There are some designers whose work you recognize not because every room looks the same, but because each space carries a distinct point of view. These are our favorite types of designers. Emily June Spanos, founder and creative director of Houston-based Emily June Designs, is the complete embodiment of this approach to design.
A fourth-generation Houstonian, Emily founded her studio in 2016 after more than a decade working with some of the city’s most design-savvy homeowners. Guided by intuition, storytelling, and an unapologetic appreciation for color, she has developed a signature approach that feels at once timeless, spirited, and deeply personal.
It is precisely that combination that makes Emily such a natural choice for our latest Tastemaker on the Hunt.
It's no secreat that at Hunt & Bloom we have always believed the most interesting homes are rarely (or never, really) created from a single period, style, or point of view. They evolve over time. They are layered with pieces that have history alongside objects that simply make you smile. They balance refinement with whimsy, the familiar with the unexpected, and beauty with a sense of personality.
Emily’s interiors speak that same language.
“Timelessness doesn’t require restraint from personality. Traditional can be colorful, elegant can be whimsical, and old and new can—and should—live together.” - Emily June Spanos
Her rooms are grounded in traditional design, but they never feel overly formal or predictable. She doesn't play it safe, and we love that. Antiques and heirlooms mingle comfortably with contemporary pieces. Pattern is layered rather than matched. Color is used confidently. And throughout her work, there is often an unexpected moment—a distinctive wallcovering, a spirited textile, an unusual piece of art, or a playful juxtaposition—that prevents a room from ever taking itself too seriously. Emily June Designs describes its philosophy as rooted in tradition but “never bound by it,” bridging heritage and innovation to create interiors that feel layered and alive with personality.
That idea resonates deeply with us at Hunt & Bloom.
We have long been drawn to objects with a sense of history and character, but we believe they become infinitely more interesting when placed in conversation with something fresh. A classical silhouette can feel entirely new in an unexpected color. An antique can sit beautifully beside a contemporary lamp. Traditional florals can coexist with bold geometrics. The magic, for us, is always in the mix, and Emily knows exactly how to master the mix.
Rather than designing rooms simply to be admired, she creates homes that feel as though they genuinely belong to the people living in them. Her studio places particular emphasis on understanding how clients live, what they love, the objects they have collected, and the memories they want their homes to hold. The result is an aesthetic that feels curated without feeling contrived—rooms that are polished but still warm, sophisticated but decidedly livable.
That balance between beauty and livability is another reason we admire her work so much.
A beautiful home should still invite you to sit down. The "good" china should come out of the cabinet. The antique table should hold cocktails. The pillows can be moved, the books can be read, and the objects gathered over a lifetime should become part of everyday life rather than simply decoration. Nothing is overly precious.
Emily’s portfolio demonstrates that philosophy beautifully. Projects such as her Old World Oasis combine storied antiques, custom furnishings, and modern elements within rooms designed around the needs of a young family—traditional at their foundation, yet relaxed, expressive, and distinctly personal.
And then, of course, there is color. And if you know anything about us, it's our love of color.
We could hardly feature Emily without mentioning it.
Her use of color is confident but considered. Rather than appearing as an isolated statement, it moves throughout a room through fabrics, art, walls, accessories, and unexpected details, creating interiors with both energy and depth. The same can be said of her approach to pattern and texture: each layer contributes something, yet the finished room feels cohesive rather than overly composed.
It is a philosophy very close to our own. At Hunt & Bloom, we will almost always choose the room—or the table, or the shelf—that has a little more personality. We believe decorating should be sophisticated, certainly, but it should also be joyful. Homes should tell stories. Objects should spark conversations. And sometimes the piece you didn't expect to work is precisely the thing that makes the entire room.
Perhaps that is the greatest synergy between Emily June Designs and Hunt & Bloom: a shared belief that timelessness does not require restraint from personality.
Traditional can be colorful.
Elegant can be whimsical.
Old and new can—and should—live together.
And a beautifully designed home should ultimately feel less like an expression of a particular trend and more like an expression of the people who call it home.
Emily has built a body of work around exactly that idea, approaching each project not with a prescribed formula but with curiosity about the people, place, and stories behind it. The result is the kind of design we love most: collected, characterful, sophisticated, and just a little unexpected.
For all of those reasons—and many more—we are delighted to welcome Emily June Spanos of Emily June Designs as our latest Tastemaker on the Hunt.
To find out more about Emily and Emily June Designs, visit her website here and be sure to follow her on Instagram here.
And be sure to check out our other featured Tastemakers on the Hunt here.