Wallpaper Wednesday! I love wallpaper because it’s an easy way to immediately transform a room. Today’s sample reminds me of European dreaming somewhere along the Côte d’Azur in France! This paper could pop any ceiling or walls! Love it! #wallpaper #wallpaperwednesday #jennawallisinteriordesign #interiors #interiordesign #tennesseeinteriordesign #memphisinteriordesign #interiorstyle #interiorlovers #interior4all #interior4you #interiorforinspo #interiorforyou #interior123 #interiordecor #interiordecoration #interiorstyling #interiorarchitecture #interiores #interiordesigners #interiordesignideas #interiordetails #homedecor #wallpaperideas #homedesign
Memphis’ First Designer Showcase: Art by Design
Jenna Wallis Interior Design is honored to be included as a participant in this year’s First Designer Showcase – Art by Design. The event is a unique three-day event series to raise monies for the arts in Memphis. Jenna Wallis Interior Design will be presenting a living space at the event. Jenna Wallis has been listed as a featured designer by ArtsMemphis. For more information on the event, please visit the Art by Design page at ArtsMemphis or contact Jenna Wallis today.
The event will include:
Thursday, April 28 at 6 p.m. | VIP DINNER
Guests will be the very first to experience the designer showcase with an “on-site” dinner at our one-of-a-kind venue: Propcellar – a vintage furniture and décor emporium on Summer Avenue. We will give guests an exclusive preview of the interior design showcase, featuring “vignettes” crafted by the City’s most sought-after professionals. They’ll enjoy a seated dinner created by celebrated local chefs in honor of the occasion, lively entertainment, and conversation with the designers.
Friday, April 29 at 7 p.m. | VIP COCKTAIL PARTY
This lively cocktail party kicks off the public opening of the Art by Design Showcase at Propcellar. Guests will stroll through the exhibition with drinks and heavy hors d’oeuvres, enjoy some of Memphis finest musical entertainment and mingle with the designers.
Saturday, April 30 | GENERAL ADMISSION
10 a.m. – 6 p.m. : The public is invited to attend Art by Design
4 p.m. – 6 p.m.: Talk by Hunt Slonem, a New York-based artist and design expert.
Tickets may be purchased in advance for $20 per person.
For More Information:
Please call Jenna Wallis today at (901) 679-0563 or E-Mail Jenna today.
Wallpaper Wednesday: Jungle Palm!
Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm
This next adventure is a continuation of our two week New Mexican summer family vacation!
A completely different vibe from our Route 66 motel that we had stayed in the night before, we ventured to Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm. Los Poblanos, located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, sits on 25 acres in the Rio Grande River Valley. This working family farm offers organic field-to-fork dining together with its lush formal gardens, farm animals and overflowing lavender fields. The architecture was designed in 1932 by John Gaw Meem, the “Father of Santa Fe Style.” Not only is the architecture some of New Mexico’s finest, he contracted some of New Mexico’s leading arts and craftsman of the period to create artwork here. Los Poblanos is considered one of the most magnificent historic properties of the Southwest. The setting is so serene and spectacular, I did not want to leave! We originally found out about this place as we were trying to find a teepee for the family to stay in one evening (unsuccessful as she closed her business down!). The teepee owner highly recommended Los Poblanos, and we were so glad she did.
As we arrived, our boys stumbled upon the first of many new pet friends: a lovely peacock. There were four roaming the property including Albert the albino peacock. Between the roosters crowing, turkeys gobbling, cats meowing and the smell of fresh lavender … it was a slice of heaven. Sitting in our room upon arrival was a goodie bag for each of my boys, filled with a scavenger hunt list, stickers, facts about the property, a blow up air balloon, homemade cookies, organic milk and a stuffed animal for each. Not listed on the scavanger hunt list but discovered anyway: a cat “playing” with a field mouse. Don’t think about bringing a babysitter to this place because your kids will entertain themselves and are free to wander around, play bocce ball, and even try to pick up the chickens, kittens and peacocks (if they will let you, but they won’t)! Our young boys chased and chased the four peacocks (which can fly, if you didn’t know) until Albert and Petey (a blue peacock) shed a feather. What a souvenir!
