Adore March 2022

Julie & Isabelle Neill JULIE NEILL DESIGNS 3908 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115 julieneill.com

J ulie and Isabelle Neill of Julie Neill Designs bring beauty and joy into homes across the globe with their handcrafted lighting made by their talented team of artisans. They both wear many hats —Isabelle handles more of the business side while Julie leans more creative —and find working together both fun and seamless. The mother-daughter pair loves being based in New Orleans —a "small town with international style." When they aren't in the studio, the pair can be found strolling in City Park or around the Garden District with their dog, Jack.

How did your professional partnership begin? Julie: Isabelle grew up watching me develop the company, so she saw the challenges of balancing the creative and economic sides of running a business and felt that her strengths fell more into the business arena. She decided to major in Business at Tulane which aligned perfectly for a partnership since my strengths were decidedly rooted in the artistic side of things. After graduation, we both felt that combining our abilities would make for a fabulous partnership, and it has turned out to be just that. What have you learned while working together? Isabelle: It has added another dimension to our mother/ daughter relationship to have my mother as a partner. She has taught me so much about creativity, design, and style. Working with her and knowing she trusts me with many aspects of the business make me proud of who I've grown up to be. Julie: I've learned there is another person in this world who I can trust with some very important parts of the business, so I can focus on where I shine as a designer and as it turns out, Isabelle is better at some of the other aspects than I am! What makes your partnership work? First and foremost, we love each other. We share a common outlook and passion for what we do but bring different strengths to the table. We are focused on our shared goals and appreciate each other's unique assets. We respect each other's opinions and make it a priority to work as a team.

What is the greatest upside to working with a partner? So much more can be accomplished and done well when you share both the vision and the drive to achieve your goals. We celebrate our successes and help each other with our challenges, and we are both energetic and driven to make our company be the best it can be. Having a partner to share your successes with makes them all the sweeter. What about New Orleans inspires you? New Orleans is filled with history, beautiful architecture, lush tropical foliage, and interesting creative people where each day contains the possibility of some remarkable unexpected experience. We love living here because it is never ordinary. How do you like to spend your free time? Isabelle: I love working out —you can find me at Fit Therapy training with Emile or on my Peloton. Julie: Pursuing creative things such as art, decorating my house, and entertaining. What is your favorite quote? Julie: "It's love that makes the world go round!" WS Gilbert Isabelle: "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." Norman Vincent Peale

ADORE • MARCH 2022

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