As a girl, Jodi Berger loved to sketch floor plans of her dream home. “I knew I wanted to be a designer,” she affirms. So it was clearly fate when her father married DC designer Marlene Weiss Alexander and Berger, then a teenager, began to learn the ropes interning for her stepmom.

After studying interior design at University of Florida and working for a few DC designers, she headed to New York. A stint at One Kings Lane “was a great opportunity to learn that part of the business,” says Berger. “I took the leap and went out on my own in 2016.” Though she moved back to Maryland in 2018, Berger and her staff of five take on projects in both the DC and New York areas.

Whether completing a new build or a simple makeover, Berger coaches clients on when to splurge or not. “I’m a big believer in high-low,” she says. “Not everything has to be custom and high-end; that mix is what brings beauty and interest to each space we design.”

Interior Design: Jodi Berger, JLA Designs LLC, Potomac, Maryland. Kitchen Design: Amy Collins, Division 12 Design, Glen Echo, Maryland. Renovation Contractor: Edgar Gonzalez, Home Renovations, LLC, Frederick, Maryland. Portrait: Michael Ventura.