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.

Sara Malek Barney, ASID – Owner + 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.

Mackenzie Wood, IIDA – Senior Designer + Project Manager

Mackenzie grew up in Houston and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Design from Louisiana State University with minors in Business & Fine Arts. Over the years she has worked for several design firms in Houston, Chicago, New York, and Barcelona, Spain honing in on her unique design style. But finally ended up back home in Texas and planted roots in Austin. While she is an interior designer nonetheless, she also has a passion for all things art and design. Travel, fashion, cooking & photography all appeal to her creative nature.

She appreciates any and all design types, as they all are beautiful in their own way. But simple, clean and comfortable are feelings that she believes are necessary for any space. She loves a good mix – whether its a modern pendant light, a mid-century console or a Louis XVI chair. Creating a perfect blend of color, texture and lighting are essential to creating a unique design for her clients.

When not designing, you can catch Mackenzie drinking prosecco on her patio, binge-watching the new Netflix series, on a boat in the middle of Lake Travis or at the greenbelt with her dog, Elsie.

Hannah Stone – Design Assistant

Hannah is a native Austinite who graduated from Austin Community College with a degree in Marketing and Fashion Merchandising.

With her parents both in the creative fields of home building and event planning, Hannah knew from a young age that interior design was her passion. The architectural plans, paint sticks and tile samples that were always around while growing up helped her to develop an eye for design.

On her days off you will find her trying new restaurants, designing and rearranging the spaces in her own home and spending quality time with her fiancé and her dog, Lottie.

Erica Holley – Design Assistant

Erica is a native Austinite and Westlake grad who earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Design from Texas Christian University.

Having always had a keen critical eye, Erica grew up exploring numerous creative pursuits including dance, studio art, photography, theatre, fashion styling, screen acting, and modeling. By the time college came around, however, this creative inclination (in combination with the influence of growing up with a mother with DIY tendencies) led Erica to pursue a career in interior design.

Erica draws most of her design inspiration from past art movements and would consider herself a huge history nerd. She has a particular fondness for Art Deco, Art Nouveau, and Midcentury styles.

When she’s not designing, you can find Erica scoping out new hotels and restaurants around town, sailing, practicing yoga, or just watching Hulu at home.

Gabrielle Lowrie – Operations + Marketing Admin

Gabrielle grew up in Golden, Colorado and has a Bachelor of Science 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 advertising and 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, Hollywood Regency, and Art Deco styles.

In her free time, you can find Gabrielle getting her groove on at a local concert, 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.

Hillary Cumberworth – In-house Artist

The perfect way to describe Hillary is to say she is the youngest of four kids. Her life started off as the caboose to a circus train, so she can juggle anything that is thrown her way with focus, teamwork and always a little humor.

She earned her Bachelor of Studio Arts with a focus in sculpture and a minor in Art History from Southwestern University. After graduating, she worked with a large custom home builder, helping home buyers with design choices that turn a builder-grade house into something special and custom. She then chose to completely flip the script and become a middle school art teacher in inner-city Houston.

In her spare time, she wrestles her kids along with the laundry and chaos they create. But in those other few fleeting moments you can catch her eating an entire cheese board by herself, training for half marathons and going down some amazing rabbit holes on Instagram, all while making the most of the 24 hours she has each day.

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