Designer John Phifer Marrs, ASID, the mastermind behind some of the most beautiful interiors in Dallas, shares with TH&L his innate sense of design, how he starts each day, the hardest part about being in the design industry, and his love for really cold martinis.

Texas Home & Living: Tell me a little bit about your background. What made you decide to become an interior designer?

John Phifer Marrs: I have always been fascinated by the way people live – their homes, their rooms, their possessions. My Grandmother Marrs totally trusted my taste. Even when I was a kid she would let me select frames for her artwork and rearrange all her furniture and accessories. I was curious why some rooms felt instantly warm and inviting and others were cold and uncomfortable. I loved people with lots of “things” – antiques, collections, whatever!

In college I first majored in theatre; I loved set design. Then I decided to focus on interior design. After college I attended Parsons School of Design in Paris, which opened me up to a world of magnificent interiors I had never seen before. After that, there was no going back to the farm!

TH&L: What is your design philosophy?

JPM: Appropriateness, quality, suitability, serendipity, and a dash of humor.

TH&L: What is the biggest challenge you have overcome being in the design industry?

JPM: Seeing so many beautiful things and not being able to have them all.

TH&L: What would you say is your biggest professional accomplishment?

JPM: Growing from a one-person office to a firm of ten that can handle any project a client can dream up.

TH&L: Who or what gives you inspiration?

JPM: Great buildings and interior spaces have always influenced me. The Pantheon in Rome, the Petit Trianon at Versailles, Mount Vernon, Thomas Jefferson’s bedroom at Monticello, and of course my Southern roots. I love Greek revival, faded elegance, inherited furnishings, and something grand with something simple.

TH&L: Who has been a mentor and influence in your work?

JPM: My inspiration partially comes from the work of designers like Billy Baldwin, Sister Parish, and Elsie de Wolf. They pretty much invented the profession. Also, Colefax and Fowler, John Saladino, and Alberto Pinto.

TH&L: What is in your design library?

JPM: Among my hundreds of books, some of my favorites are Adventures With Old Houses, The Gentlemen’s Clubs of London (Not the kind you may be thinking of!), The Louisiana Houses of A. Hays Town, In the Houses of Ireland, America’s Small Houses, and Inside Design by Michael Greer, which I quote all the time. My favorite quote of his is, “Too many flowers in a room imply the presence of a corpse and should be avoided unless there is one.”

TH&L: What is a favorite interior you have seen on your travels?

JPM: The Dome Room at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. It is a wonderful space that really didn’t have much of a purpose.

TH&L: Tell me about an average day for you.

JPM: I always read my horoscope and check my email and phone messages first. Then glance at the newspaper to see what my clients are up to. After that it’s usually off to a jobsite meeting or shopping. I always try to do something fun each day like lunch or at least a phone call with someone who makes me laugh. If there is any time left I check out my shop and do a little “tweeking.”

TH&L: Do you have a go-to color?

JPM: No. Each job is so different and I rarely repeat myself, at least in my mind.

TH&L: What are some of your favorite materials to work with?

JPM: Bronze, as in light fixtures and door hardware; antique brick for floors or garden paths; and plaster for ceiling ornaments and architectural enhancement.

TH&L: Describe one of your most memorable projects to date.

JPM: I have been so fortunate to have had several the past few years: a Greek Revival home on the Natchez Trace, a French-style Château in Fort Worth, a classical library a

nd art gallery for a private home in Dallas, and a charming Park Cities cottage filled with collections put together over a lifetime.

TH&L: Is there any kind of project you particularly love?

JPM: A client with a dream! Or a client with lots and lots of things – antiques, collections, artwork – who is moving or downsizing and needs a fresh eye to edit and arrange a new home. It’s like a giant puzzle to me. I love the challenge of showing off their things in a new way.

TH&L: What do you love most about being a designer?

JPM: Each day is totally different and I spend a great deal of time surrounded by beautiful things and creative people. Design is also about listening to the client, finding solutions to their problems, presenting multiple options, and showing them the best.

TH&L: What is your advice to other designers/homeowners?

JPM: Buy the best you can afford and have a good time doing it. Building a home or furnishing it should be a joyful experience.

TH&L: What essentials do you need to live, work, and create?

JPM: Laughter, music, books, a comfortable chair, a beautiful view, someone to share it with, and a really good vodka martini.

TH&L: How would you describe today’s design culture in Dallas? How does it differ from the other major cities in Texas? Where do you see it headed in the future?

JPM: Dallas is a young, fun cultural city with a can-do attitude. It is more formal than other Texas cities and can sometimes take itself a little too seriously. Architecture and interior design are very important and it has an expansive design community with resources that are the equal of any city in the world. The future will see it as a more open-minded and cosmopolitan place to live.

TH&L: What will always be in style?

JPM: Quality, good manners, and good American furniture.

TH&L: Is there anything you would like to add?

JPM: What goes around comes around …. Brown is the new black …. A mirror is only as good as what it reflects … And I like my martinis really, really cold! TH&L