Back to the 2014 AD100 List

Though known for shimmering midcentury-modern-inflected spaces where a tray of martinis wouldn’t be amiss, Dallas designer Jan Showers has a disarmingly straightforward philosophy: “Decorating is never successful if it’s not about the people who live in those spaces,” she says. As illustrated in her recent book, Glamorous Retreats (Abrams), that up-close-and-personal approach is layered with inspiration gleaned from various sources, including the polished prewar houses of Texas architect John F. Staub, the eclectic yet elegant style of peerless tastemakers such as Frances Elkins, and Showers’s own regular buying trips to Paris. The interiors she conceives for her elite clientele typically feature mirrored or lacquered furnishings, both vintage examples and custom-made creations from her design collection, which shows the influence of André Arbus, Jean-Maurice Rothschild, and other Art Deco icons. janshowerom

Meet the other architects and designers on the 2014 AD100 list.