Launch

Q&A: Greg Barker

Greg Barker moved to Dallas from Baton Rouge in 1991. And in 2003, he opened Patina Bleu, a furniture rehab shop and interior design studio at Tyler and Seventh. Since then, he has decorated some of the most beautiful houses in Oak Cliff and other parts of Dallas. More recently, his business has expanded to outside of Dallas, and his little shabby-chic studio in Oak Cliff is becoming one of the most sought-after design houses around.

What is your background? Have you always been an interior designer?

I’ve always had my hand in some kind of design, whether it’s visual merchandising, or I worked in a flower shop I’ve always dibbled and dabbled with painting and interior design.

You do a lot of furniture makeovers. How did you get into that?

I’ve always had a love for furniture. I used to go to flea markets — and I still do — and find really cool pieces of furniture and “Gregorize” it, whether it’s doing some sort of woodwork or metal or recovering or re-finishing. I just did a really cool wingback chair. I replaced the legs with wrought iron and recovered it with beautiful fabric.

What would you say your influences have been?

I’ve always been inspired by the Spanish and French influences of Louisiana. It took moving away and going back for me to really appreciate that. The peeling paint, and the Spanish moss and all that stuff, I love going back and seeing all of that.

Are your projects mostly residential?

Yes. I’ve done a few commercial jobs. I like residential because you have more freedom. Commercial is more regimented, depending on what you’re decorating for. Most of my residential clients have a wacky sensibility like I do.

Is this your full-time job?

Yes, but I have another job. I work at American Airlines [part time]. I’ve been there 17 years as a customer service agent.

Nice. So you get flight benefits?

Yes — so I’m doing a house in Austin right now, and I’m going down on Saturday. I’m branching out of Dallas now, and that really helps. But I’ve done jobs from Preston Hollow to Oak Cliff. I’ve had a lot of presence in Oak Cliff. I’m something of a design general contractor … I’m designing and having furniture made. I can do everything in a home-design project.

How would you describe your style?

My style is eclectic, even though I know that word is overused. My philosophy is, every client is different. I try to fit the mold of my client. Who are they? How do they live? I combine my style with theirs. I figure out what they like, and it’s my job to get inside their heads and make their vision come through. But my personal style I’m very moved by French, Italian and modern and mid-century design.

The former Patina Bleu showroom now is leased to Oil and Cotton. Is there a place where people can still shop with you?

My workshop is the building next to Oil and Cotton, and it’s basically like a holding tank for furniture and pieces I might want to use for jobs in the future. My goal is to eventually get it back to a storefront where you can come in and shop, but I am so busy with design that it hasn’t happened yet. People, if they really want to come in, they can call me.

If someone has their grandma’s sofa or something that they want to have fixed up, can they bring it to you?

Oh, yes. I do chandeliers, coffee tables, sofas, Louis XVI chairs, armoires, china cabinets you name it.

How did you learn to do all that stuff?

A lot of it was self-taught. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to work with some extremely creative people. But if I put my mind to it, I’ll figure it out, either through trial and error, or I will read up on it and figure it out.

How did you decide you wanted to be a designer?

Originally, I wanted to design amusement park rides. For the longest time I was fascinated with roller coasters. From there, that shifted into architecture and basically, I was taking architecture classes, and during the course of all that my mother got sick, and I took care of her. I got a job at a furniture shop in Louisiana and learned a lot there. When I got to Texas, I worked as a visual merchandiser for Foley’s and Neiman Marcus, and with each experience, it had a creative influence it stuck with me and propelled me to now.