Houston Designer Nicole Zarr Talks Inspiration, Kips Bay Decorator Show House Dallas Debut, and More

This article is promoted/partner content and not produced by the editorial staff.

For Houstonian Nicole Zarr, design is in her blood. The interior designer inherited her mother’s firm, formerly known as Triangle Interiors, nearly 30 years ago. What started as a small business has evolved into a celebrated design studio that continues her mother’s legacy.

“My mom always told me color sense and scale cannot be taught, but you are rather born with those traits,” Zarr says. “That gave me the confidence I needed.” Now known as Nicole Zarr and Associates, the firm employs a team of young women, including Zarr’s own daughter Mackenzie, further perpetuating her mother’s vision.

The firm designs for elevated, expressive living by bringing bold beauty to life with texture, color, and confidence. Zarr finds inspiration everywhere, but she particularly draws from the fashion industry.

“I think fashion and design go hand-in-hand,” she says. “What’s coming down the runways generally helps predict color palettes and trends a year before the new textiles begin to hit the design scene.” Also inspired by travel, her style is rooted in French and English design. “I tend to mix the two styles,” she says. “I’ll throw in layers like the English and add an unexpected twist like the French. If a room is all from one period or style, it feels canned to me. I want to be anything but expected.”

Of course, there’s no denying her Texan roots. A Spanish Colonial ranch in South Texas and a farm in Brenham top her list of favorite projects. Recently, she participated in the Kips Bay Decorator Show House Dallas, where her room was inspired by her martini order: slightly dirty, shaken, not stirred.

“I wanted to have fun with my showhouse debut,” she says. “Playful yet polished. Elevated, but never too serious.” Thus, the Zarr Bar was born. Zarr says it started with the wallcovering, Pietra Dura paper, which she had seen in the de Gournay showroom in Paris last year during Paris Deco Off.

“When I was asked to participate in Kips Bay, de Gournay was my first request,” Zarr says. “They let me custom color the paper. It was a rich chocolate brown backdrop mixed with my signature yellow and various shades of plums, greens, and rose pink to create a moody but ‘pretty’ woman’s lounge.”

Zarr’s own home in Houston is fondly known as the Zarr Bar, so it felt fitting to replicate one in Dallas; it also aligned with her recent rebrand of Raising the Zarr. The goal was to aim for maximalism, without becoming stuffy. With the Zarr Bar, she wanted people to see that design can bubble with personality by incorporating vibrant colors, rich textures, and a wink of humor. “Life is short — so making it beautiful is the whole point,” she says.

To learn more about Nicole Zarr & Associates, check out their website here.