Meet The J Factor

Jasper and Jari are a husband and wife team who share a combined Real Estate and Interior Design background spanning 30 years. They have a successful track record of representing satisfied clients from all over the world, including the USA, South and Central Africa, China, Russia, Switzerland and Germany. Because of their love and passion for real estate, design, foreign places and people, they have honed the skills necessary to work and negotiate successfully within a framework of diverse cultures and demographics. 

Jasper, born and raised in South Africa, has always had a passion for architecture with particular emphasis on interior design. He immigrated to the USA in 1997 to further his Real Estate career in the San Francisco Bay Area.  His love for travel and the beauty and inspiration of foreign places, have given him a fresh and unique approach to the development, restoration and design process.  

Jari, an American and California native has lived in various locations around the world such as Mexico, Hawaii, Samoa, Switzerland, Hong Kong and South Africa. She has an eye for detail and practical functionality and her experience in counseling and mentoring is much valued when navigating the stress that renovation projects often present. Her love for foreign people, places and cultures make room for a holistic approach to design.

Jasper and Jari met each other “coincidently” at the old Jan Smuts Airport in Johannesburg 30 years ago after being introduced by mutual friends just before boarding a flight to Hong Kong. Two years later they tied the knot and have been together ever since.  

They have consistently been top producers for the companies they have worked with and have won many accolades and awards for service and excellence as well as having some of their projects featured in top Interior Design publications in both the USA and South Africa.  However, they maintain their biggest achievement is the satisfaction of their clients.

Vagabonding with The J Factor

In 2015 the Esterhuizen’s took a sabbatical from their busy and demanding careers and embarked on the adventure of a lifetime.They traveled for one year around the world and visited 35 countries during this time. This was a dream come true and one they felt could not be delayed any longer. There were many highlights during their trip including visiting friends who live in various countries around the world.  

Some of the highlights of their trip included staying on a houseboat on the Nile in Egypt and visiting the Great Pyramids of Giza, trekking the Mountain gorillas of Rwanda (looking into the expressive eyes of these giants up close was truly unforgettable), and a visit to the magnificent Lamu island off the west coast of Kenya which was founded in the 12th century. They traveled through the Holy Land of Israel and visited Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Eilat on the Red Sea. Staying in the desert of Wadi Rum in Jordan with the Bedouin and visiting the exquisite Nabataean City of Petra left them speechless. 

A visit to the largest flower garden in the world at Keukenhof in the Netherlands in April where 7 million tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, orchids, roses, carnations and irises were in bloom were awe inspiring. They fell in love with Eastern Europe while traversing across Hungary, visiting the magnificent city of Budapest and traveling to beautiful Lake Ballaton. They traveled to Asia and walked for miles in the Forbidden City in Beijing as well as along the Great Wall of China, one of the 7 wonders of the world. Visiting the ancient city of Xian and seeing the amazing Terra Cotta warriors dated from the third century was another highlight of this adventure.The Czech Republic offered unexpected surprises as they meandered in beautiful Prague, visited Warsaw and Krakow in Poland and experienced a moment of pause and reflection at the concentration camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau. The experience of the sun rising over the iconic Temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia is something they will remember forever as well as the sights and sounds of Vietnam, both countries recovering from the effects of years of war.

Some of the other countries they visited were Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Norway, France, Germany, Norway, Italy, Slovenia, Slovakia and Australia.   Each held special moments and experiences. 

The Esterhuizen’s love traveling to foreign places but it has truly been the people they have met along the way and the connections made that have marked them forever.  They truly consider themselves blessed to have friends in various parts of the world as well as the added connections and business contacts that have been made. They are able to source decorative pieces, furniture, textiles and materials through many of the connections they have made in their travels to far flung and exotic places. 

Birthing of The J Factor

It was this trip and the fulfillment of a lifelong dream that ultimately changed their plans and destiny. They decided to leave California after 20 years and move back to South Africa to pursue another dream — that of the restoration and design of homes. This led to the birth of The J Factor Development Restoration and Design Pty Ltd in Cape Town, South Africa. 

The love and appreciation for natural textures and elements with an awareness of the environment, culture and community, have given The J Factor the ability to incorporate old with new. Jasper and Jari enjoy the recycling and up-cycling of products for modern use adding a creative and artistic twist. When traveling they are always on the lookout for furniture, textures, one of a kind items and textiles that can be incorporated in future projects. 

The J Factor attended Maison&Objet Paris, an international trade fair dedicated to lifestyle fashions and trends that is reserved for design professionals. They plan to attend many more of these international trade fairs to stay on top of international trends, products and design to share with their clients. 

The two make a terrific team for any project and have many exciting ideas to put into practice on the horizon.