Jenelle Lovings has art and design in her blood.  Her father was a graphic designer and owned a printing company in St. Louis, Mo.   Jenelle’s mother was a creative and would paint in her free time.  Being the daughter of an entrepreneur, Jenelle spent many hours in her father’s print shop.  While everyone was working, she would create houses and televisions fully constructed out of the cardboard boxes that formerly held reams of printing paper.  It was inevitable that she would pursue a creative career. 

Growing up, Jenelle had hopes of being a fashion designer.  In the 3rd grade, her grandmother gave gifted her a Crayola Fashion Designer set, full of stencils, trace paper and templates to copy.  Eventually, she would do away with the designs Crayola provided and began imagining her own fashions.  Her mother, however, felt that fashion was superficial and no guarantee.  As a compromise, she studied interior design as it was the best of both worlds.  Jenelle was still able to design and be creative but would have skills that would be more marketable.  After completing the bachelor’s program in interior design, Jenelle continued to pursue a Master of Architecture from Washington University in St. Louis. 

Phoenix, AZ is where Jenelle’s career began.  Having worked for a boutique high end residential interior design firm and being the sole person responsible for producing all of the drawings, renderings, website, social media, etc., she gained valuable knowledge of the design industry in a short amount of time.  Jenelle transitioned into the world of commercial design after 6 yrs of residential.  The entire time working in commercial design, she longed for designing residential spaces.  To answer that calling, Jenelle began her own interior design firm in 2020. 

Jenelle created, A Black Girl in West Elm, as an outlet for Black and Brown women who love interior design.  There are so many spaces dedicated to fashion, beauty, and wellness, but there aren’t many that showcase interior design that is accessible for everyday people.