Interior Designer Josie McCarthy, R.I.P.
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Josie Roberts McCarthy, the Dallas interior designer whose quietly classic rooms influenced homes across the region for more than four decades, died Nov. 28, 2025. She was 77. McCarthy passed peacefully after a battle with cancer.
Her two daughters, Juliana and Eugenia, described their mother as “Chic, stoic, savvy, fierce, and protective, but beneath it all the most loving, funny, wild, and tender spirit,” in an Instagram post announcing her passing.
After graduating Highland Park High School and Principia College, McCarthy moved to Washington, D.C., to work at the National Gallery of Art. Later, she began her interior design career, learning from Marguerite Green in Dallas and Albert Hadley of Parish-Hadley in New York.
McCarthy worked with Hadley on her Turtle Creek Blvd. home by Hal Thomson, one of the most sought-after Dallas residential architects in the early 20th century. After she founded Josie McCarthy Associates in 1980, her portfolio included residences in California, New York, Florida, and beyond, as well as offices and country clubs.
Notable projects included the restoration of a home designed by O’Neil Ford, luxury residences at Museum Tower in the Dallas Arts District, and collaborations with architect John Tackett that were featured in Southern Accents.
Her designs and homes were regularly featured in shelter pages, including Southern Accents, House Beautiful, and Veranda, and she was a familiar face in Dallas arts and society circles — appearing at gallery events and local design gatherings that celebrated both regional talent and national names.
“The basis of any great room is that it wears well over time,” she often said. And, “If you buy the best, you only cry once.” She shared similar wisdom in a 2007 D Home article, “8 Things You Can Learn from Josie McCarthy,” where she explained the tenets of restraint and tradition over trends — layered fabrics, tailored upholstery, framed collections, and rooms that read as “always there” rather than newly decorated. That approach, and the lessons she drew from earlier mentors, made her a go-to for clients who wanted interiors that felt lived-in and lasting rather than fashionable.
A memorial service will be held in a private residence that she designed. Those who would like to attend may write Juliana at [email protected]. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Texas Campaign for the Environment.
