Southlake Interior Designer Goes from Volunteer to Award Winner, With a Little Push from Friends

From full-time volunteer to professional designer, a Southlake interior designer has surprised herself finding herself at the top of her game, recognized by her peers.

Marlene Small of Heritage Interiors recently won two first-place awards in the 2024 American Society of Interior Designers Celebrating Design Texas awards competition. And though she says she got a late start in her career, it’s one that she loves and credits colleagues for pushing her forward.

“It’s always interesting and it’s a bit of challenge which I love,” said Small, an ASID Allied member. “I learn on every project I do, and I love that.”

Top Honor — Twice

Small won top honors this year in the competition’s categories of home office/library and model home/show home. For the annual contest, 24 judges from 12 ASID chapters chose winners from 215 entries from the ASID Texas chapter.

As a designer with Heritage Interiors, located in Southlake, Small has worked in North Texas since 2007. Previously, Central Texas was home, where she established her own design firm in 1997 in the Austin suburb of Georgetown.

“I came into the interior design industry, and I was 44 years old,” she said. “It truly has been through encouragement through the ASID, the mentors I’ve had, and the opportunities that I’ve had that set me up to be successful.”

A Brownie leader before she was even a mom, Small went on to be PTO president, hospital volunteer, dedicated church volunteer, and innovative Junior League committee chairwoman for multiple projects. She eventually combined her design career with her volunteer work, serving in leadership roles for a decade within the Fort Worth design community.

“I was a professional volunteer,” she said. “That’s who I am. I’m a relationship person and a life-long learner.”

All that combined to lead to her success this year with her award-winning work that the competition recognized. Her home office award-winning design was a part of a remodeling project for Heritage Interiors.

Bringing California to Texas

The clients were former Californians who relocated to Westlake’s Vaquero, a planned development on 525 acres established in 2001. The private community once was a part of Hillwood’s Circle T Ranch, originally owned by Texas’ celebrated Hunt brothers in Westlake. The exclusive area has been the home to professional athletes such as Terry Bradshaw and singing heartthrobs Jonas Brothers.

When Small began the remodeling project, the home office wasn’t even in the initial renovation plan. The California transplants wanted to transform their very traditional, old-world vibe to a fresher, more contemporary look.

“They’re amazing, kind, gracious, creative people who love color and loved their California home,” Small said. “The wife wanted a Santa Barbara vibe in a Texas vernacular home.”

When the other parts of the home were completed, the couple decided the office needed to be a part of the remodel, too. Seeing their home’s transformation changed their minds about not touching the office. So, Small chose new cabinetry, floating shelves, a new color palette, and lighting. Natural shades replaced plantation shutters, while a new, lighter color palette replaced hunter green. Her work transformed the space and added a more cohesive look for the entire home.

 “We updated the space without the expense of completely gutting the room,” she said.

Dream Street English Dream House

Small also was awarded a first-place win for work on an English arts and crafts design in collaboration with interior designer Carole Harston, ASID, on Fort Worth Magazine’s 2023 Dream Street. Chris Hough of Heritage Design Studio served as the architect.

“It was an incredible opportunity to learn about English arts and crafts and bring those components to life,” she said. “For English arts and crafts, we drew inspiration from nature, metals, wood, and color.”

The 5,800-square-foot house gave a nod to English tradition. The kitchen wood-coffered ceilings coordinated with the grand hall’s wood beams. That grand hall contained two sitting areas with a cast stone fireplace surrounded by board-and-batten wall treatment, for example. With a color scheme of plums and greens, the house included such British features as fireplace fenders and windows imported from England.

To underscore the grandeur of the home were not one but two primary suites, three auxiliary bedrooms, and an elevator.

Encouraging Colleagues

Small works primarily in residential design — and that also has sometimes been on a grand scale. A former member of the board of trustees for Alpha Chi Omega sorority, the interior designer has enjoyed working on projects for sorority houses at Texas Tech University, Baylor University, Texas A&M University, Stephen F. Austin University, Southern Methodist University, Florida State University, University of Arizona, High Point University, and the University of Kansas.

Despite being asked to do such major projects across several states, Small was reluctant to enter design competitions. Only because a colleague pushed her to do so, she entered her first design competition just two years ago. She surprised herself when she won for her entry, a powder bathroom. The win encouraged her in her work, but she gives major credit to her design world colleagues in both Central and North Texas.

“These are the men and women who encouraged me and pushed me forward,” she said. She likens the group support to her sorority membership. Both groups work together for their members, and Small finds parallels. “Just as a sorority works together to enhance, improve, and encourage its members, ASID we have those same opportunities, collaborations, and relationships. I would not be where I am today were it not for ASID.”