Meet Susan LaFleur and Jason Haun | Co-Founder, Interior Designer at One Line Design Studio & Jason Haun, Senior Vice President at ZOM Living

We had the good fortune of connecting with Susan LaFleur and Jason Haun and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Susan LaFleur and Jason Haun, let’s talk legacy – what do you want yours to be?
Susan LaFleur :

Early on in life, I had an appreciation for beautiful things in balance and harmony with each other, combined with a fondness for drawing and the arts.  While at a crossroads going into college at Philadelphia University, I realized interior design was where all my strengths blended perfectly. Fast forward, and now owning a boutique interior firm with award winning projects and clients across the country coupled with the incredible children I am raising – my world continues to grow. I find myself in a constant balance of two beautiful things in my life: my career & my family.

The legacy I hope to leave lies with my two young boys. I want them to know I was authentic in every way, with everything that I do in all my roles I play in life. As a wife, daughter, friend, businesswoman, and especially as their mother. I want them to remember me approaching everything with passion and integrity. They are my ‘why’, they are my legacy, and they are why I took the risk to start a company. Balance and flexibility do not mean I work less, it translates into prioritizing the passions, and responsibilities in my life, all while fitting them all into the daily puzzle that is my schedule. The greatest investment in time as a mother is being present for the big to little moments of their lives. As a mother and business owner, being present for my team and clients is something I strive for every day. The legacy I leave is knowing I was present for both.

Jason Haun :

The residential and mixed-use projects we build at ZOM Living will likely be standing and occupied during the lifetime of my children and potentially even theirs. Ultimately, we provide housing and shelter, which is a critical necessity in the daily lives of all. One of the exciting things we’re doing at ZOM is designing and building innovative housing products that enrich residents’ daily lives, from low-rise to mid-rise, and high-rise in both suburban urban communities. As part of my legacy, I would hope when my children/grandchildren get older that they might recognize, and experience the thoughtfulness, and significance that went into building these communities and the impact that they have had on people, their families, and the community at large. More important than recognizing the various skylines we have been so fortunate to have helped shape, I would want them to be proud of who I am as a human being and how I treated people throughout the course of my life.

What should our readers know about your business?
Jason Haun, Senior Vice President at ZOM Living, has worked at ZOM for about 10 years and now serve as a partner and senior vice president at the company. ZOM is active in several different geographical regions where we pursue and/or are developing real estate projects. ZOM has offices in many of the markets it serves, including South Florida, Orlando, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Phoenix, and Raleigh.

The past decade has been the most active in ZOM’s 45-year history and last year we reached the No. 9 spot in the national ranking of the top 10 multifamily development companies in the country. The diversity of our residential product types continues to expand and today includes low-rise, mid-rise, and high-rise in both urban and suburban settings across the country.

Susan LaFleur, Co-Founder at One Line Design Studio, a full-service interior design firm has worked on award winning projects across the country and many in collaboration with the ZOM Living team of talented developers. This collaboration was paramount in downtown Dallas to the success of the newly delivered project, Atelier, a high-rise residential tower in the Arts District. This project exemplifies what sets ZOM Living apart as a residential developer, while showcasing One Line’s collective 35+ years of experience in the interior design field. The thought process and careful implementation of all elements to deliver this transformative project gives us immense pride. From concept to execution, ZOM worked every step of the way in close collaboration with project partners; from architects, interior designers to the construction team, to deliver an upscale and culturally enriching living experience unique to the Dallas metro area.

Atelier is an example of how residential projects can be a catalyst to improve and enhance the communities they are built in. The tower has the look and feel of a ‘for sale’ condominium despite its position as rental housing. It’s highly identifiable because of its location, in fact it is visible by air as it sits on the flight path of to Dallas Love Airport. From the ground level, the property is at the gateway to the Dallas Arts District, and the lobby was designed as an art gallery where exhibits by local and visiting artists are featured.

This allows the community to park in the underground public garage and experience the art as they get ready to head into the Arts District or visit Klyde Warren Park. The lobby’s spectacular, multi-use design, led by One Line Design Studio, is just one of the many elements that make Atelier a special connector to the surrounding community.

Susan and the One Line team played an integral role in the selection of art throughout the space with a variety of artists curated with consultant Kevin Barry Fine Art along with murals commissioned by the One Line in-house artist to complete the space. Spending time in the City of Dallas made this process even more rewarding as Susan was able to source local antiques and accessories from Dallas shops such as Benny Jack Antiques, Lulu B’s in the Design District, and Robert Lawrence Designs.

The amount of cooperation we had with our neighboring properties, including the area museums during the development phase was a testament to who we are as a developer, and to the thought process that went into building Atelier. ZOM took proactive steps to ensure the project’s design and development did not disrupt neighboring art institutions. With the Nasher Sculpture Garden across the street from Atelier, the angles of the windows in the tower and the notched step in the building are designed to direct sunlight away from the museum and prevent shadows from casting on it during business hours.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Klyde Warren Park – I walk to the park almost every single day since our office is located across the street. The community value it offers is immeasurable! I love seeing how people are actively enjoying the green space and park amenities, from families having a picnic, to people taking a stroll with their dogs or sitting on one of the benches eating lunch al fresco while they take a break from their workday.

One of the perks of Atelier is that it’s home to several retail and restaurant concepts that benefit our residents and the surrounding community. One of our first concepts to open is Pizza Leila by restaurant group NL Group. Executive Chef Ji Kang developed the Sicilian-style pizza and the square-shaped pies have gained popularity amongst patrons. I’m a huge pizza lover and they make fantastic pies! While I like to live a healthy and active lifestyle, from time to time I enjoy grabbing a slice of pizza to-go and taking a stroll through Klyde Warren Park.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Susan LaFleur :

My shout out goes to my husband, Tim. He believed in me from day one. When we were dating, he always said, ‘you are so talented, you will have your own business one day’. Our very first Christmas together as a couple, his gift to me was the best gift I will ever receive. He bought me every internet domain with my name in it. He said, one day you will have your own company. I believe in you, and I don’t want all the domains you might possibly use to be gone so I bought them all. Having someone that will believe and stand by you is something you can never describe.  I am thankful for him every day as my partner in life.

Jason Haun:

I would send a very special shoutout to my wife and life partner, Kim. I’ve always been passionate about the work that I do (some might call me a workaholic) and my profession has certainly taken a great deal of time away from my family. I’ve been married for 15 years, and we have created a beautiful family with our two children. I am extremely grateful to have a dedicated wife, and mother like her. Every day, I value immensely the sacrifices she has made at times in support of our family, while allowing me to pursue and grow my career in the work that we do.

Website: www.onelinedesignstudio.com / www.zomliving.com

Instagram: @designwithoneline / j_haun

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-lafleur-ncidq-4137662a/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-haun-bb696b/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/designwithoneline/

Image Credits
© Thomas McConnell LLC | www.emphaticreative.net