Long fascinated with interior design, Jazmyne Simmons took what she calls “a non-linear career path.” She attended the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied architecture and also played Division 1 soccer. As a student athlete, she unfortunately experienced four concussions in 20 months—and earned her degree despite lingering health issues.

She is now at the top of her game as principal of her own DC interior design studio, founded in 2022 after stints at other firms. Simmons says that the challenge of working hard while navigating an intense healing process informs her approach as a designer today. “I began to understand that, more than just aesthetics, interior design is about how you inhabit a space and how its functionality comes together,” she observes. “Especially in the DMV where we’re a lot of high performers, I’m able to read the subtext and understand how much mental load a client is working under day to day. Then I consider how I can design a space that starts to alleviate that. I bring a calm, easeful presence to the spaces I design.”

Whether working on a new build or a renovation, Simmons believes that her background in architecture makes her nimble. As she explains, “It helps me bring all the pieces together, look at what’s available and then jump off and pivot from there.”

Interior Design: Jazmyne Simmons, ASID, Jazmyne Design Studio, Washington, DC.