Jaki

Jaki Johnsen

Principal designer, founder

I interned at the Metropolitan Opera, 1996–97 season, then joined Production Design Group (PDG) in Chelsea. there, I worked across television news and sports—Dateline, VTV, FOX, NBC affiliates worldwide—while also creating large-scale, theatrical and Architectural environments. Highlights included the NBC Experience at Rockefeller Center, where I served as a project manager. i worked my way up,
learning everything I could along the way. It was an invaluable foundation.

I transitioned After three years, to high-end residential design—custom homes in Westchester and NYC—focusing on detailed millwork, and old-world craftsmanship.

When DMD Group in SoHo offered me the opportunity to work in corporate theatre and museum exhibits, I jumped at it, I missed production. After several years, I began taking on independent projects, gradually building a client base while still working full-time. That balance came to a turning point on September 11th. It became clear that life was too short not to fully commit to my own work. I founded studio Blu design. Since 2001, I’ve built a practice spanning corporate theatre, exhibits, commercial interiors, and furniture design.

Based in New York city, I collaborate with a talented group of artists and assistants whose creativity, dedication, and individuality shape every project. I’ve come to value not just the work itself, but the crew—and I strive to be a thoughtful collaborator, leader, and partner.

I often think about those early mornings at the Lincoln Center—arriving at dawn, coffee in hand, sitting alone on the stage with the ghost light and wondering how to build a life in this world. It felt vast and uncertain.

But it also carried a quiet belief: that with hard work, curiosity, and humility, anything is possible & failure’s not an option.

Still at it. Still grateful