
Oh Happy Day’s Jordan Ferney Shows Us Around Her Stunning Studio
Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano
Photography by Photographed by Sarah Hebenstreit
If you look up the definition of “OG Lifestyle Blogger” a picture of Jordan Ferney might just pop up. The pioneer behind the decade-old Oh Happy Day! blog, and now the Oh Happy Day! Party Shop, she’s a woman of great vision when it comes to all things creative, bright, festive, and, of course, happy! Which is why we thought of Jordan and her three beautiful children—Moses, 9, Roman, 7, and Simone, 7 months—right away, when Old Navy tasked us with showcasing their latest arrivals, full of optimistic pops of color and nautical touches. Here, the Ferney clan gives us a tour of the beautiful new Oh Happy Day! studio in San Francisco, while we ask the DIY blogosphere’s queen bee about growing a business, raising a trio, and what’s next for her empire.
This post is brought to you by Mother x Old Navy.
- "We were bursting at the seams of our old studio space and I spent 9 months looking for something when the skies parted and I finally found this space on Craigslist. If you have any luck with San Francisco real estate I usually consider it an act of god." The color-soaked space.
- "Before we came in, it was a sewing factory. Just to get it to a place where it felt safe and clean and had electricity and lighting took a good deal of money and time. That stuff isn't very 'fun,' but necessary." Balloon art!
- "I usually like to design a space gradually. So, if I realize I need a low coffee table but I can't find one I can afford or like I'll put in a placeholder, like something simple and used from Ikea (Craigslist is my best friend). Then I carry the measurements around in my wallet, so when I see the perfect piece at a thrift store or flea market I can pounce on it and sell the 'placeholder' for the same price I bought it. For this space I had lots of help. Jenny Komenda of Juniper Studios was an amazing sounding board for most of the big decisions (she suggested painting the fire sprinkler pipes different colors). And then she designed the entire living room area from scratch and brought up all the custom furniture in a U-Haul. She is a genius. I also used Kendra Smoot, who is a stylist and does consulting. She gave me advice on some of the finishes and really helped me keep a lot of the imperfections in the space instead of smoothing everything over and painting everything white. She gave me the motto: 'What would ABC Carpet do?' She also designed the kitchen. I love designing spaces, but when it comes down to it, it can be very stressful to make a lot of decisions in a short period. It is so nice to have people with good taste and experience to act as sounding boards and give opinions." Moses wears a French-Terry Blazer, $20.95, Old Navy; Fleece Pullover Hoodie in Emerging Emerald, $11.95, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Ultimate Slim Khakis in Blank Slate, $16, Old Navy; and Boys Canvas Slip-Ons, $11.95, Old Navy. Roman wears a French-Terry Blazer, $20.95, Old Navy; Fleece Pullover Hoodie in Navy, $11.95, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Ultimate Slim Khakis in Babe the Blue Ox, $16, Old Navy; and Canvas Lace-Up Sneakers in Hot Tomale, $13.75, Old Navy.
- "The custom bench Jenny Komenda made with designer fabric and brass legs is incredible. She also had the idea to frame balloons. I have a super special balloon collection I've been hoarding for 15 years. They are too special to use, so Jenny talked me into framing them as art. I love it." Moses wears a French-Terry Blazer, $20.95, Old Navy; Fleece Pullover Hoodie in Emerging Emerald, $11.95, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Ultimate Slim Khakis in Blank Slate, $16, Old Navy; and Boys Canvas Slip-Ons, $11.95, Old Navy. Roman wears a French-Terry Blazer, $20.95, Old Navy; Fleece Pullover Hoodie in Navy, $11.95, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Ultimate Slim Khakis in Babe the Blue Ox, $16, Old Navy; and Canvas Lace-Up Sneakers in Hot Tomale, $13.75, Old Navy.
