Meet Justine Dennen

My Story

When I was a little girl, I was fascinated with making houses. Whether they were saguaro cactus and tree forts with baked clay floors in the Arizona desert where I grew up, or miniature dream homes for my Barbie dolls, with an eclectic mix of inflatable furniture, handkerchief bed linens, and tiny china tea sets brought back from my grandparents’ travels, my imagination knew no boundaries.

As I got older, I applied my imagination into a career in theater. I studied theater, art and design at California Lutheran University, then earned a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from Brandeis University. It was there in Boston, while living in a tiny one-bedroom apartment in a lovely old Victorian house, that my passion for making artful homes resurfaced. So, instead of waiting tables while I auditioned for theaters, I worked as a Design Consultant for Pottery Barn.

When my husband and I moved to South Africa as newlyweds, I was inspired by the natural beauty around me, and the amazing skills of the local craftspeople and artisans. Then, while expecting my first child, I noticed the need for quality children’s furnishings in Cape Town. I began designing my own line of kids’ home furnishings, opened a children’s lifestyle boutique showcasing my whimsical bed linens, furniture and accessories, and started designing imaginative children’s rooms.

After returning to the U.S. and settling down in Northern Virginia in 2009, I found myself greatly influenced by the vibrant, creative experiences of living and working in different locations, and after decorating our family home, began my own business as an Interior Decorator—Blue Leopard Interiors. I am self-taught and believe that my strong sense for color, pattern and style, coupled with a passion for resourcefulness and affordability, set my designs apart.

Blue Leopard Interiors is based in Great Falls, Virginia, and I work with clients throughout Northern Virginia, Maryland, and DC.

Justine Dennen, Winner of the 2019 Signatures of Loudoun Design Excellence Program Makeovers Award for her commercial interior design of The Blockchain Building, 880 Harrison St., Leesburg, VA

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Kind Remarks

Bedroom suite of our dreams!

Justine is a pleasure to work with. She brings a perfect blend of listening to understand our style and suggesting new elements, drawing on her own experience. She is certainly always “on the job”, even finding the perfect pillows for us in a little shop while vacationing with her family. She perfectly arranges for various professionals to do the various jobs that needed to be done. End result is the bedroom suite of our dreams!

Kees B.

Justine has a magical design eye

Justine has a magical design eye that takes your thoughts and transforms rooms into an amazing vision. She is a highly talented and cost conscious designer.

Robb W.

Working with Justine was amazing!

Working with Justine was amazing! She really listened to me and understood my vision. She transformed my main floor from a bunch of old mix match pieces into a beautiful cohesive space. She kept my expenses down by using many of me existing piece, but made them seem like new, by recovering or painting them. Also, I’m a bit of a DIY person and she found some projects I could do. So, that I could feel a part of the transformation.

Connie C.

Justine Makes Renovating Fun

It’s always such a pleasure to work with Blue Leopard Designs. Justine Dennen has the unique ability to listen to your ideas, budget and schedule and make it all work seamlessly—while adding her own talent of design to your décor. Our last project included taking furniture which was a gift from my parents and re-working the pieces for a more updated look. We called it the Sentimental Suite project! Justine makes renovating fun and the final products are rooms you love living in … customer since 2013!

Lee Ann B.

Fantastic Down to Every Detail

Blue Leopard Interiors did such an amazing job on my house (4 bedrooms, dining room, living room and den). Not only does my entire house look put together and fantastic down to every detail, it was so easy to do with Justine’s help. I never felt overwhelmed or out of the loop and the final result is perfect…without being contrived. Everything I look at in my house makes me happy—the colors, the textures—and I love knowing it’s done instead of simply being a “work in progress.” Thank you Justine!

Blair W.

Functional and Unique

You will never get a cookie-cutter look with Justine. She focuses on understanding how a space is used, and how it will and could be used. But she also focuses on infusing client personality into the space. I love how she sources from old and new and combines textures and styles to curate a creative space that is both functional and unique. She even “shops” from what you have and repurposes it. What was old is new again by finding a new place for it or giving it a coat of paint. What results is a high-end look without a high-end price…it also results in TV-worthy reveal moments. I’m pretty certain I cried tears of joy after seeing my new spaces for the first time.

Julie M.