The Story Behind House of Aurelia

Every creative life has a beginning, and often, a return.

My career began at Gensler, where I worked alongside world-class architects and designers. It was an early education in creative excellence: the discipline behind large-scale design, the power of thoughtful composition, and the clarity required to bring ambitious visions to life.

For a time, I believed I would pursue a master’s degree in interior design. But life, as it often does, offered a detour. Practicality took the lead, and I found myself in corporate consulting — sharp, fast-paced, and exacting. I learned how to manage complexity, communicate with precision, and guide high value projects from idea to execution with confidence.

Then, in 2020, I met my now-husband, Brian. He was living in an investment property he’d long planned to renovate; a century-old home with undeniable charm and equally undeniable disrepair. Its interiors were mismatched and disconnected from the architecture, as though the home had been living in fragments. I felt an immediate pull to restore it, to honor what it had always been meant to become.

Six months into dating, we were deep into a full-scale renovation.

That home, affectionately known as the Historic River House, became a turning point. It wasn’t just the transformation of a space. It was the beginning of trusting my instincts, shaping a design vision from the ground up, and discovering that this work was not simply something I loved — it was something I was meant to do.

That renovation marked the beginning of my studio, originally founded as J. Ackerman Design.

Since then, I’ve worked within a luxury interior design firm in San Francisco, studied interior architecture through the Academy of Art University, and immersed myself fully in the world of interiors. And yet, in many ways, the most valuable training I bring to this work was forged outside the design world. My years in consulting taught me how to lead with clarity, protect a client’s investment, and create a process that feels as refined as the finished home.

Today, that foundation supports every project we take on, not only in the beauty of the design, but in the integrity of how we bring it to life.

As the studio evolved, so did its creative vision, and with it, the need for a name that could hold the emotional richness, layered storytelling, and design depth that define our work.

House of Aurelia was born from that evolution.

Aurelia, meaning golden, evokes the warmth, luminosity, and timelessness we return to again and again. And House of speaks to legacy: a point of view rooted in principles deeper than trend. It is a name that holds both past and future, much like the homes we design.

Whether you’re seeking inspiration, beginning a renovation, or searching for a trusted design partner, I hope House of Aurelia feels like a place you can trust and return to — a resource, a guide, and a quiet source of beauty.

Warmly,

Jordan Collier

Founder & Principal Designer

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House of Aurelia is a San Francisco–based interior design studio crafting refined, emotionally resonant spaces.

With an enduring respect for craftsmanship, our work blends material richness with restraint, pairing inviting textures, luminous details, and thoughtful composition. We are especially drawn to homes with history — residences that have stood for a century or more — helping our clients uncover their architectural essence and reimagine them for modern life.

We believe a home should be a living archive of memory, meaning, and evolving beauty.