PaperCity Hosts Designer Showcase with Caitlin Wilson and Philip Vanderford at Dallas’ Walker Zanger

PaperCity recently hosted a fun and freewheeling conversation between two of Dallas’ most talented and beloved designers, Caitlin Wilson of Caitlin Wilson Design and Philip Vanderford of Studio Thomas James, at Walker Zanger in its Dallas Design District Turtle Creek Showroom. 

Moderated by PaperCity Editor-in-Chief Billy Fong, attendees were treated to an afternoon of designer intel, thoughts on the ever-changing social media space, and what the two dynamic designers are seeing as the rising trends — all before the mic was handed over to guests for their chance at a Q&A session with two of the brightest minds in the industry.

Surrounded by the beauty of the Walker Zanger showroom, the world’s leading luxury brand in the stone and tile industry since 1952, Wilson and Vanderford took turns answering questions about how they’ve built their brands, developing their signature styles, balancing their brand voice with the clients’ needs and doing it all as entrepreneurs.

Wilson is an internationally acclaimed interior and product designer who has trotted the globe from the West Coast to the Middle East. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, she developed a love for beautiful art and design and founded Caitlin Wilson Design in 2007. She launched her textile collection in 2011, and what began as just pillows and fabric is now rugs, wallpaper, furniture, and more. Now a Texan, Wilson designs every product with her team right here in her Dallas studio and flagship store. Pattern and color are her forte and the foundation on which she designs her signature interiors and home decor products. It is her passion and intention to continue creating timeless designs that span multiple styles and are accessible to all.

Led by principal and founder Philip Thomas Vanderford, Studio Thomas James has built a diverse portfolio of projects worldwide, rich in expression and emotional intelligence. Vanderford was named HGTV’s Designer of the Year in 2021. He was a featured designer in the inaugural Kips Bay Decorator Show House Dallas in 2020 and in Kips Bay Palm Beach in 2023. In 2024, he designed a tablescape for the New York Botanical Garden’s illustrious Orchid Dinner at The Plaza. He was published in Be-Spōk: a philosophy of beauty, the luxury coffee table book by Benton Buckley Books.

Here’s to a life well-designed.