The Dallas design community is overflowing with talent — exactly why we love showcasing the incredibly accomplished creatives residing in our own backyard. This week we revisit seven of our favorites, each unique, but with one thing in common: The ability to inspire, surprise, and delight.
1. Meredith Ellis
Interior designer Meredith Ellis has a lofty wish list. Her dream project: To decorate the White House. She has our vote. Her timeless, classic style would be an ideal fit.
We visited with the talented designer at her five-year-old Dallas Design District showroom, JAMES, which represents more than 30 artisanal, high-end textile and furnishings lines.
See more about Meredith Ellis and JAMES Showroom
2. Muffin Lemak
We caught up with Muffin Lemak at her chichi new digs in Museum Tower. She and her husband, John, hadn’t planned on moving. But fate intervened when someone knocked on the door of their Highland Park home and made an offer.
Since moving uptown, the multitalented interior designer is as busy as ever, dividing her time between travel, philanthropic endeavors, a thriving interiors business, and a line of pint-sized mini chairs appropriately named Little Sits.
3. Noel Pittman
As one of a select group of 2022 Kips Bay Decorator Show House designers, Noel Pittman knew she was in excellent company. The opportunity to showcase her work alongside the best of the best was the culmination of a long-time goal.
Thousands of new eyes — both in-person and virtually — viewed her work, a style the new-to-Dallas designer describes as inviting and personal.
4. Debra Ferrari
For Dallas artist Debra Ferrari, working with top interior designers is second nature. For more than 20 years, her contemporary artwork has been a favorite with the trade. Turns out, the admiration is mutual.
Debra loves the whole creative process — the design part as well as the artistic side of it. So, it wasn’t a stretch when a friend suggested she do a line of wallpapers and rugs.
See more about Debra Ferrari Fine Art + Home
5. Deborah Hartigan Viestenz
I wrote about Deborah Hartigan Viestenz last Mother’s Day, but her one-of-a-kind Kodama charcuterie boards are a unique gift for any occasion. For starters, they’re visually stunning. Each board is made of black walnut wood, then adorned with an array of crystals, glass, and minerals.
They also come with a backstory: If a tree is repurposed into something of use and beauty, it brings luck and good fortune.
See more about Deborah Hartigan Viestenz’s Kodama boards
6. Cat Carothers
Selby House founder Cat Carothers describes her style as eclectic contemporary. It’s easy to see why. Every mix-and-matchable piece in her Design District studio oozes chic in its own inimitable way.
With over 10 years of interior design experience, Cat has a knack for blending modern design with traditional and historical pieces.
See more about Cat Carothers and The Selby House
7. Megan Trottier
Dallas artist Megan Trottier has a spirit as vibrant as the art she creates. The charismatic mother of three took up painting during the pandemic, posted her work on Instagram, and has never looked back.
Megan currently promotes her collection of colorful acrylic canvases, trays, coasters, pillows, and other decorative goods on her IG feed and website.