I was off to explore the architecture, gardens and the many quiet benches waiting to be filled. Butterflies were fluttering about in the plentiful gardens. There are so many things for guests to do and explore such as the farm shop, barn commons, lotus pond, saltwater swimming pool, bird watching and playing bocce ball (which my boys loved). The farm-to-table food with eggs straight from the farm helped counter act some of the richer, heavier foods we encountered upon the first few days of our road trip. I would love to come back here to spend more time, bring a good book, and just relax. But we were all too excited about the next adventure and making it to see an alpaca farm and up the old Turquoise Trail to Santa Fe!
Here’s to hoping you check out this hidden gem of the Southwest and enjoy some amazing architecture, gardens and animals in the process! Until next week, stay inspired!
~Jenna
Jenna Wallis is a Memphis, Tennessee interior designer.
Flashback: Route 66
One mission I have for my Castles and Kings blog is to write about life’s experiences off the beaten path – from the eyes of an interior designer. So without further delay, it’s time for the first recap of the Wallis wild west summertime road trip!
Along with my husband and two young boys (ages 5 and 7), I’ve just returned from a two week trip from Memphis to New Mexico for a fun filled summer vacation. No, we did not fly. Call us crazy. We chose to drive over 2,500 miles, and we loved each and every day (except for the last day in the car!). It was an unbelievable experience. I have to admit that before we started, I was wondering if we would even make it to the Texas state border. I was mentally prepared we’d be turning around for Memphis.
Note to my Texas Friends: Your state deserves a whole blog post all by itself! It will be coming soon.
The boys also didn’t have iPads or a DVD player in the car. We may be crazier! The boys actually got along great and communicated beautifully. As one quick example of how we passed the many hours on the road, we played old fashioned car bingo. Have you ever tried to find a cat along an interstate? There are none. There are also no stop signs or school buses along the interstate in the summertime. It was a good time to teach the boys a lifelong lesson about cheating too. Especially, when my 5 year old would call BINGO after about about five minutes! I am pretty sure all we saw outside our window were a bunch of longhorns grazing in the open fields and enormous windmills along the horizon. Before long, the boys started competing on who had more oil derricks, windmills or cows on his side of the car.
Along our journey, we would occasionally detour onto Route 66, one of the best decisions of the trip. I expected to see beautiful sights, but I was not prepared to experience the amount of Art Deco and mid century design and architecture, which has always inspired me. I think visiting Graceland as a little girl was my first real love of a little flashback, maybe it was the pink Cadillac that really hooked me!
Route 66 has countless examples of a little throw back style. Route 66 was built in 1926 and ran from Chicago to Los Angeles. It was the main path for those who migrated west. I wanted to jump out of the car and do cartwheels at some of the retro sights we saw!
The first “filling” station I encountered along my trip was this Conoco station in Shamrock, Texas. This Art Deco structure was built in 1936, and its tower is an Art Deco landmark. It closed in the 1990’s as a working station, but thankfully it was restored with a federal transportation grant. Today it is used by the Shamrock Chamber of Commerce as a tourist office.
When I was little, my dad could pull into a gas station, and a friendly man would fill up the car and check the tires and oil and probably a lot more, all while we never left the car. What a nice and relaxing way to get gas! Well, that doesn’t happen anymore, at least where I live.
Shamrock, Texas had some historic Route 66 sights, including Texas’ tallest water tower and our first dining experience on Route 66. Big Vern’s Steakhouse is a must try for dinnertime. I say dinner because I can’t imagine eating a steak for lunch, but then again, it is Texas. We were a bit hesitant about walking in, but our two huge steaks, steak fries and golden mashed potatoes did not disappoint. There was also one choice of white wine on the menu, if you want some vino with your meal. Yelp also helped out with the decision.
