Tasteful Friends: Dallas Area Interior Designers

Residential, I assume.

As a native, I have a few connections…but what are you planning?

Alexander Andrew (“Bucky”) de Pomerantz III

Remember that HGTV show about the Dallas interior designer who super glued crystals and sewed fringe on EVERYTHING--even if it was already over-embellished?

It seemed as if it was her mission to turn every McMansion into the Best Biggest Whore House in Texas.

Only extra-fancy whores need apply.

I think if you were a white woman on that show you absolutely had to have over bleached blonde hair.

You should hire her.

R1 A custom new build in a Dallas suburb. Spanish style exterior. The lot is a little tricky because it’s very long and narrow, but it’s on a cul-de-sac and backs up to trees which is nice. The location is where we need to be due to my husband’s work. I’m terrified that despite my best efforts it’s going to turn out like a McMansion— I would rather it channel some of the wonderful old Spanish style houses built in the 1920s and 30s in Highland Park. Because of the narrow lot we have decided to make the house U-shaped with a rather large interior courtyard space to let light in to areas that wouldn’t have gotten any otherwise. I would like some help finalizing the plans which are nearly done, but mostly help with interior finishes and furniture once we get to that point. I like a variety of styles so I don’t have the most firm vision of what I want the interiors to look like, other than the dining room which I plan to have double as a library with bookcases and a large window seat.

We haven’t broken ground yet, but hope to do so in the next couple of months. Due to some unforeseen work circumstances of my own, I am going to have a lot less time to work on this project than I thought— not that I would’ve known what I was doing anyhow. We have been sent by our builder to pick out plumbing fixtures (I’ve selected some for budgeting purposes, but know I probably need to change them) and are supposed to pick out windows today.

I’ve never used a designer before, so I’m a little unsure of how pricing works. I suspect my budget is high enough I could afford one, but not so high I could afford a Jan Showers-type designer where every side table is going to be $10,000. I reached out to Javier Burkle through his website— I have some friends that know him— but never received any response back which I just found unprofessional.

Any insight you could give into the process or connections you’d be willing to share would be very helpful, R2. I appreciate your time!

Try to find an older pro who knows how to source the entire city. This Nelson guy who oversees Herbert Singleton

Tasteful Friends threads are exclusively for the posting and discussion of interesting homes, usually homes that are for sale.

A U-shaped house on a narrow lot sounds ridiculous and impractical, which seems to sum up Dallas. Do you have drawings? How close to the lot line are you willing to go and how will you insure privacy?

The woods behind my childhood home was turned into a cul de sac with houses too big for the lots and the last lot was the narrowest. The houses are all impractical, but it the one on the narrow lot is the worst. That kind of place probably only works if your outdoor space is limited to a deck (in shade) or screen porch (are those still popular?) and green spaces that can mostly be shrubs and flowers rather than a big lawn.

OP, which suburb?

My favorite local designer is working on a long-term project in LA. It’s a shame, as he restored a 10K square-foot1930s estate. He can no-doubt recommend someone.

If your looking for inspiration, visit the Degolyer estate…at The Arboretum.

Everyone is moving to Dallas it seems

R8 I absolutely LOVE the DeGolyer house! Funny you should mention it; it was after a trip to the arboretum and seeing the house that made me decide to just lean in and go for a Spanish style for the exterior.

Your favorite local designer sounds wonderful. That 1930s estate sounds like a dream. He must be pretty exceptional to get a long-term project out of state! I would be very grateful if you could give me names of anyone he recommends in the area. I really do appreciate your help.

I don’t want to overstate the size and scope of my project. It’s definitely not 10,000 square feet— more like half that. It’s in McKinney, which I know many in Dallas-proper look down upon. I would be willing to meet the designer in Dallas for most appointments so they don’t have to travel as far, with the exception of the occasional site visits as needed.

R9 Everyone is moving to Dallas. There are SO many people moving here from all over. The housing market is insane here. We bought the lot as a bit of a gamble at the beginning of Covid. Housing prices were starting to rise, we knew we would need a different house in the next 2-3 years, and we thought we would buy the lot as an insurance policy in case we couldn’t find something we liked better in the meantime. We quickly realized we would have to pay over asking for anything we put an offer on. Housing prices have shot up even more since then— it definitely seems we made the right decision and we will be able to get more of what we want building, rather than overpaying for something else already out there that would still need a lot of work. It’s definitely not my dream lot, but I’m prepared to make my little piece of the neighborhood as attractive and least offensive as possible. I refuse to add to the McMansion garbage that is being built all around the Dallas area if I can help it.

I beg your pardon, Tasteful Friend Essentialist.

R5 I love the idea of finding someone who knows the ends-and-outs of the city and will help us create something special and different. That guy looks interesting. I am going to have to make it up to visit his store.

Oh gosh, R7. You’re preaching to the choir. I agree it sounds ridiculous and impractical! We are planning a covered porch in the back off the dining room. They have screens these days that in are retractable by the push of a button, so we hope to install something like that. Our property extends down into the tree line so we will have enough of a yard for the dogs.

I would post a picture, but I’m not quite tech-savvy to know how to do that and ensure my privacy. I think I’ve read people on DL say that if you upload a picture yourself and post it, it might contain other information with it? I’m not the type who usually shares this much online. Thanks for everyone’s ideas and help.

