Clara Jung isn’t your everyday designer. After 4 years at UC Berkeley, she joined the Peace Corps in Nepal teaching English. From there, she went to Michigan, surviving a few brutal winters while attending law school. She returned to the Bay Area, ready to build her corporate law career from the ground up. However, after a few years, she realized she was in the wrong industry–legal research and courtroom appearances didn’t satisfy her creative desires. Jung decided to pursue her passion for interior design full-time and launched Banner Day Interiors. Today, she works to provide both residential and institutional clients with a sense of happiness and wellness in their space. Today, she offers a glimpse of her portfolio and shares what makes her tick:

MY LIGHTBULB MOMENT:
I was working really long hours at a law firm and realized that life was too long to spend it that way. It was a difficult decision since I had wanted to be a lawyer as long as I could remember. I felt as if I failed myself. But I knew I had something to offer, just not in the way I had always imagined. My segue into interior design and starting my own firm has been both professionally and spiritually fulfilling. And as much as I love the art of design, I was surprised to learn that I really enjoy the business aspect of it just as much. 

I CAN’T START MY DAY UNTIL:
Pressing snooze a couple of times, hugs from the dog and an oat milk latte followed by a cup of decaf. 

SUCCESS IS:
Freedom of choice, freedom of time, and the freedom to say no. 

YOU’LL NEVER SEE ME WITHOUT:
My charm necklaces. I’ve become a lover of vintage jewelry especially items from the Victorian era. It’s nice to have a bit of history dangling from your neck.  My favorite local source is Metier located in Hayes Valley, my old San Francisco neighborhood.  

DREAM COLLABORATION:
Perhaps a prosaic answer but designing a boutique hotel would be amazing. On my punch list is Hotel Les Deux Gares in Paris. I would love to bring a version of that aesthetic to a small hotel in Lake Tahoe or the Northern California Coast and expand the definition of the California aesthetic in terms of design. 

THE ONLY CITY BETTER THAN THE BAY AREA:
The Northern California Coast is magical. Where the land meets the water it’s rustic and primal in some spots. Further down, it can be idyllic and peaceful. The sunsets are absolutely epic and the stars at night seem to be magnified a thousand times. It also helps that some of the best California wineries are a short drive inland.