Jamie Smith Jackson has held many memorable jobs over the years, including working as Robert Redford’s secretary—for All the President’s Men, that is. The former actress who worked with the likes of Dustin Hoffman and Natalie Wood, is a multi-hypenate of talent and energy: she co-owned a silk clothing company that Women’s Wear Daily frequently spotlighted; sold eye-catching mixed-media boxes that she constructed out of found materials; and created, taught and funded an art history program at two elementary schools in Southern California.
Today, Jackson is one of the owners of Pacific Home (a fine furnishings retail store) and Pacific Home Studio (a full-service commercial and residential design firm) in Honolulu.
A graduate of Northwestern University in theater arts and sculpture, she made a serendipitous entry into interior design. “I was visiting some high-roller friends in New York,” she recalls, “and I was bored one day, so I decided to remodel their kitchen. I started by tearing the cabinets off the wall with a crowbar.”
The success of that impromptu design project led to many others, including a trendy restaurant in SoHo, swank loft apartments in Tribeca, a hotel in St. Thomas, actor Ben Stiller’s home on Kauai and the Royal Hawaiian Center in Waikiki.
Jackson favors user-friendly materials that can withstand the abundant sun, salt and moisture of Hawaii’s climate. “Our homes shouldn’t create more work for us,” she says. “They should be nests that make us smile and feel safe. My job is to help clients envision all their dreams.”
SEA CLEARLY “My husband and I live by the ocean near Diamond Head. Our living room fl ows into the lanai, which is surrounded by windows that open to the bright blue ocean and sky. I love color, but I used subtle earth tones there because I felt there was enough intense color outside. We have dinner on our lanai every night, and it is also where I do yoga. I like spaces that can be used in multiple ways.”
AIR SUPPLY “Vladimir Ossipoff designed houses in Hawaii that were simple, functional, one-level, and that maximized the trade winds and encouraged seamless indoor/outdoor living. Every architect and designer in the islands should embrace that philosophy and take advantage of our cool breezes and beautiful views. By doing that, there’s no need for air conditioning and we’re reminded every day of the special place we call home.”
TEACHER, TEACHER! “I didn’t travel the conventional design school route. In college, I had training in set and costume design. I know the color palette, having worked and shown as an artist in Los Angeles. My dad taught me to use a hammer and to think in a three-dimensional way. Acting taught me to imagine being in someone else’s world, and I’ve been fortunate to have worked and learned alongside some really good architects.”