- "I realized as a mother myself, that I would lose a lot of our best female employees if I didn't offer flexibility. Right now it is easy because only two of us have small children. We keep a nanny on staff here and the babies come to work. As they get older and mobile, we will need a different space for them. But while they are small we plan on keeping them around the studio for at least half the day. We call it the Oh Happy Day Care. It feels so natural and normal for us to have babies around. Once in a while they cry, but it is usually not a big difference in efficiency. And it's so fun to have smiley babies sitting next to you while you get work done or to be able to take a break and play with them on the floor." Jordan wears a Relaxed Boat-Neck Tee, $16.94, Old Navy, and High-Rise Wide-Leg White Ankle Jeans, $34.94, Old Navy. Roman wears a French-Terry Blazer, $20.95, Old Navy; Fleece Pullover Hoodie in Navy, $11.95, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Ultimate Slim Khakis in Babe the Blue Ox, $16, Old Navy; and Canvas Lace-Up Sneakers in Hot Tomale, $13.75, Old Navy. Moses wears a French-Terry Blazer, $20.95, Old Navy; Fleece Pullover Hoodie in Emerging Emerald, $11.95, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Ultimate Slim Khakis in Blank Slate, $16, Old Navy; and Boys Canvas Slip-Ons, $11.95, Old Navy. Simone wears an Empire-Waist Jersey Dress, $7.75, Old Navy.
- "The best part is feeling like you're a part of their day to day. The hard part is when the sitter calls in sick and there are deadlines to finish. It isn't uncommon for everyone on our staff to pick up a fussy baby for 5 minutes while the Mom finishes a project. The boys are in elementary school, so they aren't usually here on weekdays." Simone wears an Empire-Waist Jersey Dress, $7.75, Old Navy.
- "It is something I think about a lot. I want my employees to love their job and feel happy so they can do their job well." Jordan wears a Relaxed Boat-Neck Tee, $16.94, Old Navy, and High-Rise Wide-Leg White Ankle Jeans, $34.94, Old Navy. Simone wears an Empire-Waist Jersey Dress, $7.75, Old Navy. Moses wears a French-Terry Blazer, $20.95, Old Navy; Fleece Pullover Hoodie in Emerging Emerald, $11.95, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Ultimate Slim Khakis in Blank Slate, $16, Old Navy; and Boys Canvas Slip-Ons, $11.95, Old Navy.
- "My job is much different today that when I started. Most of my day is spent managing and making executive decisions. I also spend a lot of time setting the priorities and missions for the team so we are on the same page." Moses wears a French-Terry Blazer, $20.95, Old Navy; Fleece Pullover Hoodie in Emerging Emerald, $11.95, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Ultimate Slim Khakis in Blank Slate, $16, Old Navy; and Boys Canvas Slip-Ons, $11.95, Old Navy. Roman wears a French-Terry Blazer, $20.95, Old Navy; Fleece Pullover Hoodie in Navy, $11.95, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Ultimate Slim Khakis in Babe the Blue Ox, $16, Old Navy; and Canvas Lace-Up Sneakers in Hot Tomale, $13.75, Old Navy. Jordan wears a Relaxed Boat-Neck Tee, $16.94, Old Navy, and High-Rise Wide-Leg White Ankle Jeans, $34.94, Old Navy. Simone wears an Empire-Waist Jersey Dress, $7.75, Old Navy.
- "I grew up in a small town in Southern Utah called St. George. I got a degree in English Literature at Utah State University. I had an internship with the events department at San Francisco City Hall for a semester and I knew I loved parties and events. When given the choice between a Hospitality degree and a Humanities degree, I chose the latter. I intended to be an event planner, but I thought English would be a more interesting degree. I moved to San Francisco right out of college and got an entry-level job working for Mayor Willie Brown. I also freelanced with event planner Stanlee Gatti on weekends and early mornings." Jordan wears a Relaxed Boat-Neck Tee, $16.94, Old Navy, and High-Rise Wide-Leg White Ankle Jeans, $34.94, Old Navy. Simone wears an Empire-Waist Jersey Dress, $7.75, Old Navy.
