“Construction Chic” is my nickname”, laughs Jana Ward of Clear Choice Flooring and Design. “My friends are always calling me for construction or design advise on everything from construction design and painting to small household repairs and maintenance.” My husband and his friends gave me the nickname because when it comes to remodeling or projects around the home I tend to know more than they do.

In a profession that is dominated by men, Jana Ward and her staff bring a fresh and different perspective to the remodeling business. “It makes sense, that if the woman is the keeper of the home, then a woman designer and remodeler may be more in tune to what she would like in her home, especially kitchens and bathrooms.” Jana ponders as she receives a text update on her blackberry from her construction manager, who also happens to be…you guessed it…female.

Jana “Construction Chic” Ward has been in the home improvement business for fifteen-plus years, all in the San Antonio area. She’s won numerous Eagle awards from the Greater San Antonio Builders Association as well as served on several building advisory committees, including becoming the first female president of the remodeler's council in San Antonio.

Jana moved her showroom from the inner loop (410) to her current locale at Lockhill-Selma and loop 1604 in January 2004. While remodeling was still a part of her business, she became more and more involved in the custom building of new homes.  “The city (San Antonio) was growing out towards Boerne and I felt that a change was necessary to grow my business. I struggled at first but through hard work and my strong Christian faith, my business survived and prospered.” Jana smiles as she remembers the path that brought her to this point in her life. “As they say, sometimes the easy way is not the right way. That holds true for both business and life.” Change and struggle has caused the “Construction Chic” to remake herself again in the last 10 months. Because of the recession and the excess inventory of new homes in the San Antonio area, Jana’s ‘bread and butter’ at Clear Choice Flooring and Design decreased substantially. “Through the middle of 2008, my main focus and source of business for Clear Choice was custom builders. Custom builders would send their clients to my showroom and I would help in the selection of their home. We would pick out everything from paint colors and flooring to mirrors and vanities. My crew and I would see the clients through the install of the product and make sure they were happy with the final results. I really enjoy seeing how happy people become when their dream becomes a reality. But…as we all know the home building business has slowed quite a bit in recent months. So you can either cry about it or find a way to make lemonade out of lemons. After praying on it, it became clear that I needed to reestablish  myself as a master remodeler. So I decided to get back to my roots and pursue remodeling jobs once again.” Hence, “Construction Chic” was born.

Jana would love to answer your questions on everything from ‘true eco-friendly’ exterior paints to the best adhesive to use when installing wood floors. ESSAY magazine will be featuring the “Construction Chic” column beginning with our next issue. Please send in your home improvement questions to the “Construction Chic” All questions will be answered and one question will be featured in ESSAY magazine. If you are the lucky person to have your question featured you will win a $100 gift card toward the purchase of home furnishings at Clear Choice Flooring and Design. Good luck and keep those questions coming.