Laura Pankonien is an interior designer and founder of The Pankonien Group (TPG) in Austin, Texas. She is known for her full-scale home and kitchen projects and has become a go-to kitchen designer in the region. In 2022, she opened Austin’s first curated homewares store, Bleu by TPG, offering to-the-trade items including antiques, vintage decor, and items from her favorite design vendors. Laura’s work reflects a modern twist on the traditional Texas aesthetic, and she has been featured in various design publications. Learn more about Laura Pankonien in today’s Designer Friday.
Experience the perfect blend of modern luxury and vintage charm at this family camp-inspired Airbnb. As you enter, you’re greeted by stunning artwork that sets the tone for your stay – relaxing, rejuvenating, and full of adventure.
Andrew Joseph: Describe your design style as if you were explaining it to someone who cannot see.
Laura Pankonien: I describe my design style as “new” traditional, which is to say a new modern take on traditional. My favorite way to refresh a traditional space is by incorporating modern lighting, vintage accent furniture and color into a traditional design envelope. For example, we’ll use a historically-inspired or unexpected textile on a modern side chair and I always love to mix a modern lamp with traditional furnishings. We add in those details that bridge the gap between modern and traditional to create a timeless collected look for our clients.
AJ: What is something you hope to see trending in design in the future?
LP: One emerging trend I’m really excited about is the renewed love of traditional design, inspired by English country decorating. Now more than ever, my clients are open to using antiques and vintage, patterned fabrics, and wallpapers—all of those details that really contribute to creating that special feeling you want in your home. In our kitchen designs I’m also enjoying the trend toward unique natural stones and finishes that patina over time, which combined with the trend away from open floor plans is helping us provide a more evolved design for the client.
This contemporary living room features a sleek pool table in the background, surrounded by midcentury modern furniture with natural wood tones that create a striking contrast against the black, white, and mauve color scheme.
AJ: If you weren’t a designer, you’d be a…?
LP: Interior Design was not my first career path. I’ve been a designer for 15 years and prior to that I was a PR person and a stay-at-home mom, both jobs that I enjoyed thoroughly. Now I’ve added shop owner to the mix, with the opening of my new Austin store Bleu which opened in 2022! Since I have such a strong passion for design and running my business, maybe a third career as a consultant to help other designers with their businesses would be a fun job!
AJ: What would your dream project or dream client be right now?
LP: We are currently working on a great roster of dream projects, it’s such an exciting time for my firm! We just installed a new-construction second home in the Texas Hill Country for the sweetest family from Minnesota, and talk about the perfect client! We were asked to create a family-friendly “modern ranch” home for them and were given carte blanche with the design so of course we had a lot of fun with that project. Even more important, their trust and flexibility during this crazy time in our industry made the process shockingly one of the smoothest projects we’ve worked on in a long time.
Looking ahead in 2023, we have two large whole-home renovation projects on the calendar. From all the finishes and space plan modifications down to every furnishings detail, we are so humbled to be working on these amazing projects for two sets of fantastic clients. Also exciting that we get to imprint both homes with our unique brand of new traditional design!
Anchored by a stunning white marble countertop, this British-inspired kitchen in the heart of Texas exudes a classic English flair with its Inchyra Blue cabinetry, deep, French black and gold pendant lights, and a stunning black and gold range.
AJ: What about your design style has shifted post-quarantine?
LP: My design style post-pandemic has shifted me back to the core of how I love to decorate. The trend of everything home over the past three years has allowed me to start my new retail store which shows a new customer our modern-traditional aesthetic. It also has provided a wealth of new client projects for us and larger budgets, the clients are more open to trying new things and trust us to execute at a high level. That challenges us to lean more into our aesthetic – we are incorporating new elements and using new emerging vendors with each project. I feel reinvigorated by where our design projects are headed, which has brought a lot of joy to my work!
About the Designer | Originally from Houston, Laura Pankonien attended the University of Texas at Austin and has since made the Live Music Capital her forever home. She founded The Pankonien Group (TPG) in 2004, and over the years has watched the city transform into one of the most desired places to buy a home. Through her 16 years in business, Laura has made a name for herself through her full-scale home projects as well as kitchen projects, becoming known as a go-to kitchen designer in the region.
With the awareness of Austin’s growth in the housing market, she was intuitive when it came to what was lacking in her community. Laura noticed that there was no place for the general public to be able to have access to curated homewares—as they are typically reserved for the trades. In 2022, Laura opened Austin’s first curated homewares store of its kind—Bleu by TPG—in Davenport Village. She drew upon her years of experience to offer to-the-trade items to her customers including antiques, vintage decor, items from her favorite design vendors including rugs and accessories, lighting, custom pillows, a mix of blue and white pottery, and barware. The store directly reflects the true Texas aesthetic Laura infuses into all her projects. Bleu was nationally recognized as one of House Beautiful’s Best Home Stores of 2022.
Like what you see? Get it first with a subscription to aspire design and home magazine.