My Houzz: Humor Lightens Up Midcentury Style in Dallas

Wayne and Lisa Moore love the clutter-free look of midcentury modern design. But when it came to decorating their Dallas house, there was one challenge. OK, make that three challenges. With three active young kids, achieving a clean aesthetic with a youthful vibe took extra special attention. The solution? A little bit of humor. They repurposed cat scratchers as sculptural art, used Pac-Man decals on the stairwell and hung framed pieces of space-patterned wallpaper, all next to pieces by Saarinen, Knoll and van der Rohe. "The purpose of home is to make family and friends happy and comfortable," Lisa says.

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Lisa Moore, a clothing designer; her husband, Wayne, an equity investor; and their 3 children
Location: Park Cities, Dallas
Size: 4,800 square feet; 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms

Saarinen tulip chairs surround a vintage Florence Knoll rosewood dining table with a brass base, one of Wayne and Lisa's favorite midcentury pieces. "I love the juxtaposition of a beautiful wood grain against clean white plastic," Lisa says.

Andy Warhol's Brillo Box serves as a fun centerpiece.

Table: Rosewood Dining Table by Florence Knoll, Sputnik Modern; chairs: Saarinen Tulip Armchair, Design Within Reach; pendant: Random Light by Bertjan Pot, Moooi; painting: by Leslie Wilkes, Barry Whistler Gallery


The antique chinoiserie cabinet in the living room, from Nick Brock Antiques in Dallas, was Lisa's first major furniture purchase. A vintage art piece framed in a modern acrylic shadow box hangs above.

Sofa: Bantam Studio Sofa (Broad Weave, Red), Design Within Reach; coffee table: Maya Lin Stones (blue), Design Within Reach


Most of the rooms center around a piece of contemporary art. In the living room, a cobalt blue figurative piece by British contemporary artist Christopher Bucklow sets the tone.

Lisa hung corrugated cardboard cat scratchers on the wall as sculptural art. They complement a Frank Gehry–designed corrugated cardboard side table that sits between two Saarinen womb chairs.

Chairs: Womb Chair by Eero Saarinen, Design Within Reach; Low Table Set by Frank Gehry, Scott+Cooner; cat scratchers: Cat Scratcher Lounge, Pet Fusion


Lisa believes the word "yes" has tremendous positive power and placed a neon sign of the word at the bottom of the staircase. Pac-Man decals adorn the wall above, anchoring the space with playful appeal.

Decals: Pac-Man Ghost, Blik, Fab; "YES" Neon Letters, Nest Dallas


A large oil painting by Scott McDermott, Lisa's first art purchase while in college, dominates the children's downstairs playroom. The kids use the space for art, practicing piano or playing video games. The vintage arcade game was a gift from Lisa's father. "He likes nostalgic pieces like jukeboxes and arcades," she says. Her mother found the lime green Panton mini-chairs that tie in perfectly with the portrait painting.

The tiger head above the arcade game symbolizes the humorous design style. "I love blow-up animals for the pool and rubber Halloween masks," Lisa says. "The tiger head lands somewhere in the middle. I'm not into animal mounts or taxidermy, so I thought this was a fun alternative."

Blue chair: PS Lömsk Swivel Chair, Ikea


Artwork and self-portraits from each of the three kids frame a closet door.


Lisa bought the two blue pieces in the family room on Craigslist for $200. "I like midcentury modern design, but always throw in some bright happy colors and art that's simple not crafty," she says.

Chairs: Barcelona Chair by Mies van der Rohe, Design Within Reach


A portrait of Roy Lichtenstein by Chuck Close is Lisa's most prized art purchase.


The Moores gave their open kitchen and dining area a facelift when they moved in. They painted the yellow walls white, refinished the hardwood floors and furnished the space with easy-to-clean furniture.

Coat rack: Splash Coat Rack, Blu Dot; framed paper cut-out art piece: Jim Hodges


In the kitchen, they added new marble countertops and stainless steel appliances and painted their traditional wood cabinets white.


Lisa decorated the upstairs bonus room by framing space-patterned wrapping paper designed by Rodarte for its Target collaboration.

Shelving: Cubitec Shelving (orange), Design With Reach; ottoman: Pentagonal Pouf, Missoni for Target


The main bedroom epitomizes simplicity and a clutter-free decorating philosophy. Lisa and Wayne kept the color palette monochromatic and accessories as minimal as possible.

A DIY sculpture from the Nasher Sculpture Center hangs above the headboard. It's made of interlocking decorative plastic pieces that can be rearranged.

Wall sculpture DIY kit: Algue, by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Nasher Sculpture Center Store


Lisa designed this acrylic desk that a local plastic company then made.

Ottomans: Missoni for Target; lamp: We Are 1976


They transformed the main bathroom with marble countertops and flooring and a modern bathtub.


Lisa painted a striped accent wall in each child's room as a fun and dynamic way to have a consistent theme. Each child selected a bold color to anchor their room's design. This is their son's room.





Their older daughter went for hot pink, deep red and vibrant orange in her bedroom. An acrylic desk, identical to Lisa's, keeps things clean and simple.

Art print: Brain Gibb from The Public Trust

See Brian Gibb and Misty Keasler's midcentury home


The youngest daughter went with a periwinkle blue accent color. White frilly bedding and an antique carousel horse in the corner soften the space as well.


Lisa is pictured here with her youngest daughter.

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