Divine Design — Chatting Up the Designers Landing in Dallas for Texas Design Week

Some of the dreamiest designers and architects working today are making their way to Dallas to land at Texas Design Week Dallas, October 21 through October 25, for an exciting five days of salon talks, panel discussions, book signings and cocktails. With Kips Bay Decorator Show House Dallas’ VIP Opening Day on Thursday, October 24, it’s a heady week of design in Dallas. Here’s what’s top of mind for the Texas Design Week designers,  vis-à-vis antique shops, books, home scents and collecting.

For tickets and the full schedule, visit TexasDesignWeek.com. Information, email events@texasdesignweek.com.

Michael S. Smith

Santa Monica

Dream collaboration.

I always love anything with contemporary architecture like Tadao Ando.

Gardens or historical houses you must tour.

Mexican modernists … Luis Barragán … Legorreta. I also love Charles IV’s Casa del Labrador in Spain that there are so few great photos of. The Escorial Monastery outside Madrid.

Watch or iPhone.

Both! As Ronald Reagan said, “Trust but verify.”

Top vintage design books in your library.

David Hicks; Mongiardino; Veere Grenney, whom I love; Billy Baldwin; and my own!

Favorite design shop in your city.

JF Chen.

Favorite design shop anywhere in world.

Jamb, London.

Movie you love for the design element.

Eyes of Laura Mars.

Great podcasts.

The Daily from The New York Times — makes me feel smarter than I am.

Books On Tape — particularly the one on Barbra Streisand.

You collect.

Different things at different houses … Spanish artists, silver pieces by Elsa Peretti.

Home scent.

Rigaud Tournesol. Or my own!

Next for you. 

I never know. I hope something wonderful!!

Mark D. Sikes

Los Angeles

Dream collaboration.

I’d like to decorate for the British Royals.

Gardens or historical houses you must tour.

Villa La Fiorentina in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.

Watch or iPhone.

Patek Philippe watch.

Top vintage design book in your library.

The Givenchy Style.

Favorite antiques shop in your city.

Philip Stites, Los Angeles.

Favorite shop anywhere in the world.

Gerald Bland, New York City.

Movie you love for the design element.

I Am Love.

You collect.

Books, boxes, lapis, magazines, baskets.

Home scent.

Trudon mandarin room spray.

Next for you.

My new book, Forever Beautiful, released September 3; a new collection with Samuel & Sons, launched August 15; new collection with Chesneys; line expansions with Hudson Valley Lighting, Schumacher, and Chaddock; my personal project, Orange Hill Farm, being built in Ojai, California.

Brigette Romanek

Los Angeles

Dream collaboration. 

Farrow & Ball.

Gardens or historical houses you must tour.

Tony Duquette’s Malibu Ranch and Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage designed by A. Quincy Jones.

Top vintage design books in your library.

Elsie de Wolfe books.

Favorite design shop in your city.

JF Chen and Blackman Cruz.

Favorite design shop anywhere in the world.

Brimfield Antique Flea Market.

Movie you love for the design element.

Call Me By Your Name, I Am Love, Fatal Attraction.

Great podcasts.

Business Made Simple, The Financial Feminist, and Goop.

You collect.

White vases.

Home scent.

Terre Noire.

Next for you.

Growing my business.

Jake Arnold

Los Angeles

Dream collaboration.

A lighting collection — and Visual Comfort & Co. would be a dream partner.

Gardens or historical houses you must tour.

I often find inspiration from touring local Los Angeles neighborhoods. My favorites — those I return to again and again — are Hancock Park, Bel Air, and Beverly Hills Flats.

Top vintage design books in your library.

Jed Johnson: Opulent Restraint, Renzo Mongiardino: Roomscapes; Syrie Maugham: Staging Glamorous Interiors.

Go-to design shop in your city.

JF Chen, Los Angeles.

Design/antique shop anywhere in the world.

Les Puces de Saint-Ouen, Paris.

Movie you love for the design element.

The set design for the TV show Palm Royale is incredible — layered, glamorous, and true to the era.

Great podcast.

The Mel Robbins Podcast.

You collect.

Coffee-table books. Our studio is piled high with books and endless inspiration.

Home scent.

