 Jessica
Dauray’s home at Lake Jeanette seems paradoxical. First
of all, it is beautifully designed with black hardwood
floors, flowing lines, interesting textures, a
combination of neutral and warm tones highlighting
classical and contemporary elements all with fun little
twists that give visitors a good feel of who she and her
family are. On the other hand, her home is also
pet-friendly (she has two pugs and a cat), kid-friendly
(she has two children, Peyton, 9 and Gavin, 5), and it
is perfect for entertaining and finally, ideal for
relaxing. Impossible, right? But, no, I saw it and you
can too through the Greensboro Symphony Guild’s Tour of
Homes, October 31- November 1. However, perhaps the best
way to see Dauray make a design impossibility into a
reality is to contact her through her interior design
firm, Elements of Style Interiors (EOS), and to schedule
a consultation.
Ten years ago, Dauray started in her hometown of New
Canaan, Connecticut, but her interest in interior design
began much earlier. “As a little girl, I was constantly
rearranging my bedroom,” she recalls. At a young age,
Dauray had shown a strong artistic aptitude and she had
an amazing understanding of how to use space. In college
she studied art history and business followed by a
period of living abroad in Italy. There, she began to
formally study design. She returned to the states where
she completed her degree and then went to work in the
design industry.
Eventually, her own individuality beckoned and she
decided to venture out on her own. Thus, EOS was
created. Having her own design firm allowed her to take
a new approach to working with clients. She wasn’t
looking to create cookie-cutter rooms, but instead, she
wanted to create the kinds of living spaces that were
sophisticated, functional and unique to each individual.
She quickly picked up both residential and commercial
clients in the Metropolitan New York area, and she later
did some consulting in Rome, Italy. Much of her work up
north was with renovation and redesign, but she also
taught seminars and led workshops on interior design and
holiday decorating.
 Then,
four years ago, she, her husband Doug and two children
moved here to the Triad.
While still maintaining an office in Connecticut, Dauray
went about building a client base for EOS in the area.
At first, it took some adjusting, but before long she
was busy helping local residents and businesses to
discover their own signature style. In the process, she
began to work more and more with clients as early as the
development stage. “There are a tremendous amount of
details to consider and decisions to make when embarking
on a large project; having a well thought out design
plan in place is invaluable. A lot of clients don’t know
what’s going to be successful and are concerned about
making mistakes” she explains, but by having a designer
there, she, or a member of her team, is able to offer
specific suggestions on things that are oftentimes
overlooked by builders and architects. “We focus on
designing a room that functions and works for your
entire family.” They are there to evaluate such things
as window placement (Will there be a glare on the
television?), room size or shape (How will this function
best for this particular family?), in selecting the
right finishes and fixtures to assessing how the clients
are allocating their budget. Dauray says, “The earlier
we get involved, the more money the client saves.”
 Dauray’s
ultimate goal continues to be “to create spaces that
‘wow’ people.” And, in case you are worried about cost,
know that she is accustomed to working with a variety of
budgets, whether it’s a high end project, or hourly
consulting. In fact, Dauray says, “It doesn’t take a
huge budget; it’s about making the right choices.” She
points out that sometimes clients get too caught up in
trends, or they become fixated on making everything
match. Another common mistake clients make is to choose
furniture and accessories that are not the right scale
for a particular space. With the right kind of guidance,
clients can avoid these mistakes, make good choices and
still keep to their budget, she advises.
As a full service firm, EOS designers offer other
services. “We are there to help you [the client] reach
your design goals. If a room or space is attractive but
not practical and user friendly we have not done our
job. We create spaces for real people who have kids and
pets, but still want to have beautiful, classic and
sophisticated decor.” After the initial contact, she or
another EOS designer will come to a perspective client’s
home to evaluate the space/spaces. She says, “We want to
see how they live.” Don’t be surprised if they come
toting an assortment of fabrics and colors either. They
are prepared to look into new ideas, to try something
unconventional, and to work with any style. This is all
part of the process of discovering that signature style.
When considering a redesign, many clients focus on their
kitchen or bathroom. For this, Dauray turns to an EOS
designer that she calls simply a “genius”, Anna Hilliard
Smith. Smith specializes in kitchens and bathrooms and
she has created an assortment of design packages to
accommodate most clients’ budgets. Since moving to the
Triad, Dauray has been able to establish good
relationships with local craftsmen and distributors.
These connections have enabled her to offer an even
greater array of design options to her clients.
 Even
though Dauray is somewhat of a recent transplant to the
Triad she has grown to call it home. Her fondness for
North Carolina even inspired a few of her Connecticut
designers to move down as well. One now resides in
Asheville and the other in Wilmington, and Dauray now
enjoys working with them on projects throughout the
state. Also, she continues to work, or to consult on
projects up North, and this January she will begin work
on a residence in the Los Angeles area.
Along with EOS, Dauray also writes a bi-weekly column
for the News and Record called “Design Wise.” If you
haven’t already seen her, you can catch her on TV giving
out design tips. On November 6th, Dauray will lend her
design talents to an event benefiting the Chordoma
Foundation called the “All Decked Out” Holiday Luncheon
at the Greensboro Country Club where they will auction
off some of her beautiful tablescapes and holiday décor.
Dauray will admit that she is lucky because she loves
what she does. “Few people are able to do what they
love.” Of course, I believe that there aren’t that many
people out there that can do what she does, as well as
she does. She can see a space, whether as a sketch or in
person, get a design in mind while taking into account
the client’s lifestyle and needs, obtain the materials,
and then, make it happen.
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