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When does an interior designer turn into a kid in a candy store? When she walks into a room full of fabric swatches!
Selecting fabrics and putting together a design color board for clients is one of my favorite things to do. It’s almost like being a child creating the perfect ice cream sundae…picking the right flavors, adding sprinkles, syrups, whip cream and then finishing it all off with a cherry on top. Of course, instead of ice cream and confections, it’s luxurious fabrics, rugs and furnishings. A smile is spreading across my face just thinking about it!
We recently created this color board for a client and it represents my design philosophy so well – neutral with a pop!

Anyone who knows me knows I love color, but I like to design with neutral furnishings and add color through accessories. Designing around neutrals helps insure timeless design, instead of design based on trends. [Read more…]

Isn’t it funny how something will spark a memory, a really good memory?  I’d like to share something with you that you probably don’t know about me. My heritage is Italian, my grandparents came to the United States from Italy in the early 1900’s. So that makes me 100% Italian and is probably why I love all things Italian, especially the food!   [Read more…]

If there’s one thing I’ve learned during my years as an interior designer, it’s the key to successful design in often “thinking outside the box.” Solutions to design dilemmas are seldom obvious, and this was certainly the case with a recent bathroom remodeling project.
Knowing our client desired a luxurious and glamorous master bath, I was on the hunt for the perfect crystal chandelier to suspend over the bathtub. Of course, the location for the lighting fixture required something fairly small, which most chandeliers are not! I needed the fixture to measure 18” x 18”, but couldn’t find what I was looking for anywhere.
Thankfully, we thought of Pettigrew Luxury Furnishings! When I told Jim Palmer, Pettigrew’s Lighting Director, what I needed, he immediately pulled out the base pictured.

I must admit, if I hadn’t known Jim and Pettigrew’s reputations, I would have run out the door! Pettigrew is known for creating one-of-a-kind light fixtures and Jim loves the challenge of creating signature pieces for clients. [Read more…]

Design Shuffle, an online go-to destination for design professionals and enthusiasts, has revealed its first annual Top 10 of the year and Barbara Gilbert Interiors was selected!
Ten design professionals from each of the three regions of the United States were chosen based on the quality of their designs within their online portfolios. Design Shuffle’s popular “Fave” feature also played a contributing factor in the firms honored. Design enthusiasts and industry partners everywhere use the fun and helpful “Fave” feature to identify their favorite design photographs.

The design of the room was based on our client’s desire for an inspiring, relaxing retreat. Comfort, without sacrificing beauty, was essential. We chose neutral fabrics to create custom window treatments and bedding, and added splashes of color in shades of aqua and orange to bring life to the room. [Read more…]

Talk about an amazing Christmas gift! After being contacted by HGTV requesting projects for their consideration in upcoming publications, I submitted two recent remodeling projects. Imagine my excitement when they decided to feature both projects online and interviewed me for all the details!
The first project is a large kitchen remodel in Farmersville, Texas that required the removal of two walls to create the open floor plan the homeowner desired. The kitchen was part of an overall home remodel and, due to extensive construction requirements, took over 9 months. But the end result was so worth it! HGTV chose to title it a “Cook’s Dream Kitchen,” and I couldn’t agree more. Take a look at the before and after.

Before, the kitchen was closed off from the family room and short on function. It also needed an overall update in cabinetry, appliances and finishes.

Now, the kitchen is family-friendly and open to adjacent rooms. It also boasts a show stopping island, timeless cabinetry, deep granite countertops and a butler’s pantry equipped with a coffee station. [Read more…]

It’s been an exciting year at Barbara Gilbert Interiors and it just got better. We we’re recently nominated and named one of Dallas’ Top 10 interior design firms!
TopTenDallas.com is the #1 website featuring the “best of” everything in Dallas, from realtors and restaurants to doctors and designers. The agency showcases the Top 10 firms or professionals in a variety of fields and is a fantastic resource for services.
We are very grateful for the nomination, and couldn’t be more honored at being selected! You can see the interior design listing and all the profiles at TopTenDallas.com.

It’s an exciting month at BGI! I’m delighted to share that one of my designs has been featured in an international publication: Cheers! Wine Cellar Design, by ArtPower International Publishing.
The book features an in-depth look at 70 unique wine cellars from across the globe and one of BGI’s designs is included. Over 800 color images are presented with detailed descriptions of each project, from wine racks and tasting tables to wine caves and showrooms.

I was contacted early last year by the publishing house requesting permission to include my design in their publication. One of their researchers had apparently come across the design online featured in my blog. Of course, both my client and I were thrilled to be included in the book which has been published in the United States, Europe and Asia.  [Read more…]