T
he daughter of highly regarded Dallas-area designer Beth Rafferty, Shay Geyer fell in love with the business by watching her mom. She began designing professionally herself in 2000, joining the family business, IBB Design ine urnishings a full-service furnishings store and design center founded 35 years ago by Rafferty in risco, Texas.
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G E N E R AT ION
DE SIGN THE DAUGHTER OF A DESIGNER, SHAY GEYER CONTINUES THE LEGACY IN TEXAS
VISION
BY JENNIFER BRINGLE
26 | exterior design
In the years since joining the firm, Geyer has built a solid reputation for sophisticated, stylish designs that reflect her knack for playing with color and pattern. And she’s become a bit of a star in the design industry, serving as an expert panelist at trade shows and on television, and designing her own fabric collection, as well as rugs for Nourison. We recently caught up with Geyer to chat about her perspective on outdoor design and how her robust online presence has helped build her name in the industry. What is your philosophy for designing for the great outdoors? With outdoor design, my biggest mantra is: Beige is boring. The outdoor areas really should be an extension of the interior of the home, and we really try to carry the design aesthetic outdoors. We work with the landscape architect, the builder everyone involved to make sure those details are executed outside, and we really home in on how the family uses their outdoor space. What are some of the challenges you face designing outdoor spaces in Texas? rom a functionality standpoint, I oſten joke there’s really only 4 weeks of the year that are truly ideal for outdoor living. We’re embarking on our fall season, when it’s crazy good patio weather. What we see here is a lot of covered patios off the family room, and they put a fireplace and sitting area. We oſten do motorized shades where you can close off the room if you want to but still have a view. What’s your advice for adding pops of color to outdoor spaces? A good tip for those who may be scared of color and pattern is to use nature as your inspiration. Use the colors of the sky, grass, trees even pop in a sunny yellow or a soſter buttery yellow. I think if people use nature as a cue for color they’ll find the colors
