Four Inane Questions with interior designer Troy Moore
Courtesy Troy Moore
Forget triple threat—renaissance man Troy Moore is more of a sextuple threat. The award-winning custom home builder and interior designer is also a prolific actor, model, singer, and ever-present emcee. If you haven’t seen his glam-posh (posh-glam?) KC houses featured on HGTV or in various national architectural design publications, you’re missing out. Think home porn—but, you know, elevated, upscale home porn.
The husband and dad of two daughters runs Madi Mali Homes—named after his two girls—from his mothership locale upwind from the Kauffman Center. You can spy the mammoth, battleship gray house from the interstate. We caught up with Moore between bulldozing appointments. At least we assume it was bulldozing. It was loud and construction-y in the background.
The Pitch: What useless, but pertinent skill do you possess that no one knows and/or cares about?
Troy Moore: I can fold a mean T-shirt. I never got to work at The Gap, but my mom certainly prepared me for it. There’s a system—everyone should know it—and I’m happy to share it. Unfortunately, it takes lots of practice and if you use a folding-board like those Gap employees, you’re cheating. I guess that’s why I’m the laundry guy in my house. I’d say that’s pertinent.
What article of clothing do you own that should have been thrown away years ago, yet you still can’t part with?
A few years ago, at our annual Greedy Santa party, I ended up with this amazing bright yellow, terry cloth jumpsuit. Not sure how I got so lucky, but my wife hates it. It has a full-front zipper, gold buttons on the shoulders, and elastic at the waist and ankles.
It’s comfy and I certainly stand out when I wear it (uh, not out of the house, of course.) After typing that, I’m not sure it was actually made for a man, but I don’t care. It was a gift.
If you had your own HGTV show—and you really should, by the way—what would it be?
I’d really like to do a show about the design/build process that is both educational and entertaining. (Ok, you’re asleep already.)
Courtesy Troy Moore
I understand production costs are high and they can’t wait around for something cool to happen—but they aren’t always a real depiction of how it actually works. HGTV lovers buy into it, they think it’s legit and it really skews expectations in the real world. (My fellow designers in the biz are high-fiving this right now.)
What’s the worst song ever made in the history of music? (e.g., the one you flip radio stations immediately.)
I’m going to catch a lot of flak on this but anyone who knows me knows I am not a fan of country music. I am surrounded by people who love it, listen to it, sing it, quote it—all of it. I’m a great sport and will go to the concerts, but any song that ends with “chew-tabacca, chew-tabacca, chew-tabacca … SPIT”—nope, not for me.
Bonus 5th Question: Name one particular color (and/or shade) you simply refuse to use when building a house? Like, you draw the line at this color…
Digging back into the 80s, where “country blue and mauve” were the go-to in the world of décor, I’m happy to see that one of them has not made a return.
I dig shades of blue and have used it many times in homes and furnishings. However, the color mauve was a total mistake. Mauve—I even hate the way my mouth feels when I say it.
