Psychology of Design

When Jessica Ledoux ’09 graduated from FCS, she knew interior design was her future. She scoured the country for the perfect place to learn, and landed at Louisiana State University.

“I was told by my parents: ‘You can’t go any further than the Mississippi River.’ And, LSU was right on that line, so it worked out well.” Not to mention, their interior design program is among the best in the nation.

Now an Interior Designer at Baskervill—named among the top 100 design giants in the country—Jessica is realizing her dream.

She was thinking about her future from a young age, and part of that was due to Fredericksburg Christian School. “When I started high school, Mrs. Green was my guidance counselor,” says Jessica, “she challenged me to start praying about God’s calling on my life.” From there, she started looking for opportunities to experience different types of work.

Courtesy of Baskervill/Pittsburgh Airport Marriott

While visiting one summer, Jessica’s aunt re-designed their kitchen. “[The redesign] changed the way we interacted as a family; it made me realize that interior design affects people’s lives,” explains Jessica.

While attending FCS, Jessica had the opportunity to intern at Wack, a general contractor in town, and loved it. “I wanted to do something that helped people.” says Jessica. “The psychology of design impacts how people interact, work, and live.”

She had the chance to take an art class with Mrs. Yost, who inspired her to be creative for the glory of God. And, she soaked up Mr. Shaeffer’s apologetics class, where she learned to defend her faith and develop strong foundations for what she believed.

When asked if it was amazing to work at Baskervill, her response was: “Oh my gosh, yes.” Founded in 1897, Baskervill has over a century of projects to boast of; not the least of which are additions to Thomas Jefferson’s Capitol building and the Richmond Public Library, as well as more recent projects like Snagajob Headquarters and the VCU Gateway Building. “The people are very creative and collaborative. I can go to any engineer, architect, or interior designer with a question and they’ll drop what they’re doing to help,” says Jessica. “It’s a family—like FCS.”

Concept – Industrial Chic Lifestyle Property

Jessica works in the Hospitality Studio (i.e. hotel design), which is ranked among the top 20 hospitality design firms in the country. After taking Kenneth Brown’s only semester-long class at LSU on Hospitality, she knew it was her passion. Recently, the company went international and her new focus is on international projects.

“Fredericksburg Christian School is an education that you really can’t describe in words,” says Jessica. “It’s a school that values preparing your children to have a successful life centered around faith—a life about giving back.” Working toward her NCIDQ, Jessica will be licensed to design in any state. So, keep an eye out for her artistic eye on your next trip; you could end up in a hotel designed by Jessica Ledoux ’09.