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Jennifer Sergent

Senior Communications Writer | Perkins Eastman

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About Jennifer Sergent

Jen-AboutPage

I’ve been telling stories for my entire professional career, starting with my first published article when I was a teenage copy aide at The Washington Post. I’ve learned new skills of writing and reporting at every stage, from interning on Capitol Hill to my first cub-reporter cops beat in Florida – all the way up to daily news reporting in Washington to covering homes for local shelter magazines and creating content for design creatives. I’ve learned the power of words, used just so to convey information and emotion, drama and detail.

I’ve reached the latest stage of my storytelling career as the senior communications writer for Perkins Eastman, a global architecture firm with numerous studios and architectural disciplines – all of them focused on the same goal: Human by Design. The scope of work can be sprawling – waterfront districts from DC’s Wharf to Shanghai’s Huishan North Bund; skyscrapers from New York to Kuwait; and hospitals, university buildings, and hotels across the United States, and around the world. But no matter the project, each design team thinks first about the people who will be using the space — and under which circumstance — before conceiving the space itself, thus creating a uniquely human experience each time.

I’ve become addicted to design ever since I started covering homes for HGTV in the early 2000’s. I eventually started a blog in 2010 to explore design in my hometown. DC by Design is the only local design blog that avoids the typical “how-to” decorating tips and delves exclusively into the talents that shine throughout the DC-Maryland-Virginia region.

Beyond my keyboard, I live in a post-and-beam Deck House in Arlington, Virginia, that we affectionately call The Brady Bunch House. My husband, Jim, is a top design editor at USA Today, and we’ve got two sons—Henry, 19, a freshman at Christopher Newport University, and Chal, 16, a sophomore at Yorktown High School (whose 2013 renovation was designed by Perkins Eastman!).

My favorite gifts of all time have been furniture and art: lipstick-red Victoria Ghost chairs by Philippe Starck add zing to my office, thanks to my dad; a custom chest that my husband commissioned from our friend, woodworker Caleb Woodard greets visitors in our entry hall; and likewise, he asked another friend, artist Mark Giaimo, to do a painting of Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head (inside joke), which lives in our bedroom. Each of these pieces, like many others in our home, has a story behind it—one of the reasons I love learning about the stories that dwell in every new design endeavor I’m privileged to write about.

Want more details about my work experience? My full resume is on LinkedIn, right here.

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Apr 9

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This lady saw so much, lived through so much, and her son, DC photographer @maxhirshfeld, captured that totality on a return to her former prison at #auschwitz. Today’s blog features a book he wrote and illustrated that was inspired by this journey back to Poland. Link in bio.
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Mar 9

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Another inspiring before and after from Regan’s guest post, linked in bio! 
@rbhomedesign 
📷 @angelanewtonroyphotography
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Mar 8

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Couldn’t be more proud to be starting a job today with @perkinseastman.washington, the firm behind @thewharfdc and so many other stunning designs around the world!
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Mar 4

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My latest story for Home & Design! 

#Repost @homeanddesigndc with @make_repost
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A 1940's-era Colonial in Friendship Heights was renovated and expanded into a contemporary abode while preserving its original roots. Natural light, high ceilings and warm wood elements complement the interiors. The rear addition combines two- and three-story volumes with the owners' suite on the third level; the addition was clad in wood siding that comes down over the original brick façade. An open concept master bathroom adds a sleek and sophisticated vibe.⁠⁠
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Renovation Architecture: @jonathankuhnarchitect 
Contractor: Eric and Brad Bernstein / @bradbern_construction 
Landscape Design: Carlos Uman / Green Fields Landscaping⁠⁠
Text: ⁠⁠@jensergent 
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#jonathankuhnarchitect #bradbernconstruction #architecture #architecturalrenovation #archreno #smartmakeover #renovation #contemporary #contemporaryarchitecture #contemporarydesign #interiors #design #architecturaltransformation #kitcheninteriors #remodel #homeanddesigndc
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Mar 4

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What a breath of fresh air! Swipe to see this kitchen before Regan Billingsley @rbhomedesign worked her magic. More before and after sin the blog post, link in bio
📷 @angelanewtonroyphotography
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Mar 2

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Now on the blog: A Q&A withe the delightful Regan Billingsley of @rbhomedesign about a delicious facelift she executed in Chevy Chase, link in profile! 
📷 @angelanewtonroyphotography
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Jan 22

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When I told my husband I wanted to name our first son Henry, he readily agreed because Henry Aaron was his favorite baseball player of all time. And several years later, my mother gave a framed, signed photograph of this legend to @hjsergent for Christmas, and it hangs right next to his bed. What a sad day, felt all the more personally because I can’t think of my wonderful son without thinking also of the great man who helped inspire his name.🙏🏻
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Jan 21

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Interior design isn’t just pretty. There’s real power and symbolism in the choices you make, which deeply affects how you and your visitors feel in your home. This @washingtonpost piece on the #ovaloffice, linked in bio, illustrates how. @potus 
📷 @olearypix
Story by @alinskey
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Jan 20

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January 20 is finally here!! Sending Godspeed to @joebiden and @kamalaharris ❤️🤍💙
📷 @senatephoto
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Jan 13

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The amazing thing about the #uscapitol is that we enjoy the same beauty as the generations before us. Our fashions might change, but not the glorious encaustic tile, gilded mirrors or the clover-like pendant lights in the Senate Press Gallery. Swipe to see the modern version, shot by @ronbluntphoto. 
Full post in my bio link!
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Jan 12

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With the help of photographers like @adam_brockett who took this glowy halo around the #uscapitol, and my friends who know and cherish that building, here’s a love letter, blog link in bio
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Jan 7

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Memories of the late-night lines to see George H.W. Bush lying in state. Thousands of peaceful mourners waiting to pass through the Rotunda of this majestic Capitol.
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DC by Design is my passion project, a chronicle of design talents throughout the DC-Maryland-Virginia region who are doing beautiful and imaginative things in the categories below. Click here for blog information and guidelines.

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