LeTricia Wilbanks and Selena Mackay aim to seduce the senses. The powerhouse women behind The WM, a full-service residential and commercial design firm, revolutionize standard spaces into deliciously plush environments with a dedication to ethical excellence, an insatiable desire to push the boundaries of creativity and genuine humility.
“I believe any businessperson, man or woman, should always remember where they came from,” says LeTricia, a native Texan who grew up on a cattle ranch, compulsively updating the interiors every chance she got. When, in college, she realized that her longtime passion could be her profession, she never looked back, and at an industry event in 2018, she met Selena, the daughter of a Honduran couturier who happened to share the same career vision board. They became an entrepreneurial dream team, and the rest, as they say, is history. “Success happens over decades of building, of making choices to move in a certain direction and making the sacrifices necessary to do so.”
Next year, the women will expand into the Austin market and launch partnerships with several fine European brands, including Portugal’s Covet House, to create unique, private-label collections of accessories, furniture, lighting and textiles for their Washington Avenue showroom. They will also continue to seek out opportunities to use their finely honed, God-given skills to empower fellow designers and support local businesses. “It’s important to remember that, as leaders, we need to inspire those who come behind us to always give the best they can give,” Selena says, “for the best reward is a happy client.”