Oh please, it's definitely a McMansion if it's a great big house on a tiny lot. Just fucking own it, you're not fooling anyone. Once you accept/admit that, it should get a little easier. Stay practical. How often do your tastes change?

Where is it? Prosper? Celina?

I said the lot was narrow, not tiny. The lot is around 16,000 square feet and the downstairs footprint is going to be around 3200. So the lot could be bigger, but I wouldn’t call it absolutely tiny. I’ve actually been doing a lot of research of what makes McMansions so repulsive to me and there are a number of architectural hallmarks those houses have such as two story entries, complicated rooflines, many styles of windows, etc. I am actively trying to avoid those. There’s a great book called The Field Guide to American Houses that is a great primer for anyone trying to identify and understand different architectural styles. I got a kick out of how the author graciously calls the chapter on McMansions, “Millennial Mansions.” I thought it was very kind of her.

As I stated before, it’s in McKinney. The neighborhood has been around for 18 years and we are building on the last lot available. (Someone previously had just bought the lot and held onto it.) Because we know the footprint of the houses on either side of us, we have been trying to design it so it’s as private as possible. The cul-de-sac is in the back corner of the neighborhood, so no one will really be driving by unless they live there, and we are fortunate that we don’t have anyone directly across from us on the other side of the cul-de-sac— just bushes and trees. That’s all not to say there aren’t houses in the neighborhood that I would call McMansions— there are many— but that’s DFW for you these days. I’m doing my best not contribute to the problem.

It's a mini-mansion in an unfashionable suburb. No one "needs" 5000 sf and the a/c bills alone should prohibit anyone from building an unsustainable dump like that. It's just excessive which seems to be the aesthetic for Dallas and no "everyone" isn't moving there. You really are an insecure little queen, aren't you.

It's a McMini in McKinney!

I love McKinney. I dont live there but the downtown is awesome. Love the little shops, wine tasting rooms, some cute restaurants like Harest. OP, I think I know the neighborhood you are referring to (rhymes with CloneBridge Branch) and it is really pretty with nice amenities. Good for you! Best of luck from your DFW neighbor

Girl the fact that you "researched" McMansions to try to convince yourself that you aren't moving into one tells everyone but you that you are moving into a Mcmansion. You are not in Highland Park in Dallas. You are in a tract home in a subdivision in an outer-ring suburb. Do yourself a favor and stop trying so hard. I mean that sincerely; you sound nice enough. You are coming off like Hyacinth Bucket.

Enjoy your house. I'm sure it is a very nice home that friendly people would admire. It's a Mcmansion and that's ok, enjoy it. Hopefully your neighbors will be friendly; you better hope they're not people who barely had enough money for a hovel on the east or west coast but fled to Texas and can live like a Kardashian here and go around thinking they are hot shit now. The guy who mows your lawn lives in a Mcmansion, too!

R16, Stonebridge Ranch is older that 18 years.

Craig Ranch. Or codename "Gregg Branch" to protect OPs identity!

I remember when it was mostly fields, I took my 17 year old dog there to watch the fireworks on the 4th. To think we probably sat right where OPs Christmas tree closet will be!

Oh Craig Ranch is really nice too! They have a nice fitness center

Sorry that I am coming off poorly everyone— clearly I am insecure about the amount of time and ability I would have to furnish a house— hence why I’m on here asking if anyone knows an interior decorator!

We’ve already met our new neighbors and they are very nice. Their quiet little cul-de-sac is about to get turned upside down once we break ground so I’m planning on getting them both a little gift and writing a note.

This not a hill I really want to die on, but it is a real thing… Of course not literally EVERYONE is moving here— I was talking in the same hyperbole that the original poster of the comment used— but there IS an a major influx of people moving to this area. Collin County, where McKinney is located. It ranked second in the nation for adding the most residents between 2020-2021 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The Dallas-Fort-Worth-Arlington metro area as a whole had the most population growth among metro areas in the U.S. At least to me, it seems like I meet a lot of people who are just moving here. It feels different than it was before and the current raise in housing pricing reflect that.

There are clusters of Spanish-inspired homes throughout the White Rock Lake area, many designed by Clifford Hutsell in the 1930s, who was inspired by the Spanish-themed homes of Los Angeles. A developer has obsessively sourced fixtures, windows, etc to recreate those designs with modern amenities and proportions.

Maybe some of the information in this article will help point you in the right direction.

^ Thank you for sharing that. Lakewood is so pretty. I got to tour a 1920s tudor revival in Lakewood that was pristine and it was one of the prettiest homes I have ever been thru. What a dream to own a home there

Maybe something like this would helpful to look to as an example of Spanish influenced exterior on a narrow lot in McKinney.

Surely I’ll be able to better than that R23! But hilariously that IS an example of a Spanish style on a narrow lot in McKinney. I saw that one when it went up for sale a year or two ago and just couldn’t believe the price for what it was.

Are you having the contractor plop in the landscaping?

I told the contractor not to bother, R25. I was planning on going to my favorite store Hobby Lobby and installing in all plastic plants myself. Why not have my hydrangeas bloom all year round?

Kidding.

R21 The guy featured on the article sounds like a gem. I googled him after reading and I couldn’t find a recent trace of him. I wonder if he left the business? I hadn’t heard of Clifford Hutsell so thank you for introducing me to him also. I