- "The first design blog I ever discovered was Design Sponge. I found it through Domino magazine. It was at the very beginning where you had to code your own posts. About a year later (after a few false-starts) I started Oh Happy Day. I had no idea it would be a job or that I would even make any money from it at all." Moses wears a French-Terry Blazer, $20.95, Old Navy; Fleece Pullover Hoodie in Emerging Emerald, $11.95, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Ultimate Slim Khakis in Blank Slate, $16, Old Navy; and Boys Canvas Slip-Ons, $11.95, Old Navy. Roman wears a French-Terry Blazer, $20.95, Old Navy; Fleece Pullover Hoodie in Navy, $11.95, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Ultimate Slim Khakis in Babe the Blue Ox, $16, Old Navy; and Canvas Lace-Up Sneakers in Hot Tomale, $13.75, Old Navy.
- "Our growth has happened so slowly that I wouldn't consider anything a 'big break.' But I think I made some accidental good strategic decisions that have given us longevity. 1.) I always invested back in the company. As soon as I made any money I would hire a babysitter so I could spend more time working on the blog. This is true even now, I've paid myself the same for the last four years. I just keep investing into infrastructure and employees. 2.) I was an early adopter of Instagram and Pinterest, so that when the internet shifted away from blogs we still had a strong presence. 3.) I take the trust of my readers and followers extremely seriously. I don't like to put out anything I'm not proud of. I don't want to waste people's time. Not everything is a home run, but we edit and rework things a lot until it's 'good enough.'"
- "We launched the shop two years ago. It was an insane amount of work to get it launched. It was a natural progression and something I've always wanted to do. I've been collecting party supplies for years and am very passionate about them. We carry a highly curated collection from all over the world."
- "My strength is with coming up with ideas, so with the blog I usually sit in brainstorm meetings but usually pass those off to my team who are way better at styling, crafting, and producing a shoot than I am. I still get to pop my head in and make tweaks, but usually after I translate the idea and vision for a project to paper, the creative team takes it and runs with it. The shop is still improving and growing, so most of my energy is spent launching new projects." Moses wears a Striped V-Neck Tee, $6.50, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Ultimate Slim Khakis in Babe the Blue Ox, $16, Old Navy; and Canvas Rubber-Toe Low-Tops, $13.75, Old Navy. Roman wears a Crew-Neck Jersey Tee, $6.50, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Slim Jeans in Macadamia, $16, Old Navy; and Color-Blocked Chambray Slip-Ons, $11.95, Old Navy. Jordan wears a Twill Field Jacket, $44.94, Old Navy; Relaxed French-Terry Sweatshirt, $24, Old Navy; Skinny Ankle Jeans, $29.94, Old Navy; and Canvas Sneakers, $20, Old Navy. Simone wears a Knit Waffle Onesie, Old Navy.
- "We now have ten full-time employees. About half work on the shop and half on the blog. It still seems crazy to me because two years ago I had one full-time employee and a smattering of part-time freelancers." Moses wears a Striped V-Neck Tee, $6.50, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Ultimate Slim Khakis in Babe the Blue Ox, $16, Old Navy; and Canvas Rubber-Toe Low-Tops, $13.75, Old Navy. Roman wears a Crew-Neck Jersey Tee, $6.50, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Slim Jeans in Macadamia, $16, Old Navy; and Color-Blocked Chambray Slip-Ons, $11.95, Old Navy.
- "Oh man, I never really worked in a corporate environment so I acknowledge that I am not a great manager and it is something I want to improve on. I have ridiculously high expectations and I know I can sometimes be a crazy boss. But I love the 'culture' and team we've built at Oh Happy Day. Everyone is loyal and so good at their jobs. I try to do fun surprises like gifting everyone a pair of Bryr clogs or for Christmas we gave everyone cash in an envelope and sent them on a shopping spree for themselves. We like to work very hard and have fun." Moses wears a Striped V-Neck Tee, $6.50, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Ultimate Slim Khakis in Babe the Blue Ox, $16, Old Navy; and Canvas Rubber-Toe Low-Tops, $13.75, Old Navy. Roman wears a Crew-Neck Jersey Tee, $6.50, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Slim Jeans in Macadamia, $16, Old Navy; and Color-Blocked Chambray Slip-Ons, $11.95, Old Navy.