So the next day we drove Route 66 to the town of Tucumcari, New Mexico. It is retro central! So much so that we called and cancelled our Albuquerque hotel and chose to stay in the Historic Route 66 Motel. After cruising around the town, my husband asked if I really wanted to cancel our hotel in Albuquerque for a motel in Tumcumcari. My response: “I promise.”
This place is so interesting! It brought back memories of Palm Springs or maybe Miami South Beach (in a retro sense). Upon entering the lobby, I was looking around for a rotary dial telephone, but was not successful. What we finally found was a baby kitten, and my Butler (age 5) yelled BINGO.
The movie crew for The Lucky Man (starring young actor Jesse James) was staying at our motel, and they were using these two old cars in the movie. The film is about a preacher’s kid who gets side railed a bit. It will be released in 2016. My kids entertained the crew by catching all of the croaking bullfrogs on site at the motel. For some reason I keep accidentally typing hotel, but go back to change it to motel. It was the best $48.00 (including tax) we spent on a motel – ever.
And another option for motels here in Tucumcari is The Blue Swallow Motel. I love that the sign reads “100% refrigerated air, vacancy and TV”. Look at the fun Art Deco Branding! That blue mailbox is waiting for the next postcard to be returned to sender. Can you tell I’m an Elvis fan? And those motel chairs are painted so perfectly and bright.
I always try to make time in life for the unexpected. This is where I get inspired. If we had kept on driving to make it to our next destination, I would have never encountered this experience.
– Jenna
Jenna Wallis is available for interior design services in Memphis, Tennessee and beyond. You can email her today by CLICKING HERE.
Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot (in July)
After living for almost five years in Los Angeles, I chose to move back to Tennessee because of my roots. That being said, summertime in Memphis can be sweltering with heat waves! How did our great-grandparents make it without air conditioning? It is so hot down South that your make-up can slide right on off your face!
In early July, I was in Atlanta for my interior design business and was indoors most of the time in the cool air conditioning. While shopping, I spotted some great seating made of bamboo, rattan and cane. The open backs and cane seats allow for cool breezes. However you can use these chairs year round, both indoor and out. Here are some of my favorite finds. Some which are super fun and super hot!
This vintage chair was at an antique consignment store. To me it is perfect. It looks great as is, but can you imagine this in high gloss black, Tiffany blue or even Hermes orange? If you wanted to add a cushion you could. I don’t believe in having a whole room of these, but one or two can add uniqueness to a space.
Any of these could be a fun addition to a room. In moderation though! One, or a pair or a group around a table.
I love a little Thomas Chippendale influence, especially the time he spent studying the Chinese influence of furniture making. So anything with carved fretwork is an interesting addition to a room and a break from fully upholstered seating. Tea for two?
Could you see yourself relaxing in this fun vintage Florida chair with remote control in hand?
And last but not least!
Stay cool, find a pool and find a cold drink in this hot July!
– Jenna
The Blue and the Beautiful

Photo Credit: Jenna Wallis Interior Design
Blue has been a key element in design for millennia. Did you know that the first stable blue colorant used in the ancient world came from lapis lazuli, a semiprecious stone mined in Afghanistan almost 6,000 years ago? The ancient Chinese created blue pigments by blending copper with other elements. Other civilizations continued their experiments to create shades of blue to use for decor – including the Catholic Church’s adoption of the color blue for Mary’s robe. Until the industrial age, blue’s pigment remained rare – and expensive. According to the New York Times (which is a GREAT article):
“Early mankind had no access to blue, because blue is not what you call an earth color,” said Dr. Berke, a chemist who has studied the history of blue pigment. “You don’t find it in the soil.” Only with the advent of mining, he said, could sources of blue pigment be extracted.
Blue is not difficult to produce anymore. Blue is used in all aspects of our lives today – from the world of design to the world of fashion – just like this amazing necklace from Addison Weeks.

