Talk Shop: Kiley Jackson & Aileen Warren // Jackson Warren Interiors
About Kiley & Aileen
Founded in 2017 by Kiley Jackson and Aileen Warren, Jackson Warren Interiors is a full-service interior design firm specializing in high-end residential design. They both believe that good design should embody comfort, function, and beauty through the thoughtful use of design principles such as scale and color. Jackson Warren’s collaborative approach and inherent respect for the design process deliver a well-developed and creative finished product. Above all else, the home should be a reflection of its inhabitants and Kiley and Aileen take great pride in working closely with their clients to achieve their unique vision. Recently named Traditional Home Rising Stars and featured in multiple publications, we were thrilled to talk to this talented duo!
Describe your style in three words or less:
Comfortable, classic, unexpected.
What have been the three biggest influences on your aesthetic in your life:
Aileen: Fashion trends. Interiors and fashion are linked and I’m constantly looking to runways for design inspiration. I went to Tulane for undergraduate and graduate school, and my time in New Orleans had a huge impact on my design point of view. Travel, particularly a few amazing trips to Mexico City and Morocco.
Kiley: Growing up my parents flipped 16 houses, which certainly sparked my interest in construction and made a lasting impression on my design aesthetic. Travel, and I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some amazing design and architecture firms which gave me some important mentors in my life that helped to shape my style.
How did you start your company, and/or what is your favorite thing about what you do:
We were colleagues at a design firm in Houston and decided to go out on our own. Our favorite thing about what we do is creating relationships with clients and spaces that reflect their lives and personalities.
What does your home say about you:
AW: Right now it says I have two small kids, ha! Also, of course, I’m an art lover and antique collector, and I like textural neutrals and have a restrained use of color.
KJ: My home depicts a balance in style that runs through every part of my life—sophisticated but casual. You’ll find a decorative crystal chandelier, but also a well-loved jute rug. It’s about the high and low and investing in little luxuries that make my smaller-scale home feel like a personal sanctuary.
Where do you find inspiration:
AW: Travel! Getting outside of your comfort zone and experiencing new things is the key to staying fresh and inspired. Particularly memorable and inspiring trips have been Morocco and Mexico City - both of these incredible places are filled with color, culture, and architecture that we love to incorporate in different ways into our work. Also, exploring nature through the national parks in our own backyard can be another great way to draw inspiration for color palettes - nature is not neutral!
KJ: Travel is always inspiring, but honestly, I find a ton of inspiration right here in Texas; whether in the scenery (the beaches of Galveston, the ranches at Round Top, the spring bluebonnets) or in the people and culture. We love Texas!
Who are your style icons:
AW: Jane Birkin
KJ: Someone old Hollywood like Audrey Hepburn
What are your key ingredients for entertaining:
AW: Good food, good booze, and good music
Do you collect anything:
AW: Art
KJ: Match strikers
Favorite Instagram accounts to follow for inspiration (please include links):
AW: I love to follow @summerthorntondesign; @urbanelectricco, @hollander_design
KJ: @porterteleo artisan videos are therapeutic and inspiring. @architecturaldigest is a forever follow for design inspiration from peers.
What design “rule” do you always follow, and which is made to be broken:
AW: We both hold interior design degrees and were mentored by established architecture and interior design firms, so we believe that fundamental design principles like scale, proportion, and balance are paramount to the success of interior design. These principles can be applied to everything from the architecture of a space to the selection of furniture, lighting, and the use of color. Rules on color can be broken. It’s nice when a room is not matchy matchy, or when one thing is unexpected or “off” in a room.
KJ: Scale. I think when you play with scale it can give a space that unexpected flair.
What are you working on right now:
We are so excited about 2025! We are currently working on a historic reno in Mobile, AL; a downtown townhouse in Richmond, VA; a new-build in Solana Beach; a family country estate in coastal Mississippi; a lakehouse on Lake Arrowhead; a traditional single-family home in Houston, and a few more.
Wardrobe staples:
KJ: Jeans all day, every day.
Favorite fabric/wallpaper:
AW: A grasscloth is our go-to. There are infinite colors, price points, and textures. It adds depth of color and texture and allows the light to absorb or bounce.
KJ: Porter Teleo’s handpainted wallpaper is great for a wow moment. For fabric, you can’t go wrong with a mohair.
Best interior advice you ever received:
Every room needs a piece of brown furniture.
Best career advice you ever received:
Don’t work for a**holes.
Types of home purchases you invest in, and save on:
AW: Invest in window treatments—quality drapery is a must
KJ: Invest in what’s important to you. If you’re a great cook, invest in appliances. Art can be a place to save. Finding a great vintage print in Round Top or framing something that’s personal or important to you is a great option.
Your greatest extravagance:
AW: My best friend is a travel agent, and she has ruined me for travel. Now, I always splurge on the hotel room.
Favorite places to shop for home:
Our go-tos are FOUND in Houston, Holland & Sherry, Sourced by Janet Wiebe for antiques, Matt Camron Rugs, Visual Comfort, and Urban Electric
Most prized possession and why:
AW: Besides my kiddos, definitely my Eames chair.
KJ: My black lab, Earl
Your interiors motto:
Design should be comfortable, functional, and beautiful.
Advice for someone looking to define their own interior style:
Start collecting imagery of things (nature, fashion, art, interiors, travel) that inspire you, and step back and try to find the thread that runs through it.
Take Ten: My Favorite…
Food:
Both (enthusiastically): Tex-Mex!
Drink:
AW: A glass of Brunello di Montalcino
KJ: Iced Tea
Film:
AW: I could watch Father of the Bride over and over and will always be entertained.
KJ: The Goonies
Hotel:
AW: Villa des Oranges in Marrakech or Ananda Boutique Hotel in Cartagena
City:
AW: New Orleans
KJ: Galveston
Bedding:
AW: Signoria Firenze’s Viola sheeting is my favorite. They are made in Italy of 100% extra-long-staple cotton sateen, 300 thread count—they wear so well over time and are super soft to the touch.
KJ: You can’t beat a big fluffy duvet.
Tea or Coffee (and how do you take it):
AW: Black drip coffee with half-and-half
KJ: Tea
Playlist:
AW: I’m a big Swiftie
KJ: Contemporary country (What can I say, I’m a Texan!)
Weekend Activity:
AW: I live in Fairhope, AL, so I love to walk with my kids along the bay.
KJ: On the weekends, I try to get out of the city - whether to the beach in Galveston, or Round Top.
Design Book:
AW: Parish Hadley Tree of Life: An Intimate History of the Legendary Design Firm is a classic touchstone for design inspiration that I continue to come back to year after year.
KJ: Miles Redd can do no wrong in my mind. His The Big Book of Chic is a go-to.