5 Under 40 Awards 2016: Jayme Kennerknecht

The count-down to our “5 Under 40” celebration on September 8 continues! Please meet honoree Jayme Kennerknecht.

Livability, approachability, and easy luxury are all hallmarks of Wenham, Massachusetts-based interior designer Jayme Kennerknecht, who enjoys filling a home with beautiful things that are meant to be used.

Effortlessly mixing high and low, modern and classic, Kennerknecht’s designs truly reflect the individual spirit and style of her clients. Her approach to sourcing is equally diverse, with antiques shops, midcentury-modern boutiques, online venues, and local design centers being equal sources of inspiration, depending on each client’s lifestyle, taste, and budget. “Everyone comes to the table with a different life experience, and when you can blend that—whether through textures and patterns or forms and shape and scale—it lends itself to something that is unique to each homeowner, and each space,” Kennerknecht says.

Kennerknecht discovered a love for interior design at a young age. Watching her parents go through the process of building her childhood home helped instill a keen interest in creating a lifestyle that reflects its inhabitants. A graduate of Wentworth Institute of Technology, Kenner­knecht cut her teeth at Boston’s Benson Interiors and LDa Architecture & Interiors before founding Kennerknecht Design Group in February 2015. Her work has been featured in the Boston Globe, Boston magazine, Home Remodeling, and New England Home, among other publications.

Current projects range from a penthouse unit on Beacon Street in Boston to smaller projects in Cambridge, Winchester, and Marblehead, Massachusetts. When it comes to growing her business, Kennerknecht says, “I’ve been really fortunate to have a lot of repeat clients, and they’ve shared my name as a reference to friends and
family. It’s all word of mouth.”

As this year’s “5 Under 40” award proves, word of mouth is speaking loud and clear.

Jayme Kennerknecht’s Rug Inspiration

Jayme’s geometric rug was inspired by a number of relevant factors that she encounters while sourcing for her own clients. Today’s popular open floor plans mean that rugs can be seen from adjacent spaces, non-directional patterns work well since they can be experienced from various viewpoints. Geometrics are versatile since they can be dressed up for a more sophisticated look, or played down for a casual arrangement. An added bonus is that rugs with geometric patterns also work well for layering so this rug is very versatile and can be used in a variety of spaces. 

The “5 Under 40” celebration is open to the public. Join us by purchasing your tickets here.