with leading Swedish antiques dealer D. Larsson. Whether it is a brand-new piece from an artisan ceramicist or an 18th-century chest of drawers, we curate the quietly good to create the unexpected. At Emerson Bailey extraordinary need not be inaccessible.
What geographic area do you serve?
We are an international company with gallery and design studios in Denver, Bozeman, and Sweden. Our galleries, each housing antiques and contemporary furnishings, accessories, hardware, lighting, and artwork, work together to provide clients with an expansive inventory where location is not an obstacle but an opportunity to access an exceptional collection of products made easily available to them. Our international presence offers trade partners and clients more opportunities to visit our galleries and experience first-hand how Emerson Bailey can curate a space in a specialized way.
When did you know that you wanted to be a designer and what motivated you?
My father was an architect and an avid collector. At an early age, I was submerged into a world of seeing things others didn’t and finding that one very special thing. I travelled extensively to expand my global viewpoint, looking in each destination to hone my design perspective. I received my initial college degree in business and computer science and worked within the high-tech field for the first several years of my career before coming back to my love and passion for design. Living in Bozeman, I am surrounded by like-minded creatives and artisans and I enjoy collaborating with them to create one-of-a-kind experiences for our clients.
Do you have other in-house specialties?
As a boutique design house and antiques gallery, we take on a handful of client jobs every year while also collaborating with many other design firms as their top source for both building and design elements for their projects. We are focused on partnering with our clients to create environments that combine modern pieces and techniques with touches of magical antiques and artisan craft.
Our selection of architectural elements such as antique reclaimed flooring, fireplace surrounds, basins, doors, etc., combined with our Contemporary Collection consisting of plumbing, hardware, lighting, and custom European cabinetry, encourage our clients and designers in collaboration to feel that they have discovered something extraordinary that is only available at Emerson Bailey.
It is a true pleasure showing our clients how a uniquely curated space focusing on a mix of authentic, organic, antique, and contemporary can transport them to an exceptional place they’ve never seen before but feels like the home they’ve always dreamed of.
–Susan Weiss
What do you enjoy most about helping people create a home or business that reflects their lifestyle?
We love and celebrate character and the imperfect. We want a space to feel special and lived in. It is a true pleasure showing our clients how a uniquely curated space focusing on a mix of authentic, organic, antique, and contemporary can transport them to an exceptional place they’ve never seen before but feels like the home they’ve always dreamed of.
Do you have a favorite sport or recreational activity, and what do you enjoy about it?
Growing up on a ranch as a young girl, much of my childhood revolved around horses. From participating in 4H, polo, dressage, jumping and three-day eventing to breeding Trakehners, I developed an unwavering love that was passed down to me from my father, Emerson Bailey. I was also able to enjoy many other water and mountain outdoor recreational activities and sports such as skiing and boating. And being a mother of two very active boys has kept me involved in all sports such as lacrosse, hockey, football, and more.
Where do you find inspiration?
By collaborating with our clients, our partners, and our artisans, and of course also through travel, we are always surrounded by inspiration. Exploring and visiting showrooms, galleries, and personal collections around the world is always inspiring. New and old, we have special opportunities to see such wonderful objects and create meaningful, long-lasting relationships that are very near and dear to me.
What is sure to make you laugh?
My Great Dane, Stella, provides an endless supply of happiness and laughter. She loves spending the day at the gallery with me and eagerly welcomes each visitor. She has been known to pop her head into a Zoom meeting from time to time and no matter how big she gets, she still thinks she is a puppy. Stella has surely become the mascot for Emerson Bailey!
Suede Studio
Jennifer Hoey, ASID
Jennifer Hoey is the creative director and founder of Suede Studio, a full-service interior design firm specializing in high-end residential projects and boutique commercial projects. Jennifer employs nine talented professional women in two offices: Ketchum, Idaho, and Bozeman, Montana. She oversees the designers on every project, and empowers each team member to work autonomously, fostering their own style within the context of the brand.
