Jersey Ice Cream Co – Lokal Hotel Partner Profile

Intro to Jersey Ice Cream Co.

Possibly the cutest couple in the design game, Tara & Percy teamed up in 2010 to start a unique company that lived in people’s homes while renovating them. Tara has an impeccable eye for creating warm interiors with vintage goods and Percy can plaster and build anything to transform a space quickly. There is so much more to Jersey Ice Cream Co than that so read on and click through the things to find out more about them.

How we came to use them

One of the founding principles of Lokal, is that as much of the team behind each project is as local as possible. While these guys don’t really have a traditional home of sorts now, their origins were in Philly. The first project they worked on together was actually Percy’s own South Philly home. [NOTE: All of the photos in this post are of past JICC projects that we loved and made us want to work with these guys even before we knew who was responsible for them all.] Another factor was our first location in Historic Old City in an existing building that needed to be brought back to life. We wanted to respect the building and neighborhood by finding someone who could modernize it while bringing back some of the original details. The extensive use of natural plaster walls in all of their projects was a big factor along with their obvious respect for all things old and handmade. We wanted people to feel comfortable in a “home away from home” type of experience. But better. These guys seemed like the perfect choice. After one quick meeting and a lunch, we all felt is was a good fit and the search for our first designers was quickly over.

Lokal Interview with JICC

Lokal: When did you start your business? JICC: We started our business not long after we met in the Summer of 2010 Lokal: What made you want to start your specific business? JICC: We were really inspired by our first trip to Brimfield flea market together, found the Jersey Ice Cream Co embossing stamp, and sort of thought, could this be a thing? We started small with an etsy shop, and then started selling at Brimfield and Brooklyn Flea. We always had a love for vintage things, but the more time we put into finding them, the more we wanted a little more control over where they were going. Coincidentally, we had been working on fixing up a house that Percy owned in South Philly at the time, and started to realize that we really liked designing a space in it’s entirety – the walls, the floors, the furniture, the artwork, the whole shebang. When we finished the house we decided to try to get some press and release it as our first design project. Design Sponge ran the story, which we were beyond excited about, and the rest is history! Lokal: What do you love most about what you do now? JICC: Happily, a lot of things! We have a ton of creative freedom, we get paid to do something we love, and we don’t have to stare at a computer screen all day – tough combo to beat. Lokal: What is your dream vacation? JICC: Ah, vacations. We are still trying to figure out the best type of vacation for us. We always think it should mean going somewhere for as long as possible with nothing to do, but it turns out that drives us crazy! At this point I think our dream vacation is two weeks in Europe with no hotels booked, a rental car and lots of freedom and possibility. Lokal: What type of places do you seek out when you travel to stay at? JICC: At this point we’ve experienced the full gamut from awful rentals to super fancy hotels, and I think what we care about most at this point is staying somewhere that feels comfortable and real. We’d rather stay in a modest apartment in Italy right in the center of town that feels like a place we’d actually live in, than some ridiculous hotel that feels like you’re staying in a bubble. Still, we struggle to find the right places to stay that don’t break the bank, but also make for an enjoyable trip. I actually made a list the last time I was traveling about what I really really need the place to have. It broke down to a room that doesn’t make me feel trapped with beautiful views, walkability, a place to run, and somewhere to get coffee in the morning. Lokal: When traveling, which two of these five rise to the top for you – food, drink, adventure, culture, shopping? JICC: Food and drink are really one thing aren’t they? For me (Tara) it’s all about eating and walking. I love to see places on foot and experience the little things you can’t just by driving by. For Percy, it’s definitely about food and adventure. Lokal: What are three places (food, drink, adventure, culture OR shopping) that you’d visit on your perfect day in Philly? JICC: Having lived there for a few years, the places we’d visit on a perfect day in Philly are really so simple. We’d go for a run along the Schuylkill River or to yoga at Philly Power Yoga, stop by the original La Colombe in Rittenhouse, sit in the park for a bit, wander around and then probably get dinner at Parc because old habits die hard, and you can’t beat that view.

In Summary

We couldn’t be happier with having the good fortune of JICC at the design helm for our first project. We still feel honored to be able to work with them. The compliments from guests continue to poor in weekly from every detail of their design they implemented with our first building. While the pictures on social media look great, you really have to sit in the middle of one of their rooms to truly understand the impact of their interior design skills. It’s a combination of 100 different design decisions in one room from the custom plaster mix chosen to the finish on the fixtures to the “matching” oil paintings found on ebay for an unknown future project. It all works together to make you feel more comfortable and peaceful in a room than you ever thought possible. At least that’s how we felt while sitting in the first of the rooms they completed. We hope you get to experience your own reaction to their design magic soon as well!