Beyond Design: The Multifaceted, Mega-Glamorous World of Donna Moss

The phrase “Renaissance woman” may sound like a cliché — unless you’re talking about designer Donna Moss. Beyond her celebrated interiors and acclaimed show houses, she’s also a boutique owner, salon-suite innovator, author, mentor, philanthropist, and reality TV pioneer.

Donna’s story is a colorful, ever-evolving one. And spending an afternoon with her only leaves you wanting more.

“I’m always trying and doing different things,” she shared. “I never want to be stuck in a box.

Surprisingly, interior design wasn’t Donna’s first career choice.

“My dream was to be a fashion designer. I would make Barbie clothes on my mother’s old Singer sewing machine.”

Her first semester in college, a chance encounter with Paul Moss would change the course of her life.

“We both quit school and started planning our wedding.”

The couple moved to Houston, where they joined Paul’s family-owned construction company. By the early ’80s, the Mosses had relocated to Tarrant County and began building homes of their own.

“Little by little, I learned the industry — buying the tile, the lighting, and everything else for the small houses we were building,” Donna recalls. The business took off. It wasn’t long before they completed their first million-dollar spec home.

“I did the bathroom in pink marble. It was really fabulous and different.”

Impressed, a local realtor introduced her to a builder who was spearheading the 1995 “Kaleidoscope of Homes,” sponsored by the Greater Fort Worth Builders Association.

“I jumped in with both feet. It was a huge leap, but really launched my design business.”

Donna’s next power move? Hand-delivering an audition tape to HGTV Design Star. “Back then, reality competitions were uncharted territory.”  In true diva fashion, she slipped on her highest heels, hopped in her convertible, enlisted the help of the local police department, and filmed a scene with her Yorkie — complete with a tongue-in-cheek traffic stop.

The tape was bold, funny, and unapologetically Donna, earning her a spot on the show’s 2009 Season 1 premiere. Although she was eliminated halfway through the competition, it paved the way for her own HGTV reality show, Donna Decorates Dallas, which ran from 2011 to 2014.

In 2017, Traditional Home magazine tapped Donna and Paul to create Texas’ first-ever Dallas Decorator Showhouse benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association. The Mosses designed and built a 7,938-square-foot Mediterranean-style residence, then invited an A-list group of designers to put their stamp on individual spaces. Local contributors included Sherry Hayslip, Tompkins Lloyd Interiors, and Troy Rhone.

Watch this space; Donna has projects in the works worthy of their own stories.

Reacting to a COVID-affected market for commercial real estate, the Mosses opened Blownaway Salon Suites. Three state-of-the-art locations — the Southlake flagship, Keller, and Mansfield —  sport marble finishes, modern amenities, art installations, and a boutique atmosphere, offering beauty and wellness professionals a luxe, turnkey space to build their brand.

St. Jude Dream Home Showplace Community, which already has raised one million dollars for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, will bring together an extraordinary collaboration of builders, including the Moss family’s Beckett Graham. Located in Southlake’s Carillon Parc neighborhood, five show homes will open to the public in March 2026.

Join Donna at Texas Counter Fitters’ Richardson showroom on September 24 for Art for a Cause, showcasing a curated collection of works from internationally collected artists. Again, St. Jude is the beneficiary. “Fifty percent of sales will help children and families battling cancer and other life-threatening diseases.”