Next Generation Design

The daughter of a designer, Shay Geyer continues the legacy in Texas

BY JENNIFER BRINGLE

The 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 Fine Furnishings—a full-service furnishings store and design center founded 35 years ago by Rafferty in Frisco, Texas.

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?

From a functionality standpoint, I oſten joke there’s really only 4-6 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 are very soothing and bring dimension and interest to the outdoor space. That palette works really cohesively with nature.

Geyer is known for using bold pops of color and mixing patterns to energize outdoor spaces. Her mantra: Beige is boring.

It’s really exciting how much fabrics have changed—several manufacturers even have outdoor velvet and linens. I think that even further blends interior and exterior spaces because not only do clients want those fabrics outdoors, but indoors as well if they have kids or grandkids or pets. You can use those fabrics inside or outside and have those yummy textures.

Why has it been so important to your brand to have a strong online presence?

For us, social media is really a great way to get our work out quickly. We can show peeks of what we’re working on and just connect with people. We get a lot of business from the things we post on social media. And as designers, our clients are relying on us to be experts, so sharing that we’re going to market and doing CEUs and networking with manufacturers and other designers is important to show.

It’s nice to have your portfolio on your website, but that’s not interactive. If you’re doing Instagram and that kind of content, you’re showing you’re an expert, and people want to work with you and get your advice. In the world today, people expect that, and they really like to see how things are made. People are online Googling stuff, so for you to be someone who can give them the answers to something they’re looking for is huge. You might not get a call immediately, but the frequency of putting yourself out there and answering questions—for our business, it has been great for growth. □