Chelsea Brown
Partner/Principal, LEED-AP
“We’re adventurous in the way we approach design. Our clients tend to be adventurous as well. They are out-of-the-box thinkers, and we are out-of-the-box designers.”
Chelsea credits a rich web of influences for the breadth of her firm’s design palette. Whether it be handmade wallpaper, unique lighting or an up-and-coming furniture maker, she and her partner Jenn search tirelessly for undiscovered or little-known resources, citing their boundless curiosity as not only one of their firm’s key strengths but one of the duo’s great joys. Her goal is to create interiors that are inviting, sophisticated and uniquely personal.
Little known fact: her penchant for design and all things French started at around age three, when she began “helping” with window displays in her godmother’s French antiques store in Los Gatos. She still takes any and every opportunity to visit France.
Guilty Pleasure: croissants. Naturally.
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Chelsea grew up in Northern California and received a BA in Journalism from the University of Nevada, Reno. She began her career in marketing and advertising before returning to school to pursue her passion for interior architecture and design at San Francisco’s Academy of Art University. In five years with the interdisciplinary, global design firm DLR Group, she rose from design intern to associate and project manager with the firm’s Workplace Interiors group. Working from the firm’s Denver office, she served as the sustainability lead for interiors, a national role in which she helped establish sustainability standards across the firm’s nationwide interiors practice. She co-founded Leap Interior design in 2009 after a fateful meeting and collaboration with her partner Jenn.
Chelsea approaches design as an organic process. She draws upon a unique set of resources to achieve each client's vision in a way that is enduring, allowing them to evolve for years to come by layering in elements that are meaningful. A strong believer that sustainable design elevates not only the home, but the greater community, she draws upon her background to apply sustainable principles to all facets of design, encouraging clients to select heirloom pieces from local artisans and craftspeople whenever possible.
Chelsea relocated home to Northern California to expand the firm’s reach in the Bay Area.
Jennifer Mendelson
Partner/PrincipaL
“I think good design is first and foremost about listening. It’s our job to listen to what the client wants from their environment and then work with them to distill that vision into a holistically designed space that is both beautiful and functional.”
Jenn is passionate about design, with a natural affinity for people and relationships. At age 8, she began hoarding all of her mother’s Architectural Digest magazines, and she’s been obsessed ever since.
Born and raised in New York, Jenn graduated from The State University of New York at Albany with a bachelor’s degree in theatre design. She came to Boulder in 1996 to work for the Colorado Shakespeare Festival and decided Colorado was where she belonged. With a resume that includes a Kennedy Center Award for excellence in costume design, Jenn broke into the interior design industry as the director of sales/lead designer at HW Home. After developing her design skill set over the course of a decade, she met Chelsea Brown and knew that she had found the perfect business partner. In 2009, Leap Interior Design was born.
Little known fact: she possesses a completely useless talent for remembering the lyrics to nearly every song from the 70’s and 80’s. She is still trying to figure out how to capitalize on it.
Guilty Pleasure: dark chocolate. Daily.
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Jenn has received numerous awards for leadership in interior design: in 2019 she was named a member of the Luxe Gold List, and was recognized by 5280 Magazine as one of Denver's Top Designers. She is an active member of the community and deeply committed to the visual arts. A council member of Jazz Aspen Snowmass, she also serves on the board of directors for the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder, which provides diverse opportunities to create, learn and engage in high-quality performing, cinematic and visual arts experiences. As a co-founder and board member for Defy Ventures Colorado, a non-profit employment, entrepreneurship, and personal development training program, she helps the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated to become successful, legal entrepreneurs and employees. Jenn lives in Boulder with her husband Jason, and when not diving into a design project, she can be found practicing yoga, hiking, enjoying live music and theater, and spending time with family and friends.
Jenn lives in Boulder with her husband Jason, and when not diving into a design project, she can be found practicing yoga, hiking, enjoying live music and theater, and spending time with family and friends.
Leap is a different kind of interior design company.
We don't just design beautiful residential, commercial and hospitality spaces. For us, the more important element of our job lies in the realm of things less tangible. We design lifestyles. We orchestrate experiences. We set the stage where life unfolds.