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Behind the Menagerie

Shelby Whitfield, Principal Designer

A Fort Worth native who spent childhood years in Berlin, Shelby has always been inspired by the modern architecture and materials around both cities.  She carried that inspiration to her university education in Virginia, where she developed an equal appreciation for classical design.

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After earning her interior design degree, she returned to the Metroplex to train under some of Dallas-Fort Worth's nationally recognized design professionals.  Her experience incudes family home renovations in Preston Hollow and the Park Cities, estate homes in Westover Hills, and vacation homes throughout the country.

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Her design philosophy is a client-centered distillation of inspiration from her lived and professional experience.

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When she isn't designing, Shelby enjoys patio brunches and runs along the Trinity Trails.

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  • Prologue
    From the first stages of each project, Modern Menagerie’s ethos is centered around beautiful livability. Our initial consultation is designed to explore your home and its needs with you, collaboratively developing a project scope based on our expertise and your vision that perfectly captures every detail needed to create a stunning space that functions effortlessly for you and your family.
  • Concepts
    Architectural consulting, space planning, and the principles of design are all expertly considered as each home begins to come to life through the first stages of the design process. Custom furnishings and fabrics are carefully chosen to create livable luxury, while finishes and fixtures are selected to fit your lifestyle. The conceptual design phase exists to confirm the scope and aesthetic direction developed with you at the initial appointment, and will last approximately 8 weeks, depending on your project scope and our schedule.
  • Presentation
    Modern Menagerie draws upon classic interior design practices to create a fresh, boutique client experience in our design studio. We blend traditional techniques and modern technology for an engaging presentation that delivers interiors perfectly tailored to reflect our clients' distinct lifestyles and personalities. We communicate conceptual designs through furniture plans, inspiration images, mood boards, and initial selections.
  • Development & Execution
    Once conceptual designs are approved, we create design drawings and specifications, such as elevations and paint schedules to communicate the details to you and other project partners. We'll approve finish samples on site, and be available to your contractor for any questions that arise during construction. Then we'll finalize all furnishings details, down to each pillow trim, so we are ready to install each piece of furniture in your home as soon as the move-in clean is complete.
  • Furnish
    Modern Menagerie is a full-service interior design firm, which means we handle purchasing and installation of all custom furniture and accessories. We communicate each detail with our vendors and trades, place orders, track deliveries to our white glove receivers, resolve any shipping deficiencies, and coordinate installation in your home.
  • Wrap Process
    As our installation is in progress, we conduct a walkthrough and create a punchlist of any outstanding items to ensure each detail is followed through to completion. We provide care guides for proper maintenance of your new finishes and furnishings, and are available for maintenance and warranty questions after move in.

Our Design Process

Modern Menagerie balances classic inspirations with modern updates, creating evocative interiors grounded in both form and function.

"Shelby is AMAZING! If you're on the fence about getting design help, do it! We worked with her on a new construction home and she helped to make the process stress free and fun. She took all the mis-matched ideas I had floating around in my head, and made them into a cohesive and beautiful plan for our home."

Paige Cochran

FEATURED

Designing modern traditions in press

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