They say the best way to get to know someone is by taking a walk in their shoes. But we believe it’s by stepping inside their homes. In this series, five local designers allowed us to take a peek into their most private spaces for an intimate glance at their home lives. Read on to learn what’s close at heart to these designers, what pieces were an impulse buy, and what treasures they couldn’t live without. This week, we’re visiting with Pam Kelley.
The Traditionalist
Pam Kelley’s 2,300-square-foot Park Cities cottage is a reflection of her 35-year career. The self-taught designer (she majored in art history in college) has traveled the world for buying trips and personal vacations, collecting antiques and art along the way. Although this home is a bit of a downsize from her previous 6,000-square-foot space, she still made room for all her favorite items. “I love doing the great American home,” the Dallas native says. “My personal style has evolved but never really changed.” She relies on a classic style with a mix of antiques but never pieces that are trendy. And, no matter how elevated the interiors may be, she always keeps a home that is comfortable. “It’s never a museum. Anyone can come in and put their feet up and enjoy a Sunday supper,” she says. 
(Left) “The dining room table is one of the first pieces I ever purchased,” she says. Kelley bought the piece in 1979 from the Baker showroom and still loves it. The chandelier is also a piece Kelley has had for years. The Austrian antique was housed in her former entry room, but the scale works nicely in the dining room.
(Right) Kelley lived in her previous home for 31 years. “Stuff didn’t move around a lot,” she says. She enjoyed the process of downsizing, making sure each piece had a purpose and a place. “My display is not just display,” she says. “All of those great chest of drawers house placemats and napkins and candles and trays. Everything is used.”
(Left) An Old English secretary desk serves as a display for her Staffordshire collection.
(Right) The avid gardener sits at one of her most prized finds. The faux bois table is by a Mexico City-based artist Carlos Cortes. “He’s quite famous,” she says. “His family has done concrete faux bois for generations.” Kelley found the table for $200 at an antique shop on Levy Street. “I bought three pieces that day,” she says. “When I saw it, my heart just jumped.”
