The winners of the 2023 Paper City Design Awards in Dallas were recently announced, and I am delighted that several of my design clients made it to the list! It's an honor to witness their hard work and dedication get recognized.

The 2023 Paper City Design Awards honors outstanding projects by the best interior designers and architects in Dallas and Fort Worth. The winners were selected from hundreds of submissions in 21 categories, and their projects represent the very best in Dallas.

WINNERS

Singular Space: Bath - Laura Lee Clark Interior Design.

Singular Space: Dining Room - Pickering House Interiors.

Singular Space: Living or Great Room, Entertainment, Recreation and Media Room - Chad Dorsey Design with additional recognition for Blume Architecture.

When our publisher Christian Owen dreamed of creating a beautiful monthly print magazine to celebrate the beauty and bounty of our River City, finding the perfect photographer was paramount to the success of her vision. Sarah Bell, whose work masterfully captures everything from portraits and landscapes to the ever-challenging realm of interiors, was the obvious choice for Photo Editor. But the mark of a true professional is that they never, ever stop learning. This month in our Home issue, it is fitting that we chronicle Sarah's recent journey to Dallas, where she attended an immersive and inspiring workshop hosted by celebrated photographer Stephen Karlisch and his wife Kristen, explicitly designed to explore the art of photographing interiors.

House Beautiful Small Spaces, January 2023

Welcome to the Clubhouse:  How one firm turned a boxy, cramped 100-year-old house into a gentleman’s lake retreat

The first time shooting and working with Shazalynn Cavin Winfrey was with a very personal assignment, her own home. She had updated this former parsonage by making it more functional without losing its connection to the past. We worked with the talented Frances Bailey (Stylist) and had a wonderful time during this two day shoot in Austin. The project landed as the cover story in the Sept/Oct 2022 issue of LUXE Austin + San Antonio. The backstory of this house is worth checking out from the article. Seeing how she has transformed this into a comfortable, sprawling home, with surprises around every corner, showcases her style and skill as a top designer.

The evolution of Tori as a designer and leading interior design firm in Texas and beyond has been a fun one to witness and be lucky enough to document. Her style is timeless, she is loved by so many, and working alongside her is about as great as it gets from a photographer's perspective. I can only imagine how much growth she will have in the next few years, the word is out and her team is growing.

We are enjoying a flurry of recent press coverage highlighting recent interior photography projects!

I always get a charge out of seeing my photographs featured in both print magazines an online articles, and I love interacting with talented designers and stylists. I am so honored to work with these amazing designers and publications!

A huge thank-you to Country French, Southern Home, Luxe Interiors+Design and Frederic!

Surely one of the best interior photographers, Stephen Karlisch is also a travel enthusiast and Deadshot aficionado. Over the course of his 15-year career, Stephen has been published in AD, Veranda, Elle Decor, and beyond. “Being able to translate the layers of design to a two-dimensional realm has always been an exciting challenge for me,” says Stephen. Further, as a former architecture student, he has a special eye for photographing interiors. Stephen is more than just a photographer for hire, he works closely with the top interior designers in Texas and throughout the US to help elevate their brand assets for coffee table books, editorial features, and visual archives.

No matter what, 2020 will be a year to remember. It reminds me of that quote about “the best of times and the worst of times.” Despite the pandemic and shutdowns, it was still a good year for the interiors business. I was honored to have my photographs showcased on many shelter magazine covers and in several books, and I was selected to be

There are so many elements that have to come together for a successful interiors photo shoot – great design, the right light, a detailed shot list, and more. And that’s just for one project with one interior designer. When I was asked to shoot the first-ever Kips Bay Showhouse to launch in Dallas, it was a marathon event with 27 designers, 3 days of intense shooting, and a lot of directors.

I am so excited to announce the release of Expressive Interiors by Lucas Eilers! This Houston based design firm duo of Sandy Lucas and Sarah Eilers has been a leading force in the design narrative in Texas and beyond for a long time, and they have finally put that work out for the world to enjoy. Over the past two years I've been shooting several projects for them specifically for this book, which was an education for me personally on working directly with a publisher, Rizzoli, and book designer and editor.

One of the highlights of shooting last year was getting the opportunity to work with Celerie Kemble again on the “Super Chic!” Park Avenue condo in NYC. Celerie brings a polished aesthetic to any project, and along with Project Designer Samantha Bisger they helped transform a traditional Park Avenue space into light filled tree-house.

Editor in Chief, Jane Dagmi with Designers Today podcast SAID, decided to take a more personal approach with Stephen Karlisch. The level of comfort you feel listening to this talk will keep you intrigued about learning more about Stephen’s journey. How he ended up in Dallas, shooting interiors, working on book projects, adding fine art and being sought out around the country.

Bronson is a one-namer. You know, like Bono or Beyonce. Not sure why I chose to lump him into the entertainer category, since he is usually on the other side of entertainment where the true genius tends to reside. He makes dreams come to life, and his imagination is only rivaled by his intensity to get shit done.

Chad Dorsey is a gift in the design world. He's a breath of fresh air in a growing sea of sameness, pushing a narrative of masculine comfort, similar to his personality. When you are in one of Chad's homes, you just want to stay there because everything just feels right.

Do most interior designers know that they should be art directing their photoshoot? It’s interesting to me that some designers think they will hire a photographer and stylist for a shoot, tell him/her what shots they’re looking for, and then have the shots delivered exactly as they want with no more work involved. I always want to remind interior designers that this is your photo shoot, and that you need to art direct the day – exactly the same way that a shelter publication will when they shoot a project.

It isn’t often that people turn the lens around and focus on me – I’m used to being behind the camera directing the action. So it was fun to be featured in Aspire Home & Design Magazine ! …..

Designers Today focuses on the importance of interior photography for designers to gain new clients and getting published. Stephen Karlisch is among other expert creatives around the country sharing their best tips about the interior photography shoot to the design community.