Art Talk With Merrilee McGehee

Merrilee McGehee has flourished in many genres, including studio art, film, and interior design. She nurtured her talents in the diverse settings of the Art Department at The University of Texas at Austin and film sets around the globe. She works on both residential and commercial projects, as well as creates commissioned art pieces and custom murals. Merrilee and her team hold true to the idea that art isn't just something you put on your walls, but a response to that spark that lives within us all. She and Katie Kime not only share a love of all things artistic and creative, but also have a long-standing history as friends and neighbors.

First things first, what was Katie like as a neighbor?

MM: Oh, my goodness! D A R L I N G! She was newly married and they were moving into this quaint little white bungalow across the street. She used to have yard sales with the most interesting and colorful items. I even went to one of her first sample sales. I think creatives tend to find each other in the world. We have kept in touch all this time, and that was about 14 years ago.

Did you always know that you wanted to be a designer? If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you be doing?

MM: I never thought I would be a designer. And also never thought I would love it so much! I just knew that the creative world was and will always be my corner. So no matter what I was doing, as long as I could find the creative in it, I felt I was doing the right thing. I have had careers as an artist, an actress and a designer and I feel like there are still a few more I want to tap into before I’m through. I have ideas for a book and a store front. But I could also see myself doing a 360 and making a film or starting a quaint little, art filled bed and breakfast.

You’re also an artist. Katie has some of your commissioned work in her home. How do you think that affects the way you see your work as an interior designer?

MM: I sometimes call myself an interior intriguer as opposed to an interior designer. If you look up “intriguer” in the dictionary it defines it as, “arouse the curiosity or interest of; fascinate”. Going to art school gave me a very specific, artist's lens if you will, to view each project. Every time I work with a client it is an art project. Just like when you see a great moving piece of art, the artist has gone deep and made thoughtful and specific decisions. So in this scenario, the client is the artist. And I am the intriguer, there to guide and help my client, to arouse their curiosity and interests and help bring that out in their home.

What’s your favorite space in your own home?

MM: My favorite space in our home is most definitely our Library. I painted it a dark cozy plum and it is filled with art, curiosities, books, history and music. I can honestly say that every book in our bookcase was either read by my husband or myself. It is a working Library. And every artifact has a story. There is a “Texas” brick from Maw, our children’s Great Grandmother, a game winning Oilers football that was given to my father in law, a dripping disco ball and even pottery made by our children when they were in preschool. We have Negroni’s, listen to music and play backgammon in our Library. It is my happy place in our home.

Which objects in your home have deep significance to you?

MM: There are so many! Some people hunt animals. Well… I hunt art. My mom once said to me you have no bare walls. Every single space is taken up by art. I love an art filled home. But I also don’t think you have to spend a fortune to have great art. You just have to have an eye and enjoy looking for it. I have a lithograph from 1969 called “It can be said of them” by the late Sister Corita Kent. I found it at a vintage store in Dallas. She was a radical nun that created the iconic LOVE stamp in the 80ies. I bought it for $75 and it was worth $4000. They didn’t know what they had. EEK! :) I have a Verner Pantone bullseye stretched canvas I found at an antique market. I have a flyer that Diego Rivera sent out about Frida Kahlo’s funeral, given to me by my father in law. And one of my favorites, a large geometric painting called “Still Life with bananas, pears and geometric forms” by surrealist painter Xavier Esqueda/ 1943 I bought from an online auction

What is a skill that you are currently working on?

MM: Outside spaces are not something I usually tackle for clients but they are very intriguing to me. I remember walking the Huntington Gardens in San Marino, California when I was living in Los Angeles in the early 2000 and I was overwhelmed by its mystical expanse and beauty. I am working on creating an, “I am going to walk the gardens” kind of feel in our backyard. I love having my hands in the earth. I love learning about what plant works best in relation to the sun and creating an outdoor space for nature and reflection. I think the English are on to something.

Which destination is at the top of your bucket list right now?

MM: AFRICA! To see the animals in their natural habitat.

What souvenirs do you bring home from your trips?

MM: I don’t really collect anything from trips per se, but if we go to a museum where we are visiting, I’ll buy an art book from the exhibit and hand write the date, city and museum where we saw it and who I was with on the back page. It’s so fun to look back at your art books and have a reference.

What are you inspired by right now?

MM: I am inspired by Maximalism. Minimalism really is not working for me anymore. It’s more the idea of a curated life. And not to curate things for things sake but to have curated things for memories and reminders of what you have lived, who you have loved and times you have had. All we are, are our memories, I think, after all. It makes sense to me that a young person might lean into minimalism since they are just beginning on their memory journey. But once you start a family and have seen some time and put some good work into the world, it feels right to want to walk the garden and go to the library for a cocktail and a game and look at the bookcase of so much life well lived. And to stay intrigued and always fascinated!