Dallas interior designer Noel Pittman reminisces about the collection of moments that shaped the start of her home in Highland Park while looking ahead to her next renovation.
The renovated fireplace, light fixtures and hanging Spanish artwork infuse this townhouse with the charm and character of Andalusian design.
Noel Pittman, a Highland Park native, is deeply inspired by how people in Dallas invest so much time in their homes. So, when she returned four years ago from New York to start her full-service interior design business, it felt like the perfect poetry of design and life. She bought a townhouse that quickly turned into an educational journey, and after adding her signature touch, it became a home straight out of a Nancy Meyers movie or a dream you’d want to fall into.
“As much as I wanted to focus on my own home, it wasn’t the right time to take on a renovation. I saw that I could shape the clean, neutral rooms to suit my aesthetic,” she says. “I realized I could take it in an Andalusian design direction by renovating the fireplace, changing light fixtures and hanging Spanish artwork.”
Pittman used predominantly neutrals for the primary pieces, and added interest with patterned throw pillows, layered window treatments and textures.
You’re greeted by the spacious, open-concept living room and kitchen as you walk through the front doors. “For this reason, I knew I needed to maintain the same color palette throughout. I used predominantly neutrals for the primary pieces and added interest with patterned throw pillows, layered window treatments and textures,” she explains. Pittman understood this wouldn’t be her forever home, so she focused on decor pieces rather than architectural details to maintain its charm. However, she believes every home, regardless of how long you stay, should have a cozy nighttime room, which inspired the study with the blue bookcases.
The study, which also serves as her cozy nighttime retreat, features antique Portuguese plates above the sofa in the sitting area.
“I had these built to flank a low, deep sofa and added grasscloth to the walls to create a cocoon-like space for evenings at home,” she says. A key vintage pursuit that ties the study together is the collection of blue and white antique Portuguese plates displayed above the sofa in the study. “I bought these in Sicily with my best friend when we were heading to another good friend’s wedding. It was such a fun, memorable trip, and I love having the reminder,” she adds. Pittman is never shy about admitting that layers and texture are her signature styles, especially in the study. Rugs are layered, books are stacked and the room feels rich and full. “I like to make sure that spaces suit their surroundings but also reference other places for an element of discovery.”
In the primary suite, you’ll find two dog oil paintings: one inherited from Pittman’s mother and the other a vintage find.
Traveling upstairs to the guest bedroom and primary suite, you’ll find more personal touches, such as photos of family and friends and huge oil paintings of dogs in the primary suite that always bring a smile to her face. She says her dog is the most cherished piece of her home, followed closely by a painting by Pedro Diego Alvarado that her mother gifted her. “I want homes to reflect the owners with personal artwork, design elements and the general feel.
Beyond that, I strive to design timeless, beautiful, comfortable and layered spaces,” she says. Pittman purchased her first home in Dallas for its appearance–it was newly built and complemented her collection beautifully. More recently, she bought a 1920s house because of the way it made her feel. “I am having so much fun working on a traditional home. Right now, I’m shopping for antique marble mantels to replace some wood mantels on the fireplaces. It’s really fun to find things with provenance that I’ll get to live with,” she says.
Pittman chose a subtle wallpaper and layered three window treatments—a matchstick blind, café curtain and full curtains— along with bed hangings behind the headboard to craft a cozy atmosphere in the guest bedroom.
The personal touches in the primary suite reflect Pittman’s passion for art, ceramics and textiles from across the world.
Photography by: ALL PHOTOS BY NATHAN SCHROEDER