- "They are so intertwined. But one thing I've learned is that when I'm launching a new project sometimes I have to let something suffer a little bit. The year we launched the shop the site content wasn't as good as we wanted. It was still ok, but we have high standards so learning that I could always come back to it has been good for me." Moses wears a Striped V-Neck Tee, $6.50, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Ultimate Slim Khakis in Babe the Blue Ox, $16, Old Navy; and Canvas Rubber-Toe Low-Tops, $13.75, Old Navy. Roman wears a Crew-Neck Jersey Tee, $6.50, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Slim Jeans in Macadamia, $16, Old Navy; and Color-Blocked Chambray Slip-Ons, $11.95, Old Navy.
- "I have an extremely involved partner who lets his career take a backseat when it needs to. I also have a nanny and a cleaning lady. It definitely takes a village." Moses wears a Striped V-Neck Tee, $6.50, Old Navy. Roman wears a Crew-Neck Jersey Tee, $6.50, Old Navy.
- "Yes! I grew up in a very religious background that taught me that being a stay-at-home mom was probably my only option. Seeing other moms 'having it all' and even seeing first-hand how moms in other cultures raise their children (we lived in Europe for a year) helped me learn that there are lots of ways to raise children in a healthy, loving way." Moses wears Built-In Flex Ultimate Slim Khakis in Babe the Blue Ox, $16, Old Navy, and Canvas Rubber-Toe Low-Tops, $13.75, Old Navy. Roman wears Built-In Flex Slim Jeans in Macadamia, $16, Old Navy, and Color-Blocked Chambray Slip-Ons, $11.95, Old Navy.
- "We consider everyone in the family every time we make a career decision. Sometimes my career takes a backseat, sometimes my husband's does, and sometimes the kids eat school lunch. It is always changing. There are always sacrifices on everyone's part. I just think it's important to make sure one person in the family is not taking most of the burden." Roman wears a Crew-Neck Jersey Tee, $6.50, Old Navy. Moses wears a Striped V-Neck Tee, $6.50, Old Navy.
- "The first time I was a stay-at-home mom and my husband was an art director at a start-up. The second time my husband was a freelancer, so we were able to ease back to work when we felt like it and share the childcare responsibilities. This last time I went back after three weeks, but had my baby next to me and worked shorter hours than normal. I also would take a week off here and there when I was feeling overwhelmed. I would say I preferred the last way because I had more help and felt more supported." Jordan wears a Twill Field Jacket, $44.94, Old Navy; Relaxed French-Terry Sweatshirt, $24, Old Navy; Skinny Ankle Jeans, $29.94, Old Navy; and Canvas Sneakers, $20, Old Navy. Simone wears a Knit Waffle Onesie, Old Navy.
- "Yes! I have two siblings that live in the East Bay—my brother (who is married to Liz of Say Yes) and my sister, Gabrielle of Design Mom (and her husband). My father grew up in the Bay Area, so in some ways it feels like home. My grandparents and aunts and uncles are here." Jordan wears a Twill Field Jacket, $44.94, Old Navy, and Relaxed French-Terry Sweatshirt, $24, Old Navy. Simone wears a Knit Waffle Onesie, Old Navy.
- "I usually do one crazy thing that the kids will remember and then just do simple details. I try not to be too precious." Jordan wears a Twill Field Jacket, $44.94, Old Navy, and Relaxed French-Terry Sweatshirt, $24, Old Navy. Simone wears a Knit Waffle Onesie, Old Navy.
- "World Domination. Just kidding, kind of. I would really like to make the full transition to a brand and build a robust company."
- "The most exciting thing is you get a front-row seat to someone's life. It's an honor."
- "The hard part is that the job never ends until you're gone." Roman wears a Classic Poplin Shirt in Gray Dot, $10, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Ultimate Slim Khakis in Blank Slate, $16, Old Navy; and Chambray Lace-Up Sneakers, $13.75, Old Navy. Jordan wears a Tie-Waist Jumpsuit, $27, Old Navy, and Canvas Sneakers, $20, Old Navy.
- "Moses is a family name. Roman and Simone we just liked. Simone is a French name, which was a little nod to the 18 months we spent living in France with our family." Roman wears a Classic Poplin Shirt in Gray Dot, $10, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Ultimate Slim Khakis in Blank Slate, $16, Old Navy; and Chambray Lace-Up Sneakers, $13.75, Old Navy. Jordan wears a Tie-Waist Jumpsuit, $27, Old Navy, and Canvas Sneakers, $20, Old Navy.
