A Half-Finished House in Dallas Led to a Design Duo and a Shared Studio

Evan Shane Krenzien and Pierce Jordan met the way modern collaborators do — first on Instagram, then by chance at the gym. Within weeks they were sketching out a house together. Evan had just stepped away from the corporate grind mid-pandemic, leaving real estate development to focus fully on design. Pierce had been building in Dallas for over a decade, running a construction and development business that let him experiment with architecture and interiors in equal measure.

Their backstories couldn’t be more different. Evan grew up near Venice Beach, where the sun-drenched architecture of the 80s and 90s gave him an instinct for open, unfussy spaces. Pierce was raised in Mississippi, where historic homes and European influences left him with a love of antiques, tradition, and craftsmanship. Different coasts, different languages of design — but when they sat down together, the conversation clicked.

Both had landed in Dallas at a moment of transition. Evan was consulting on a hospitality project that stalled, leaving him eager for a new creative anchor. Pierce was designing his own home and looking for a collaborator to push his vision further. The timing was almost too good: when Pierce floated the idea of teaming up, Evan’s answer was immediate — yes. No overthinking, no twelve-slide deck — just yes.

That yes became the Robin Road house. Pierce had mapped out the layout and the framing was in place, but Evan walked in and saw the long sightlines, the arches, the play of light and shadow. It was just one house, half-built, and two designers stubborn enough to see what it could be. What began as a friend lending perspective quickly became a true collaboration — one that stitched their sensibilities into a single home, and eventually, a shared studio.

Michael P.H. Clifford

The project proved their differences were an asset, not a clash. Pierce brought antiques, marble slabs, and a respect for historic detail. Evan countered with modern California finds, a laid-back sensibility, and an instinct for flow. What could have been compromise turned into synergy.

Michael P.H. Clifford

“It started out as me pitching Pierce some furniture,” Evan laughs. “Pretty quickly, though, it was clear this wasn’t just one project. It felt like the start of something bigger.”

The house became their laboratory for a philosophy they’ve carried into every project since: design that balances history with freshness, weight with ease, structure with surprise.

Michael P.H. Clifford

You can see it everywhere in this home. In the family room, Pierce’s oversized wallpaper tapestry set a dramatic tone — layered, textural, unapologetically bold. Evan responded with lighting that highlighted its depth without letting it overwhelm the space. It’s a reminder that when a statement piece takes center stage, lighting can be the difference between powerful and overpowering.

Michael P.H. Clifford

In the dining room, an antique marble fireplace became the gravitational anchor, flanked by contemporary furnishings that kept it firmly in the present. A historic piece shines brightest when the elements around it create contrast.

Michael P.H. Clifford

The kitchen, meanwhile, was all about livability without losing elegance. Pierce had envisioned it as a true working hub for daily life, while Evan pushed for clean lines. Together, they landed on a mix of durable stone, streamlined cabinetry, and a layout that felt both functional and elevated.

It proves a kitchen feels elevated not because it’s over-designed, but because every choice — from stone to cabinetry to light — feels intentional.

Michael P.H. Clifford

Even the bones of the house tell the story: a formal central foyer — Pierce’s architectural backbone — leading into a sequence of spaces that shift from sunlit expansiveness to moody, cocoon-like corners, echoing Evan’s instinct for contrast and surprise.

This wasn’t meant to define their work, but it did — proof that their two languages of design could live in the same house, and be stronger together.

The project distilled what Evan and Pierce both believe: a home should hold tension — old against new, light against shadow, structure against ease. For Pierce, that meant proving antiques and historic references could feel effortless, not fussy. For Evan, it meant that restraint and contrast could elevate rather than strip away personality.

Michael P.H. Clifford

“The best work is a collaboration and an evolution,” Evan says. “Strong perspectives can shape a home’s narrative, but you need space for things to shift, for unexpected turns. Not everything should be so rigid — in design or in life.”

Pierce agrees, but from a different angle. For him, the project was also about trust — in himself, and in partnership. “It was a pivoting moment,” he admits. “It gave me confidence to trust my instincts, and it showed me how much more joy there is in pushing ideas with someone else instead of working alone.”

By the time the house was complete, it no longer felt like a one-off collaboration. The synergy was too natural. This project gave them proof of concept — not just for a home, but for a studio. Shane & Pierce was born.

“After Robin Road, it didn’t feel like a question anymore,” Pierce says. “We knew we wanted to keep building together.”

Looking back, the house marks more than a finished project. For Pierce, it’s the most personal house he’s ever built — a reflection of years of hard work in construction and his own design evolution. For Evan, it’s the moment where leaving the corporate world became not just a career move but a calling. For both, it was the house that turned a chance encounter into the foundation of their studio.

Michael P.H. Clifford

It began as Pierce’s personal project and Evan’s chance to find footing in a new city. It ended as the foundation of a studio that now carries both of their names. What started with a single yes became a shared philosophy — and a reminder that sometimes the right house doesn’t just change the way you live, it changes the course of your life.