George Bass is a master of design. For nearly two decades, his home staging and interior design projects through George Bass Stage & Design have brought elegance, finesse, and artistry to Dallas homes. One of his latest projects, 4001 Normandy Ave., is no different. Filled with custom pieces and original art, warm tones and exquisite details, the sunlight-drenched Highland Park residence is a stunning tribute to Bass’ eye for aesthetics and dedication to design excellence, alongside Tex Batson, Aaron Portillo, and Paul Taylor, his design team. With every project, he aims to create emotional connection points with potential buyers — and the sublime connection points in these photographs speak for themselves.
1. Foyer: The classic Tudor-style house, which was built in 1993, boasts an original staircase in the spacious foyer. To elevate the formal entry, Bass framed the doorway with two identical antique mirrors that brighten the room. He frequents local design shops, estate sales, and more to find unique decorative pieces.
2. Dining 1: The dining room, accented with floor-to-ceiling windows, was the ideal space for a large table and refined chairs. In addition to the furniture, Bass provided stunning custom art to adorn the walls. George Bass Stage & Design owns more than 3,000 pieces of art, and he chose modern works for this room to give it a sophisticated, updated ambience.
3. Dining 2: A great deal of preparation happens behind the scenes as Bass and his team develop a vision for a home. “We bring in all of the furniture,” Bass says. “A lot of them are custom pieces. We put the look together. The lead stage designers and myself are included in the brainstorm in choosing the look and feel.”
4. Wet Bar/Den 1: This room features an original bar — during the house remodel, the designers carried the wood paneling theme throughout the space. In contrast to the rich wooden walls, Bass chose light, neutral furniture, custom decorative pillows, and a geometrically patterned rug from Feizy Rugs. He and his team pick color schemes that will enhance a home’s natural beauty.
5. Wet Bar/Den 2: The tall corner plant and coffee table florals are high-grade faux versions of the real thing. “You can’t leave real plants inside of a stage home because no one will water them,” Bass says. “All of our plants, trees, and some floral arrangements come from Houston. They’re a high level of quality.”
6. Living 1: The focal point of the formal living room is a gorgeously detailed fireplace. “Every fireplace has its own personality,” Bass says. “Some need decorative items on them, and some don’t. It depends on the architectural style of the house.” In this case, Bass used flouted glass accents from Freedom Furniture & Design to draw a buyer’s eye to the fireplace and set the tone for the space. He also added a pop of color to the center of the room with a faux pink orchid, custom-made by floral designer Shane Burroughs.
7. Living 2: Directly across from the fireplace is a plush custom sofa from Uphold Designs, set atop a large Feizy rug. Above the sofa hangs original contemporary-style art from Johnson Keith Gallery in the Design District. Bass says the clean, fresh colors they chose blend together well and offset the ceiling’s ornamental crown molding. “We [merge] modern art and modern accessories with classic pieces of furniture with tufting to counterbalance the classic aesthetics of the home,” he says.
8. Living 3: Bass says that, after a staging project like this one is completed, around 30% of buyers purchase the home as is — including all the furniture, art, and decorative items he and his team carefully curated and arranged. For others, Bass’ design prowess serves as inspiration, which is precisely what it is meant to do. “A lot of people are not visionaries,” he says. “Once they can see what can be done, it clicks. They then understand what they can do with their own furniture.”
