Dedar, Dessin Fournir and Christian Liaigre. Where can the trade find these luxury lines? Their ultra-chic collective home address is the George Cameron Nash showroom in the Dallas Design District. The perfectly detailed fabric displays and meticulously designed room vignettes contribute to the appeal of this trade-only space. But we’d be remiss not to mention the signature line of Cameron upholstery and Meyerland casegoods that make Nash’s high-end style come to life. The man himself has an appreciation for the past but is simultaneously optimistic about the future. It was with this mindset that he transferred from Houston in 1982 to pursue the opportunities the Design District offers as a market center for the Southwest.
Dallas Design District: How would you describe your showroom style?
George Cameron Nash: A cosmopolitan mix of "best-in-class" traditional and modern taste. Also, superb high-end textiles printed/woven in the United States and Europe.
DDD: What is your favorite and most challenging part of your job?
GCN: Discovering and introducing new talent — artists and vendors — and seeing the success of that.
DDD: What is a typical day for you in the Design District?
GCN: A mad dash of office, workrooms, vendor issues, manufacturing and display/floor planning. Plus, an average of 75 emails a day. I don’t go home unless they’ve all been answered in some way.
DDD: Do you have a favorite moment from the showroom?
GCN: Some years ago, Kalef Alaton came to visit with a Hollywood client, and it was quite memorable. More recently, Mrs. Bush’s weekly lunch visits to the showroom to work on the Library were great fun. We even won the Secret Service agents over with home-baked chocolate chip cookies. (They cracked a smile to get a second cookie!)
DDD: What is your design philosophy or motto?
GCN: “Cheap gets lost. Better lasts longer. Best is forever.” For any dwelling, make sure the architecture of the space is correct, approachable and elegant. Be sure the materials are high quality.
DDD: Where is your favorite place to travel for inspiration?
GCN: Any place I’ve never been before, and there are still a handful.
DDD: In your opinion, what is the most essential design element of any room?
GCN: Good taste. It’s a rare commodity.
DDD: What’s your favorite room in your home?
GCN: Living room. Everything I love is there: the beautiful things I’ve collected housed in my "treasure wall," the beautiful and comfortable upholstery I craft here in Dallas, collected chairs and tables, several (but not many) antiques, sculpture, art and music.
DDD: What are your three design must-haves?
GCN: No. 1: A beautiful and elegantly crafted counter telephone not made of cheap plastic with that awful mechanical message recorder. Why can’t somebody make one? No. 2: A 19th-century Japanese Edo period folded screen I have had my eye on for 28 years. No. 3: I can no longer crave the Omega Seamaster 300 “Spectre” limited-edition watch designed specifically for 007, since it was under the Christmas tree.
DDD: What’s trending now? What’s not?
GCN: A mish-mosh of cheap and poor taste items made in China. What I’d like to see “trend” is more products made in the United States that we can be proud to support.
George Cameron Nash showroom houses eight categories, including furniture and lighting, fabric and textiles, trimming, fine arts and accessories, outdoor fabric and furniture, wall coverings and bedding and linens. With eclectic inventory, an eye for statement-making pieces and a mission for total originality, this designer/editor gem has found an ideal home in the Design District.