Necklace by Addison Weeks
Photo Credit: Jenna Wallis Interior Design
And I mentioned blue in the world of design – like these amazing fabrics available on the market today that can be purchased from me:

Photo Credit: Jenna Wallis Interior Design
The color blue can refresh the old and intensify those areas in your castle that are growing tiresome. It has worked for 6,000 years! I have been adding the color blue to my personal home over the past few months: ancient blue porcelain; oversized pillows; art and wallpapers (like this beautiful wall from the Jim Thompson Showroom in Atlanta):

Jim Thompson Showroom, ADAC (Atlanta, GA)
Photo Credit: Jenna Wallis Interior Design
Blue has many different names: royal, teal, indigo, sky, admiral, denim, navy, turquoise and lapis to name a few. Each of these shades can take you a different place – to a Greek isle, to a cowboy ranch, to an ancient Aztec world and beyond.
Blue does not have to be plain – it can be patterned just like these fabulous benches I found in Atlanta last week at Taylor Burke Home, which is also a wonderful example of mixing blue and brass:
Can’t you just see Elvis himself (if he were still here) enjoying a candlelight dinner with this stunning candelabra centerpiece by Dunes and Duchess? Even the candlestick color is electrifying!
Look what the talented team of Parker Kennedy Living created for the Robert Allen showroom at ADAC in Atlanta. I love the Palm Beach overtones mixed with a little vintage and a little new. This is the perfect combination of balance, style, color and proportion.

Parker Kennedy Living
Photo Credit: Jenna Wallis Interior Design
That’s what makes the color blue such an important part of design – there are many different options, just as there are many different styles for many different people. I love being an interior designer so I can help others style their home using the many shades of blue to their liking!
Stay Inspired!
– Jenna
About Castles and Kings
I am an interior designer in Memphis and am excited to launch my new blog, Castles and Kings.
Castles and Kings will be a lifestyles blog concentrating on interior design. A designed space does not have to be as large as a castle to be a castle. The space simply has to be beautiful. It can be a tiny shed in the middle of a farm field that one transforms into its own precious gem. It can be a garden outdoors. It can be a small reading room. It will be my pursuit to explore all the ways that a space can be turned into a castle.
My blog will be more than just design, it will cover my passions in life. I will explore real life humor and mistakes, not just focus on the glitz and glamour. I will explore travel, art, architecture, fashion, food, family, and the world of two very fun and very different young boys, all through the eyes of an interior designer. It is my hope to take you through a magical journey through creativity, vision and some off-the-beaten-path experiences.
From a very early age, I felt called to be a designer. My parents moved our family to Oxford, Mississippi from Memphis, Tennessee. The chosen home was the former meeting place of a motorcycle club. My mother painstakingly worked to renovate and transform the home into a comfortable, familiar space for my family. I was along for the ride. Whether it was helping choose fixtures or furniture, I was the happiest four year old girl in the State of Mississippi.
We next moved to Dyersburg, Tennessee and the process started again. I was a more mature seven year old this time, and my mother listened to my ideas and opinions on transforming a set of architectural plans into our family home throughout my childhood to college. At seven years old, I was immersed in selecting fabric swatches and playing with colors and patterns. I was hooked.
After I obtained a degree from Hollins College in Roanoke, Virginia, I felt called to become a professional interior designer. Since that point, I have traveled the world and helped design projects in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and throughout the United States while working in Atlanta and Los Angeles. I felt called to return back to my roots in Tennessee, but I brought back with me my experiences, knowledge and California-learned appreciation for a new style of living.
For seven years, I took time away from the industry to raise my sons. My love for the world of design, however, never disappeared. I am excited to open my interior design business to help those that want a helping hand in turning their space into a castle.
And in the meantime, I am excited to blog about my passions and experiences, with the hope that these posts and pictures will entertain and provide inspiration to you all.