At BANDD DESIGN, we believe that design should feel effortless, approachable, interesting, and purposeful. Our distinctive style, matched with the fluid mix of high and low pieces has become our core design aesthetic.
If you’re interested in joining the BANDD, please refer to our CAREERS PAGE for our latest openings.
Sara Malek Barney, ASID – Founder + Principal Designer
Sara is the mastermind behind the design. Prior to launching BANDD DESIGN, she spent the first phase of her professional career working in the fast-paced entertainment and sports industries, as an executive at companies such as SXSW, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Her past experience helps her deliver timeless, unique designs for her clients. She believes the design process should be highly collaborative and feel authentic to each individual.
An Austin-native (a rare breed!), Sara spent nearly a decade in sunny Los Angeles, California, where she met her writer husband, Dana, while they were both chasing the Hollywood dream. Now back on home turf, Sara and Dana enjoy endless amounts of breakfast tacos and college football (hook ’em!) with their two daughters.
Sara, a University of Texas alum, has degrees in Corporate Communication and Interior Design. She was named one of Fortune Magazine‘s Most Powerful Women {Next Gen}, one of Austin Monthly‘s Women to Watch, and is a member of the American Society of Interior Designers and the Female Founder Collective.
When not designing, you can find Sara wearing sequins, learning a hip hop dance routine, watching Seinfeld (yes, still), trying to be a cool mom, or daydreaming about Napa.
Meghan Kardow – Designer + Project Manager
Meghan is a native Texan, growing up in Houston, who earned her Bachelor’s degree in Studio Art from the University of Texas and her Master’s of Interior Architecture from Cal Poly Pomona.
Her love of design was born through her passion for art from a very young age. This interest in art history took her to study fine arts in college, concentrating on drawing and painting. Interior Design was always a passion on the side, and after college, she relocated to Los Angeles to study Interior Architecture. She lived in Los Angeles for 5 years where she immersed herself in the design community, joining ASID and working for several LA residential designers. To Meghan, design should have a personality that goes beyond functionality. Your home should truly reflect both who you are and how you will live in the space.
When she’s not designing, you can find her working on a new painting or creative project, thrifting for vintage home goods, walking Town Lake with friends, or hanging out at home with her rescue dog, Finn.
Caitlin Kuncl – Designer + Project Manager
Zoie Young – Design Assistant
Zoie was born and raised in Paris, Texas and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from the University of Texas (Hook ‘em!).
As a young girl, Zoie declared that she would be an Interior Designer, which led to her drawing countless floor plans of her future home and flipping through many design magazines. In school, Zoie fell in love with the technical side of design, learning to enjoy figuring out the nitty-gritty details in drawings and designing unique spaces. Zoie strives to create spaces that are sustainable, functional, and distinct to the persons living within.
During her free time, you can find her exploring Austin’s endless amount of coffee shops, daydreaming about traveling to new places, trying to read through her never-ending pile of books, or obsessing over golden retrievers.
Audra Schatte – Design Assistant
Audra hails from a small town in Southern Illinois and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Design from The Art Institute of Austin.
Growing up, Art was always Audra’s best subject. The only time she ever got a B in Art was because she would talk too much and distract others from their work. She loved that her projects could spark something inside others. When she realized she could do that on something bigger than a canvas, the game changed. For Audra that’s what Interior Design is, walking into a space and truly feeling something. An extra large canvas if you will!
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her dog, Taco, hanging out at Zilker with friends, reading endless amounts of suspense novels, or exploring all of Austin’s local breweries.
Natalie Lira – Design Assistant
Natalie is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. She graduated from Baylor University with a degree in Interior Design and a minor in Studio Art.
Her love for interior design began with her love for art, which she always wanted to incorporate into her future career. In her teens, Natalie was constantly redecorating her room and other areas of her family home and decided that she wanted to pursue a career in interior design. Natalie aspires to elevate spaces to reflect the human design of their users and believes that every home deserves to be unique to those that gather within it.
Though Natalie loves the Bay Area, she is excited to explore all that Austin has to offer. While not at work, you can find Natalie reading a good book, trying new restaurants and bars with friends, and rewatching her favorite movies.
Gabrielle Lowrie – Business Development + Marketing Manager
Gabrielle grew up in Golden, Colorado, and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Strategic Communications from the University of Colorado Boulder with a minor in Sociology.
Her passion for interior design developed at an early age, as she found herself planning each room of her future house and crafting miniature toy furniture models to put in her dollhouse. Over the years, Gabrielle’s enthusiasm for all things related to design flourished, which is what inspired her to study the art of content creation. She is constantly on the hunt for unique, one-of-a-kind pieces and enjoys sketching her own designs for furniture, decor, and lighting. Most of Gabrielle’s design inspiration is drawn from her love for sleek Modern, Eclectic, and Art Deco styles.
In her free time, you can find Gabrielle trolling the latest TikTok trends, hanging out on the lake, or watching Real Housewives with her cat, Mr. Kittens.
Dana Barney – Director of Operations
Dana is a perfect blend of imagination and control. He started his career in the entertainment industry with a focus on screenwriting and production development before he transitioned to a position running marketing operations for a Fortune 100 company. The role, which required him to hone his organizational skills, left him with a need for a new creative outlet. From there, Dana tapped into his deep love of writing and published his first two novels, Flatline and Half Life.
Being a native East Coaster, never thought he’d live in Texas, but now that he does, you can find him complaining about the heat and lack of snow.
Dana has a degree in Writing and Directing from Bennington College in Vermont and has worked in Operations for nearly a decade.
When he’s not pulling the strings behind the curtain, you can find Dana making gin martinis, hanging out in his gazebo, going to the movies, making lunches for school, and writing his next thriller.
Ashley Willis – Executive + Office Admin
Ashley is a small-town girl from Godley, Texas with a degree in Communication Studies from Texas State University.
Her love for interior design began as a young girl rearranging furniture, making her childhood room prettier, and experimenting with new looks in her parents’ house. She realized she had a knack for design when she began refinishing old worn-out furniture in college. Working with her VERY small budget, she found a way to make spaces feel luxurious, without breaking the bank. In her home, you will find a large collection of design books, a mix of vintage and contemporary, patterns and accents of bright colors, alongside her French Bulldog, Fitzgerald lounging in his favorite spot. She enjoys creating clean, stylish, and sophisticated spaces, and finds her creative inspiration while outdoors, traveling, or nose deep in design books and magazines. Before moving to Austin, Ashley was a High School teacher and coach in Fort Worth.
In her free time, you can find her exercising, shopping, spending quality time with family & friends, playing with her Frenchie, or enjoying a ‘Bob’ and Marg at Matt’s El Rancho.
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