About Jane

Jane Dutcher is one of those rare people who fully uses both sides of her brain. For years she worked with numbers and data but always needed a creative outlet. In her early career, Jane was a junior high school math teacher in Rome, New York, then worked as a technical writer and marketing manager for NCR in Dayton, Ohio. She moved to the Philadelphia area to work for Sears Communications Network selling data communications and shortly after, Sears and IBM merged their data network services, and she became a Contracts & Negotiations manager for IBM. While living in the Philadelphia area Jane started taking Ikenobo Ikebana classes and that led to a passion for Japanese flower arranging that still continues to interest and challenge her today. After retiring from IBM in 2010, she and her partner, Jeff Hellen, moved to the Annapolis area in 2013. Fast forward to 2019 when Jane took an online chair upholstery course and found her new passion (and talent) – revamping chairs.
“We started to accumulate quite a few chairs around the house and that's when I found Local by Design at the Gallery,” she said. “It's been a terrific move and I love working in concert with all the great artisans.”

Let’s get to know her a little better:

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Q: What was it that inspired you to redesign chairs?
Ever since I've retired, I've been looking for a creative outlet and one that would allow me to make some extra money for vacations. In 2019, I started dabbling in redoing small furniture items influenced by a friend in California who has a creative business and storefront. From there I found a wonderful online chair upholstery course and took the plunge because I wanted to redo the chairs around a dining table. I love working with fabrics and found this was similar to putting a floral arrangement together.

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Q: How so?
The main fabric is similar to the main flower - Shu, a complementary fabric is like the complementary floral placement - Yo, and the paint color of the chair ties it all together like the smallest floral placement – ashri. Finally, the design of the chair determines the selection of fabrics as the vase determines the selection of flowers.

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Q: What three traits describe you?
I recently took a CliftonStrengths assessment and my top three traits are deliberative, empathy, and individualization. But I think my three traits are loyalty, honesty, and organization (in my world of disorganization)!

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Q: What is one thing you can’t live without?
I can live without just about anything if I have to, but I don’t like to live without my earrings!

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Q: Where is your favorite place to be?
My favorite place to be is probably at home in my kitchen cooking a new recipe when I have a chance.

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Q: Where is the best place you’ve ever traveled to and why?
The best place I’ve traveled to is Japan. I was able to immerse myself in Japanese flower arranging and gardens amidst a totally different culture.