SATURDAY SASS TOBI FAIRLEY

Before I started my career in interior design as owner of Denise McGaha Interiors, I had a career with the world famous retailer Neiman Marcus.  I worked as an assistant buyer in the Designer Jewelry office buying artisan jewelry for Neiman Marcus stores across the United States.  I was then promoted to the customer loyalty department where I worked with the crème de la crème of Neiman Marcus customers who were InCircle members.  These customers spent a minimum of $3000 a year with the stores, but many spent into the millions.  With this career move, I honed my eye for high end fashion design, as well as the service level needed to sell to this level of clientele.  Not long after, I was tapped to join the team who delivered the famous Neiman Marcus website to the world wide web.  After launching neimanmarcus.com, I had great experience in buying, marketing, customer loyalty and web design.

Fast forward to 2001, and after 9-1-1 and I had a change of heart.  Instead of lending my time to a full-time career for another great company, I decided to launch my interior design firm.  Our firm began by developing services to serve the custom homebuilding industry.  We worked with clients to create design selections for their new homes and were given a limited budget and materials with which to accomplish this task.  After being referred to several builders, our business was born and for 7 years we worked for some of the best high-end homebuilders in Dallas, Fort Worth, Southlake, Colleyville and Westlake.  We also worked on projects in Houston, Florida and Colorado.  Our firm had grown to having 10 designers and support staff and a large facility and meeting rooms to house this staff.

After the great recession reared it’s ugly head, Denise McGaha Interiors, began to focus mainly on residential clients who were staying in their current homes and were instead remodeling and furnishing those spaces.  We still work with builders to this day, but most come to us via a client and we assist our clients in selecting some of the best architects and builders to complete their projects.

I travel to the major furniture markets twice a year in High Point, North Carolina, Atlanta, Georgia and New York, New York to keep abreast of the latest offerings and trends from our manufacturers.  I am proud to sell furniture lines like Hickory Chair, Pearson, Barclay Butera, Precedent, Sherrill, as well as lighting and accessories from Visual Comfort, Urban Electric, Arteriors, Global Views, Robert Abbey and more.  We also have access to amazing rugs, both vintage and new from sources like Rennaissance Collection, Merida, Surya, Jaipur, Capel and more.  Having these great lines of furniture at our fingertips allows us to deliver full service design to our clients on a deadline.

In 2012, I launched my much-loved blog, “Designed with a Deadline”.  Six days a week, I write about the deadline dilemmas, design inspiration, design tips and shortcuts that I use with my clients to create beautiful interior design projects on a deadline.  Our firm is known for having the best sources that can deliver custom, high-end furniture, drapery and accessories in four weeks or less.  This is almost unheard of in the industry.  I take great pride in sharing the process I developed years ago for designing a new construction project in a short amount of time and translating it to today’s interiors.  With our buying power in the industry and the reputation we have developed for high end interiors, we are able to deliver what most firms cannot in a timely fashion.

We are also proud to share our new “Designed in a Day” package to those clients who don’t need a full-service interior design offering.  This day package is available for only $1500 and allows clients 4 hours of design time and a lunch with Denise McGaha.  Having this type of access to the principal designer for this amount of time is unheard of without a full service contract.  These spots fill up fast each month, so we encourage clients to book them early, especially if they are working toward a deadline like the holiday season or an event they may be hosting in their home.

I am so excited to have the newly branded website designed for us by The OId State.  The Old State has delivered not only amazing design, but the great branding materials and logo we have.  This logo has already communicated volumes in establishing the Denise McGaha Interiors name to the interior design landscape.  The Old State Team also designed our blog header and have been responsible for the image we have been able to communicate to the world through our website.