Known for her “not boring” interiors, designer, artist, and television personality Jennifer Bertrand celebrates a life inspired by fashion, travel, and imagination in her signature way.

Words
Andrea Glinn
@glinn.interiors

Photos of Artist
Rita Clark
@heirloomphotocompany

Photos of Interiors
Matthew Anderson
@matthewaphoto

Artist
Jennifer Bertrand
@jenniferbertranddesign
jenniferbertrand.com

For Jennifer Bertrand, color isn’t a finishing touch—it’s a language.

The Kansas City creative is best known for her work as an interior designer, television personality, and larger-than-life presence in the design community. But lately, Bertrand has been reconnecting with the first love that shaped her creative identity: art.

Growing up in an art-centered family, Bertrand spent her childhood surrounded by museums, sculptures, and historic architecture. Her father worked in museums, her mother was a sculptor, and family travels through Europe exposed her to centuries of visual storytelling. Those early experiences left a lasting impression, teaching her that art isn’t separate from life—it is life.

Today, that philosophy shows up in a body of mixed-media work that is joyful, expressive, and unapologetically colorful. Working primarily with acrylics, oil pastels, and increasingly experimental materials, Bertrand approaches each piece with curiosity rather than adherence to a signature style.

“I don’t want to get trapped in one aesthetic,” she explains. Instead, her work evolves seasonally, often drawing inspiration from the fashion world. Designers such as Schiaparelli, Alexander McQueen, and Valentino influence her use of color, texture, and drama, inspiring compositions that feel both artistic and couture-inspired.

Like fashion, Bertrand’s artwork embraces transformation. Some pieces incorporate embroidered details or layered textures, while future collections may feature laser-cut wood and marble elements. She is currently developing installation-based projects that blur the line between art, design, and theatrical experience.

Bertrand’s colorful landscapes and abstracts are accessible and are intended to spark joy. She creates custom pieces for her own design projects, as well as for other interior designers and customers.

Bertrand’s personal jewelry collection is as playful as her paintings. All of these pieces came from the local boutique Donna’s Dress Shop.

Bertrand prepares shots of her work for her upcoming book, a memoir of her life’s adventures told from her hilarious perspective.

Bertrand layers color and pattern to make spaces feel vibrant and alive. Her designs imbue a sense of abundance and joy.

Bertrand’s designs are inspired by things that she loves: her dogs, colorful flowers, antiques, fashion, books, and fun patterns.

Bertrand updated a client’s kitchen by refreshing the cabinets with royal blue paint, adding a patchwork of green and blue wall tile, and cladding the walls with shou sugi ban wood.

An art TV featuring the Slim Aarons photo Poolside Glamour pulls in the colors from the nearby playful turquoise and lemon wallpaper.

The primary bedroom features lavender bedding, dusty mauve walls, and a punchy ochre sofa. Bertrand is not afraid to be bold with color. The bed pillow is Christian Lacroix from Terrasi Living. The walls are painted Sherwin-Williams’ Expressive Plum.

The playful zellige tile in a variety of green and blue hues serves as an artful backdrop to everyday living. Sconces by Palecek; pendant lights by Visual Comfort; vintage Italian stools.

Yet despite the ambitious scale of some commissions—including a 30-room palazzo restoration in Sicily—Bertrand remains deeply interested in the intimate role art plays in everyday life. She believes people are craving work that feels handmade, personal, and emotionally resonant.

That belief has inspired a forthcoming collection of customizable artwork designed to bridge the gap between mass-produced décor and inaccessible gallery pieces. The goal is simple: create art that feels soulful, approachable, and uniquely personal.

Humor also plays a role in Bertrand’s creative process. Alongside abstract works, she enjoys creating pieces inspired by pop culture, transforming beloved film moments into art that sparks conversation and laughter.

Whether she’s drawing inspiration from a couture runway, an Italian palazzo, or a cult-classic movie, Bertrand approaches creativity with the same infectious energy. Her work is a reminder that color can be bold without being serious, art can be sophisticated without being exclusive, and joy itself can be a powerful design statement.