Hi, I'm Jenn, the founder and product designer behind Braid & Wood Design Studio.

I design modern, plant-forward home decor out of San Diego, California. Everything I make is rooted in clean lines, quality materials, and the belief that your space should feel as intentional as the life you're building in it. Think Scandinavian restraint meets California warmth, minimal, sculptural, and very much alive.

But I didn't get here in a straight line. Not even close.

the long way around

I spent 18 years working in nonprofits and education, marketing, PR, social media, creative content, website design. I went to community college, took classes at night, worked full-time, and eventually earned a degree in English with an emphasis in Rhetoric & Writing from San Diego State.

The whole time, I was making things on the side. A pillow shop on Etsy. A custom artwork service. A line of handmade concrete planters. I have always been someone who needs to create, I just hadn't found the thing that stuck yet.

then everything changed

After a few really intense years, my husband and I decided to blow it all up (in the best way). We quit our jobs, sold what we thought was our forever home, and moved into a small two-bedroom apartment. He joined a tech startup. I started figuring out what was next.

And then something clicked.

the click

I started Braid & Wood thinking it would be an interior design firm. I still love interiors, I just focus on creating beautiful spaces for myself now. But the plant hangers I was designing for fun? They started getting attention, first on Instagram, then at a few local boutiques and plant shops. So I leaned in. Hard.

I knew absolutely nothing about product design and manufacturing at scale when I started. Not a thing. I figured it out piece by piece, curve by curve.

where we are now

Today, Braid & Wood has incredible global manufacturing partners, a logistics team handling inventory and fulfillment, and a product design team that helps bring new collections to life. Every piece is crafted from solid white ash hardwood, steel, and spun aluminum. I choose to work with these types of materials because they feel as good as they look.

Along the way, we landed on the shelves at West Elm, Magnolia Market, and Uncommon Goods. We were featured on the Today Show and in House Beautiful. We won Best New Product (twice!) at two different national trade shows. And more recently, we've built something I'm even more proud of, a direct-to-consumer brand with an incredibly loyal community.

Not bad for a girl making plant hangers in her apartment. ;)

what drives the work

Every Braid & Wood piece is designed to do one thing: bring more life home. I obsess over every curve, every joint, every proportion because I believe good design should feel intentional, lasting, and full of quiet impact. Not loud. Not trendy. Just right.

Seeing my products styled in your homes is the most rewarding part of this whole thing. So thank you for supporting a woman-owned small business and for letting my work be part of your space. It means more than you know.

xoxo, Jenn