About Us

Key and Tassel was founded by two Austin-based interior designers who met while volunteering at The University of Texas.  Logging long hours on set design for Kappa Alpha Theta recruitment, they discovered how much they enjoyed collaborating. When clients and realtors began approaching each of them to help prepare homes for sale, they saw an opportunity: by combining their talents and resources, they could help sellers maximize their home's market potential in a way that was both effective and genuinely fun. With over 40 combined years of interior design experience, there is almost nothing they can't tackle — and they can't wait to help you with yours.

Merrilee McGehee earned her undergraduate degree in Art from The University of Texas. After graduation, she pursued acting, appearing in acclaimed productions such as Friday Night Lights and Boyhood, while also creating custom murals and working on film sets. She eventually turned her focus to residential interiors, founding her Austin-based firm, McGehee Designs. Her colorful, playful rooms have been featured in Austin Home, InStyle, Tribeza, Austin Monthly, and on HGTV.

Margaret Moore Barnwell holds an undergraduate degree in Fine Arts and English from Vanderbilt University and a Master’s Interior Design from George Washington University. She honed her skills at architecture firms in Washington, D.C. and New York before launching her own firm, MPM Design. She, her family and her firm relocated to Austin in 2019 after many years in Los Angeles.