- "My sister Gabrielle of Design Mom is a really good mom. I always call her for advice. I also really look up to moms who are a few steps ahead of me and have been able to develop a career. People like Vanessa Holden and Margaret Stewart." Roman wears a Classic Poplin Shirt in Gray Dot, $10, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Ultimate Slim Khakis in Blank Slate, $16, Old Navy; and Chambray Lace-Up Sneakers, $13.75, Old Navy. Jordan wears a Tie-Waist Jumpsuit, $27, Old Navy, and Canvas Sneakers, $20, Old Navy. Simone wears a Heart-Printed Romper, $10.15, Old Navy. Moses wears a Classic Poplin Pocket Shirt in Blue Blazes, $11.95, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Slim Jeans in Macadamia, $16, Old Navy; Canvas Rubber-Toe High-Tops, $17.95, Old Navy; and Denim Baseball Cap, $5.95, Old Navy.
- "I grew up with seven siblings! I was mostly raised by my older brothers and sisters. I mean, my parents were there, but when there are eight of you there is a certain amount of freedom you get. My parents were really good at teaching us how to get a job and work hard. I remember feeling at age 17 like I could get almost any job I wanted." Roman wears a Classic Poplin Shirt in Gray Dot, $10, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Ultimate Slim Khakis in Blank Slate, $16, Old Navy; and Chambray Lace-Up Sneakers, $13.75, Old Navy. Jordan wears a Tie-Waist Jumpsuit, $27, Old Navy, and Canvas Sneakers, $20, Old Navy. Simone wears a Heart-Printed Romper, $10.15, Old Navy. Moses wears a Classic Poplin Pocket Shirt in Blue Blazes, $11.95, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Slim Jeans in Macadamia, $16, Old Navy; Canvas Rubber-Toe High-Tops, $17.95, Old Navy; and Denim Baseball Cap, $5.95, Old Navy.
- "I love that I get to shape two men. I would have been thrilled with all boys, of course. I have a practical side to me that makes it easy for me to raise boys. But adding a new baby, especially after a bit of a break, has been amazing. She is delightful. We did have a slight preference for a girl the third time around." Roman wears a Classic Poplin Shirt in Gray Dot, $10, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Ultimate Slim Khakis in Blank Slate, $16, Old Navy; and Chambray Lace-Up Sneakers, $13.75, Old Navy. Jordan wears a Tie-Waist Jumpsuit, $27, Old Navy, and Canvas Sneakers, $20, Old Navy. Simone wears a Heart-Printed Romper, $10.15, Old Navy. Moses wears a Classic Poplin Pocket Shirt in Blue Blazes, $11.95, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Slim Jeans in Macadamia, $16, Old Navy; Canvas Rubber-Toe High-Tops, $17.95, Old Navy; and Denim Baseball Cap, $5.95, Old Navy.
- "The brand is about happiness and I tend to be an idealist and an optimist in general, but we're definitely not happy all the time. If my team is stressed out we try to take an afternoon off and see a movie or do something to build morale. At home we make sure we set boundaries in the evenings and mornings with work so we can make sure to spend time with our kids. That keeps everyone pretty happy." Moses wears a Classic Poplin Pocket Shirt in Blue Blazes, $11.95, Old Navy; Built-In Flex Slim Jeans in Macadamia, $16, Old Navy; Canvas Rubber-Toe High-Tops, $17.95, Old Navy; and Denim Baseball Cap, $5.95, Old Navy. Jordan wears a Tie-Waist Jumpsuit, $27, Old Navy, and Canvas Sneakers, $20, Old Navy. Simone wears a Heart-Printed Romper, $10.15, Old Navy.
- "I love classic pieces. Like a breton stripe shirt or a trench coat. I love throwing on red lipstick at the last minute. It makes up for a lot." Moses wears a Denim Baseball Cap, $5.95, Old Navy.
- "My style has definitely changed, but more because I'm not in my twenties anymore rather than because I'm a mom."
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