Tsuchi Earth Candle, which I happened upon at the spa at The Greenwich Hotel in New York.

Next for you.

We’ve found success partnering with great brands in the past, but for the first time, we’ve started working more and more on developing initiatives in-house. . . Look out later this year for our holiday bazaar, a week-long retail and event experience in Los Angeles, and Jake Arnold Studio product collection launching early 2025.

Amanda Lindroth

Nassau, Palm Beach, Charleston

Dream collaboration.

I tend to like the highest end and the “high street,” so for the high end I would say Bonacina 1899, and for the high street, I would say Target.

Gardens or historical houses you must tour.                

Bonnet House in Fort Lauderdale, Vizcaya in Miami, The Retreat Garden in Nassau.

Top vintage design books in your library.

All old books on Jansen, Elsie de Wolfe. Billy Baldwin. Oliver Messel, and Colefax and Fowler.

Favorite design/antique shop in your city.

The Island Store in Nassau.

Favorite design/antique shop anywhere in world.

Soane Britain; Casa Gusto in Palm Beach.

Movie you love for the design element.

I Am Love.

Great podcast.

Dr. Joe Dispenza.

You collect.

Vintage china, table linens.

Home scent.

Diptyque Freesia.

Next for you.

New book, new house, new hotel opening, lovely projects all over, and a few surprises.

Timothy Corrigan

Los Angeles

Dream collaboration.

I would very much like to do a lighting collection for someone, because I don’t feel there are enough good flush-mount ceiling fixtures or smaller floor lamps that are good for reading. I’m an intensely practical designer, and I find that many lighting fixtures are more about form than function.

Gardens or historical houses you must tour.

I’m crazy for house museums and make a point of visiting them whenever I go someplace. Favorites include: The Mount, Edith Wharton’s home in Lenox, Massachusetts; Hillwood Estate, Marjorie Merriweather Post’s home in Washington, D.C.; Vizcaya Museum & Gardens in Miami; and the Lotusland gardens in Montecito. In Europe, must-visits include Syon House and Osterley Park and House in England, Sanssouci in Germany, and Musée Nissim de Camondo in France.

Watch or iPhone. 

I have more than enough technology without wearing it too! I have a collection of vintage watches — Patek Philippe, Cartier Tank, Rolex Submariner, Hermès, and a Breitling chronograph. Sometimes it’s a luxury to not wear one at all!

Top vintage design books in your library. 

Les Pavillons, French Pavilions of the Eighteenth Century by Cyril Connolly and Jerome Zerbe, 1962. This book focuses on the small French pavilions or follies built in the mid-18th century. A quote from the book summarizes the uses of these buildings. “They were intended for relaxation, of which there were four: conversation, making love, eating, and cards. Reading and music were occasionally indulged in.” Doesn’t that say it all?

The Elements of Style: A Practical Encyclopedia of Interior Architectural Details from 1485 to the Present by Stephen Calloway and Elizabeth Cromley, 1997. This is a terrific resource for designers, architects and anyone who loves design because it quickly and intelligently describes a host of design periods from many cultures and parts of the world for the last 500 years.

Mastering Tradition: The Residential Architecture of John Russell Pope by James B. Garrison, 2004. Pope designed huge mansions all around the eastern United States throughout the first quarter of the 20th century. Most of his projects were pretty grand (a number of the wonderful Newport “cottages” were by Pope). He always understood the importance that scale plays in the way that one interacts with a room.

Les Décorateurs des Années 40 by Bruno Foucart and Jean-Louis Gaillemin, 1999. The furniture and design that came out of France in the 1940s in its own way equals the zenith of French furniture of the 18th century. This book has lovely photos highlighting the work of the greats of the period, including Adnet, Arbus, Leleu, Poillerat, Royère, and Subes.

Favorite design or antique shop in your city.

JF Chen is such a wonderful Ali Baba’s cave of great treasures, and Joel has one of the best eyes in the business. It’s hard to walk away from his shop without a lot of lust in your eyes!

Favorite design shop anywhere in world.

David Duncan in New York for his great mix of interesting lighting. In Paris, I spend hours in the Carré Rive Gauche antiques district, exploring the 70 different galleries.

Movie you love for the design element.

