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With a bright aesthetic and a brave approach to design, Janelle Blakely Photopoulos leads the team at Blakely Interior Design and its clients to inspiring, uplifting places they never dreamed of going.

Janelle founded her company in 2012 as Fresh Nest Color & Design, later changing the name as a way of carrying on her family’s name. Since then, she has quickly established the firm’s reputation for creating beautiful, colorful, livable interiors, making it one of the most sought-after interior design firms in Rhode Island.

Janelle’s artistic nature and eye for design are equally matched by her business acumen and unwavering commitment to integrity. She originally earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing at Syracuse University (all while dancing her heart out as a Division 1 cheerleader and dance team member!) and then built a successful career honing her management and creative problem-solving skills in corporate America as a marketing executive with AT&T. Janelle later realized her “true calling” and spent the next five years at the Rhode Island School of Design to learn the technical aspects of interior design. After founding BID, she was accepted to and completed Goldman Sachs’ prestigious 10,000 Small Businesses program, where she received a crash course “mini MBA” education in entrepreneurship, benefitting from the input and mentorship of top business executives.

Today, that all translates into the rock-solid foundation of integrity, creativity, detailed processes and great communication on which Janelle has built BID. It’s this foundation - plus the team of carefully curated professionals she’s built - that consistently give Blakely’s clients an exceptional design experience and remarkable results.

Janelle and BID are frequently featured in the press, including local and regional publications throughout Rhode Island. She also sits on the Board of Directors for the Rhode Island Builders Association and was recently awarded Woman Owned Small Business of the Year for 2020 by the Rhode Island Small Business Association; an award that she was honored to receive as the business heads towards it's decade mark.

If she’s not at work, you might find Janelle anchored up at Dog Beach with her three kids and husband, taking a hot yoga class, devouring the business books she’s addicted to.

Kristian brings over two decades of executive management experience to Blakely. His experience is rooted in the high growth, fast-paced “ed tech” space. For the last decade, he was at the helm of driving scaling initiatives and growth across all parts of the business for market leader, Blackboard – which has set him up for success to bring Blakely to new heights.

With a desire to let his knowledge and experience benefit a purpose closer to home (figuratively and literally), Kristian joined forces with his wife, Janelle, in the Spring of 2021. As Blakely’s Chief Operations Officer, he is involved in all facets of the business – focusing on operational excellence and strategic growth.

When not at work or with this family, Kristian can most certainly be found somewhere out in the vast ocean fishing off-shore for big eye tuna, or deep in the woods hunting whitetails with his compound bow.

Becky studied interior design and fine art in college and earned her interior design certification from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2016. In addition to creating beautiful roomscapes with punchy patterns and vibrant colors, Becky ensures every detail of our clients’ projects is executed beautifully. She plays an integral role in developing initial design concepts and space plans, as well as orchestrating the many “moving parts” in each project.

A master at meeting deadlines and sticking to budgets, Becky is a key creative force on the BID team. She is calm under pressure and is always quick to find a solution to any problem that should arise - design-related or not. Even better, she has a heart of gold and she brings her fantastic sense of humor with her everywhere she goes. She’s a BID rockstar if ever there was one!

When not at the office, you'll find Becky kayaking, rock climbing or running with her husband as well as reading those 25 books they just checked out of the library!

Ali has spent the last eight years honing her project management and interior design skills in commercial architecture, where she was an integral part of the success of numerous high-profile projects. As a Senior Designer at Blakely, Ali can fully embrace her lifelong affinity for color theory, patterns, furniture, and layout, which perfectly pairs with her extensive experience leading teams through tight timelines, budgets, and client expectations.

When Ali isn't immersed in her work, you can find her wrangling her twin girls, spending quality time with family, and launching her next home improvement project (and the next, and the next...).

With a bachelor’s degree in textile marketing from The University of Rhode Island, and an associate’s degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology in textile design, Jessie brings a great mix of marketing knowledge and creativity to the team.

Jessie is the woman behind the screen, curating Blakely’s social media platforms and website to ensure you are always up to date on our latest design projects, events and anything else new and exciting. She plays a substantial role in the creation of all marketing content from blog posts to advertisements, ensuring all materials are consistently in line with the vibrant Blakely brand.

Like any native Rhode Islander, Jessie enjoys spending her free time by the ocean whether it’s laying on the beach or taking a boat ride to Block Island.

After earning degrees in Merchandise Product Development and Business Management from FIDM, Marina felt a natural inclination to pursue a career in Project Management within the design industry. Over the last eight years she has led and supported both creative and operational teams for design projects from Los Angeles to London. As a solutions-driven problem solver and creative thinker she is always striving to find the most efficient and effective ways to drive our projects forward. She is there to guide our clients and communicate with them every step of the way as well as keep the design team organized and on track, overseeing the budget, schedule, production, and construction management.

When she's not deep in a beloved Excel spreadsheet behind her desk, Marina enjoys spending time outdoors - whether that's exploring a new cycling route, hiking with her dog, or hanging at the beach... all while probably listening to the latest true crime podcast.

A New England Institute of Technology alumni with her bachelor’s in Interior Design, Brianna possesses an excellent eye for detail and strong sense of creativity. As Associate Designer, her main role at BID is to support the Design Director and project managers in creating CAD drawings, communicating with vendors, sourcing products, and specifying finishes & materials.She also assists clients by answering questions, performing site visits, and connecting with contractors to ensure every part of each project is going smoothly. Brianna’s level of enthusiasm and willingness to help on any level makes her a valuable member of the team - not to mention the addition of her bright personality!

In her free time, Brianna loves to unwind by exercising her artistic talents through painting and drawing. She also considers herself a “taco connoisseur” and will never say no to Mexican food!

Meridith earned her Interior Design Certificate from RISD in 2006, and brings many years of experience working on high-end residential design projects to BID. As our Procurement Coordinator, she works tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that every piece of the design puzzle is in its proper place. She creates proposals, places and tracks orders, and manages every detail throughout the course of the design process.

Her priority at BID is keeping all the balls in the air and then making sure they land where we designed them to, which she does with grace and a wonderful sense of humor.

Outside of the office she can be found exploring the natural beauty of Rhode Island, listening to live local music, and encouraging her young daughters to express themselves to live vibrantly through art and creativity.

Margaret joined the Blakely team after enjoying many years in the fashion industry as a merchandiser and business planning analyst in New York City. While honoring her desire to continue her career in a creative industry, Margaret is happy to be on the operations side of the business as Blakely’s Expeditor. She assists in every step of the procurement process, and is instrumental in communicating order and shipping statuses to the rest of the team. If you’ve had the pleasure to speak with Margaret, you’ve certainly noticed her kind and calm demeanor, and her ability to eloquently manage the “unfortunate news” when it comes to shipping and product delays.

In her free time, Margaret enjoys being out on the water with her family and is an avid gardener and self-proclaimed baked goods connoisseur.

Maythi graduated in May from East Carolina University with her bachelor’s degree in interior design, as well as a a certificate in entrepreneurship. Through her passion for design, knack for problem solving and technical skills in Revit, she supports our design team in all aspects of our process from space planning, to sourcing, to client presentations.

As a Rhode Island native returning from North Carolina after 3 years, she's excited to take the next step in her career back in the Ocean State. When she's not in the studio, Maythi enjoys creating art, sewing, and spending time in the sun tending to her plants.