What services do you offer?
We offer a luxury turnkey experience to our clients so they can focus on their busy lives while we deliver their dream property on budget and on schedule. We have worked side by side with premier architects and contractors for 20 years, so we understand how to collaborate efficiently.
Our detailed drawings and specifications are what we are known for, and our diverse portfolio exhibits the breadth of work we have been fortunate to complete. Our Project Designers hold NCIDQ qualifications and are skilled at anticipating the needs of both our clients and members of the trade.
What geographic area(s) do you serve?
With offices in Ketchum, Idaho, and Bozeman, Montana, we regularly work in Sun Valley, Big Sky, and Jackson and throughout the Mountain West. Many of our clients have enlisted us to work with them on their other homes around the country. Working from coast to coast creates opportunity for diversity within our designs and inspires us in our primary markets.
Do you have any special certifications or specialties?
I am NCIDQ qualified and am also a Professional Member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). I spent many years designing custom kitchens for my family’s business while I was going to design school, so custom cabinetry is my specialty. I trained all the designers at Suede Studio to be adept when it comes to cabinet design – it’s an excellent way to execute function and style.
What inspires you?
I’m inspired by an innate desire to design unique spaces and work with new materials and products to push creative limits. I love that no two projects are alike, and I enjoy the challenges presented with each.
What project(s) are you most excited about right now?
It’s hard to pick! One that stands out is a multi-structure family compound in Jackson. It consists of a home, guest house, and spa barn. Others that come to mind are a modern hillside project at the base of the mountain in Ketchum, a new home for repeat clients, and a gorgeous Moonlight Basin residence with Lone Peak views.
Describe your process—how do you work with clients, contractors, and architects?
I work closely with the client and design team to develop the interior vision for the project by building upon the established architecture. We provide pre-construction budget numbers to the contractor for our scope to make sure the budget aligns with the team’s vision. Working within those parameters, we meticulously detail the selections and finishes through CADD drawings and renderings. Our Project Designers manage team calls and site visits, making sure our vision is executed perfectly. Once our specs are in the contractor’s hands we shift focus to the furnishing phase of design. Our procurement managers handle all orders until the pieces are carefully installed into our client’s home.
What is the most exciting new product or development in your field?
Rocky Mountain Hardware will be releasing a new line called “Phases” that I designed. I am excited to enter the realm of product design and to be able to utilize these pieces for my clients.
I’m inspired by an innate desire to design unique spaces and work with new materials and products to push creative limits. I love that no two projects are alike, and I enjoy the challenges presented with each.
–Jennifer Hoey
What do you enjoy most about helping people create a home or business that reflects their lifestyle?
I love the psychology behind design. I love the challenge of each job, everything from negotiating agreements to anticipating the needs of each client and even bridging the gap between partners. I enjoy listening to a client and translating what I hear into something that functions well for their lifestyle and is so beautiful that their eyes light up when they see it! I also thrive on the relationships I have built with people in the industry. Working with the best makes the job fun!
Do you have a favorite sport or recreational activity, and what do you enjoy about it?
My passion is horseback riding. I have a 12-year-old, 18-hand hunter named Chewy. He is the best! I love going to the barn at the end of my workday and putting complete focus towards my amazing animal.
What do you enjoy most about living and working where you do?
I am fortunate to be able to live the lifestyle that my clients are seeking. I have a home on five acres just outside the Sun Valley area with incredible views of the Pioneer Mountains. It’s so quiet and peaceful. I split my time in Bozeman where I live in a downtown residence and can ride my bike to work. I get to enjoy the best of both worlds, rural and downtown mountain life!
Favorite trip you’ve ever taken?
I went on safari to Kenya this summer with immediate and extended family. It was amazing to see animals interact in their natural environment and to spend time with my family. We are all very close and it was an experience to remember for many reasons.