So many … From classics such as Barry Lyndon and The Wings of the Dove up to Christopher Nolan’s mind-blowing sets for Inception.

Great podcasts.

The Business of Home with Dennis Scully, The Chairish Podcast with Michael Boodro, and The Grand Tourist with Dan Rubinstein.

You collect.

Portraits, porcelain dinner services. . . and châteaux.

Home scent.

La Vie de Chateau by Timothy Corrigan Home.

Next for you. 

A royal palace in Morocco, a new furniture collection for Sutherland, and going to a meditation retreat in India!

Hudson Moore

Senior design editor, Frederic magazine, New York

Dream collaboration.

I’d love to collaborate with Dries Van Noten on a homeware line, now that he has so much time on his hands!

Gardens or historical houses you must tour.

The Alhambra. I had the opportunity to photograph this beautiful monument in Spain for Frederic, and I was moved to tears by its intricacy and scale.

Watch or iPhone. 

I’d rather not know what time it is at all. It’s the greatest luxury.

Top vintage design books in your library.

Norma Skurka’s The New York Times Book of Interior Design and Decoration and Around That Time: Horst at Home in Vogue.

Favorite design/antique shop in your city. 

Gerald Bland in New York City. There’s no one I respect more in the antiques business, and his showroom perfectly captures his unmatched style.

Favorite design shop anywhere in world.

Formations in Los Angeles. I love this store for its simplicity and connection to nature — from the sunlight streaming in the big windows to the fountains and the garden. It’s perfect!

Movie you love for the design element. 

A Single Man. I recently watched this movie, directed by Tom Ford in 2009, and I can confidently say I’ve never been so impacted by a movie set before. I walked away wanting to move into a John Lautner glass home in Los Angeles immediately!

Great podcasts.

Every time I try to listen to a podcast, my mind wanders. I just can’t focus without a visual element.

You collect.

Scents. I’m always on the hunt for something new. It’s a simple pleasure!

Home scent.

Karat EG from Maison d’Etto. I know these things are subjective, but it’s perfect — trust me.

Next for you.

My schedule is full these days styling shoots for Frederic, and I couldn’t feel more lucky! It’s my favorite part of the job.

Josh Young

Washington, D.C.

Dream collaboration.

A dream collaboration of mine is coming out this October. It’s something I’ve been working on for a while now, and it’s with a brand I’ve loved and admired for many years. So excited to share it.

Gardens or historical houses you must tour.

Villa Necchi Campiglio in Milan. I lived and studied in Milan for six years, and this house was such a huge inspiration of mine. I think I first toured the property in 2009 after seeing the movie Io sono l’amore [I Am Love]. The home exudes elegance and is almost spiritual in a way. The epitome of Milanese taste.

Favorite design/antique shop in your city.

Côté Jardin Antiques in Georgetown. Always the chicest finds in the chicest setting.

Favorite design/antique shop anywhere in world.

Raw in Milan. Such a unique and magical spot with the most incredible shop owners.

Movie you love for the design element.

I find so much inspiration in production design and film. To name a few, Io sono l’amore, Something’s Gotta Give, Call Me by Your Name, and Stepmom.

Great podcasts.

The Daily by The New York Times. I’m also a huge true crime junkie, so Serial is obviously a classic.

You collect.

Portraiture. To know me is to know my deep love of antique portraiture.

Home scent.

Bois Ardent by Mizensir.

Next for you.

My first book, Artful Home with Rizzoli. It’s a project I’ve been working on for the past three years, and it’s a deep dive into my work, both on and off the canvas. A collaboration of frames I designed recently launched with Framebridge and a multi-year product collaboration I’ve been working on with another brand will launch in October. And I’m always working on new pieces and commissions in my studio.

Jonathan Savage

Nashville, Palm Beach

Dream collaboration.

Creating a custom interior for Rolls-Royce.

Gardens or historical houses you must tour.

On a recent visit to the South of France, I was enamored by Eileen Gray’s E-1027 French Riviera villa.

Watch or iPhone.

Phone (for practicality), but I never leave the house without my Cartier.

Top vintage design books in your library.

Jean-Michel Frank from Assouline.

Favorite design/antique shop in your city.

In Palm Beach, Paula Roemer Antiques. In Nashville, Marymont Plantation Antiques & Interiors.

