“Being able to recognize individuality & uniqueness and then find a way to make it irresistible to the right people is my jam.”

It may come as a surprise to you, but this whole nautical, ships-ahoy bit is more than just an — ahem — clever play on my last name. No, no. It all holds a bit more meaning for me. You see, ever since I was a kid, I was a bit of a water boy.

Like every single one of my summer birthday parties involved water in one form or another. I mean, super-soaker / water balloon fight party? Sign me up.Or a party at the lake with the crew taking turns being slung across the water on the Tubinator while my dad or sister tried to destroy us. Ahhhh, those were the days. 

Then, thanks to my long-time childhood friend, Lana, I discovered surfing and ANY chance we could get, my dad would pile us all into the motorhome, strap on the boards, and we’d make the 8 hour trek to the beach to “catch some tasty pipes” as he would say. My senior year of high school, I actually surfed more than I snowboarded and those dawn patrol surf sessions with my dad were simply the best. 

Needless to say, I’ve always been a bit caught between two worlds … the mountains and the sea. Rustic and modern. Old and new. Thinking and feeling. Left-brain and right-brain. Design and photography. Independent yet collaborative. And for the longest time, I was tempted to choose one part of myself and forsake the other … which always left me wanting more and feeling a bit off.

I soon realized that this struggle, this dichotomy, this tug-of-war is what makes life so interesting, and what makes me unique. If I could find a way to satisfy all those cravings, then I would be one #happyjeff. 

The solution to my mountains and sea problem? Seattle. Rustic and modern? Arhaus. Design and photography? Being a designer for photographers & personal food, travel and lifestyle photography. Old and new? Having my great-grandfather’s Brownie camera situated next to my West Elm whale tail on my bookshelf. 

I’m fascinated by the process of bringing things together. Mixing, blending, merging … that’s what I love. Be it bringing wildly talented people together to create a beautiful brand. Or mixing the most delicious cocktail from fresh ingredients. Or finding that sweet balance between modern and cozy in interior design.

I bring that same curiousity to my work. Being able to recognize individuality & uniqueness and then find a way to make it irresistible to the right people is my jam, and getting to create something meaningful and authentically representative for someone is incredibly gratifying. I love it so.