Castle Design, founded in 2003 and recognized for its portfolio of award-winning, high-end residential interior design, announced its acquisition of St. Louis-based Kelly Johnson Design on Jan. 1.
Rooted in thoughtful, client-driven interiors, the two practices merge a roster of talent and years of experience.
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“When I made the decision to move from Clayton to Olivette, the idea was that we needed additional space for growth for the company, and to service our existing clients in a better way,” says Emily Castle, founder and principal of Castle Design. “And we do have room to grow here. The fact that this acquisition came up quickly is just a great thing all the way around.”
Castle says Johnson approached her several months ago regarding her intentions for 2026. “She had talked to me originally about her transitioning out of full-time work,” says Castle. “After that I started thinking about her website and the value of her website, and capturing future leads that would be coming into her company for Castle.”
After discussing with Johnson the possibility of an acquisition, and Johnson agreeing on the approach, Castle could see the total value for her firm. “I always thought it was a good addition but I had to, of course, speak to Kelly about that,” she says.
In addition to bringing Kelly Johnson Design under its brand, Castle Design is also gaining the full-time expertise of interior designer Shannon Johnson, who began her full-time position this week. “I’m very excited about this new opportunity and also very pleased at how smooth the transition has been,” says Johnson. “Although Castle Design is structured a bit differently than Kelly Johnson Design, it is a naturally good pairing.”
Johnson, who has worked closely with her mom, Kelly Johnson, for the past five years, will continue to provide design services to her existing clientele. “As Kelly Johnson Design will now be operating under the Castle umbrella, it is very important for me, as the new face of Kelly Johnson Design, to continue to prioritize design excellence in all of my projects with great attention to detail. Kelly Johnson Design has a well-earned reputation for creating elevated spaces that avoid trends and age gracefully. I intend to honor and sustain that reputation,” she says.
Johnson will also work closely with Castle to strengthen the firm’s presence in the area of new construction, a lucrative niche that Castle expects will grow to comprise 20 percent of the business.
“Any kind of project like that coming to us, we want to put our best foot forward, and now we have someone that really has expertise in that area. That’s a great thing,” says Castle.
As for Johnson, she is looking forward to the benefits of working at a large design firm. “All of my time can be devoted to design work and servicing my clients without the distraction of a lot of the administrative tasks,” she says. “I’m also enjoying the very collaborative atmosphere at Castle Design.”