Favorite design/antique shop anywhere in the world.

Portuondo Gallery in London.

Movie you love for the design element.

A Single Man.

Great podcasts.

How to Decorate by Ballard Design, which I recently joined for an episode.

You collect.

Richard Ginori china.

Home scent.

Rosso Nobile from Dr. Vranjes Firenze.

Next for you.

A book tour!

Mike Gracie, Jenn Gracie, Zach Shea

Gracie wallpaper, New York City

Dream collaboration.

Jennifer Gracie: Aston Martin. A DB5 with Gracie patterned seats. Yes, please!

Mike Gracie: I would love to develop designs in collaboration with the British National Trust. They have the largest collection of historic Chinese wallpapers on permanent public display in the world. My wife and I had a viewing of some of these papers warehoused at the Victoria and Albert Museum, and it was so inspiring.

Zach Shea: I‘ve always thought it would be amazing to have our panels dress the walls of beautiful yacht interiors. A collaboration with Viking Yachts would make me smile ear-to-ear!

Gardens or historical houses you must tour.

JG: The Vatican.

MG: The Winterthur Museum in Delaware. There are installations of beautiful historic antique Chinese and French wallpapers.

ZS: The Vanderbilt Mansion.

Watch or iPhone.

JG: Watch, Panerai.

MG: Function over form — Apple Watch.

ZS: I’m a watch guy and have always loved Tag Heuer.

Top vintage design books in your library.

JG: Parish-Hadley: Sixty Years of American Design and Josef Albers’ Interaction of Color.

MG: Papiers Peints Panoramiques is a great, encyclopedic book of antique French wallpapers. It’s currently essential as we’re reviewing our French antique wallpaper collection for restoration and sale of some of the items at auction.

ZS: Mario Buatta: Fifty Years of American Interior Decoration and The House in Good Taste by Elsie De Wolfe.

Favorite design/antique shop in the U.S.

JG: Pasadena Antiques Center.

MG: Le Trianon Fine Art & Antiques in Sheffield, Massachusetts, carries a beautiful collection of English, French, Italian, and Continental pieces. It’s like visiting a decorative arts museum.

ZS: Silver Lining Consignments in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

Favorite design/antique shop anywhere in the world.

JG: Il Papiro in Florence — and consignment shops anywhere. I’m always convinced I’ll find treasure!

MG: Over the years, we’ve visited Zhuhai, China, to source antique Chinese furniture. It’s a bit of a needle in a haystack to search through a vast complex of warehoused antique pieces, from reclaimed wood to massive iron vessels and the occasional beautifully crafted altar table or cabinet. The search is always fascinating.

ZS: Grays Antique Market in London.

Movie you love for the design element.

JG: The original Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

MG: I loved the mid-century aesthetic in Don’t Worry Darling.

ZS: The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Graduate.

Great podcasts.

JG: Armchair Expert and The New York Times’ The Daily.

MG: The Business of Home. For much of my career, we didn’t have a source for news in our niche of interiors. Dennis Scully fills that void brilliantly.

ZS: The Business of Home and SmartLess.

You collect.

JG: Fossils, seascapes, and lacquer boxes.

MG: My latest obsession is models of antique tractors.

ZS: Antiques — and a golf ball from every course I play.

Home scent.

JG: I live in the Hollywood Hills, and something is always in bloom, so I live with open windows. No indoor scents or candles for me.

MG: Voluspa candles have a great fragrance and beautiful packaging.

ZS: Anything citrus.

Next for you.

JG: I’m excited to be transforming my own home with my talented friend, designer Kevin Isbell, and we’re already thinking of our second Gracie book, believe it or not.

MG: In 2022, we had a warehouse sale of antique and vintage furniture and accessories at our Long Island City, New York, studio. The response was overwhelming. I’m excited to hold another sale soon. Stay tuned.

ZS: I’m excited to further develop our linen line with additional designs and add a faux leather option to our printed fabrics.

Texas Design Week Dallas is October 21 through October 25 — a week of panel discussions, salon talks, book signings, product launches, cocktails and dinners with some of the most celebrated designers and architects in the country. For tickets and schedule, go here. Information, email events@texasdesignweek.com.