Jennifer Donnelly has had a knack for putting people together for as long as she can remember. “When I was a kid, my father sent me to a business seminar, and I stood up and told everyone that I wanted to help good people meet good people,” she says. “Matchmaking is something I always wanted to do.”
She started devising meet-cutes early on—when her best friend had a crush on the boy next door, she threw the girl’s shoes over the fence—and she continued setting up friends through her college years and beyond. She even helped the boy she churned out Snoopy Sno-Cones with at age 8 find his wife a couple decades later.
Today, she makes it her mission to assist a very well-heeled clientele (starting rates range from $150,000 to $500,000) in their quests for soulmates via her business, The Ultimate Matchmaker by Jennifer Donnelly. “Having a job that changes lives is a gift,” she says. “I wake up every day excited to help people find true love.”
When she’s not arranging perfect pairings, Donnelly spends every free moment with her three adopted children, her own true love, and his two children at their 15,000-square-foot Dallas home, which they found in 2020. “I had a list of a lot of special things I wanted—a hair salon, sport court, a lounge for entertaining, and an outside area that blended with the interiors—and this home had it all.”
While she knew from the start that it was perfect for their blended family of seven, there was one problem: It was modern. “My husband likes more traditional architecture,” she explains. “I’m in the relationship business, so I won’t let a home dictate the strength of a marriage. I agreed to a compromise: He wanted color; I wanted neutrals and texture. I thought we could blend both of our tastes, and I told him he could run free with [our] ranches, which makes him very happy.” He also got the state-of-the-art security system he wanted—win-win.
In order to achieve the perfect coupling of modern glamour and timeless charm, the matchmaker began looking in earnest for a collaborator. Houston-based designer Nina Magon turned out to be the one. “I was very inspired by the places that I’ve traveled, so I shared photos with Nina of things like a chandelier at the Four Seasons in New York and a hotel in Russia that I love. We talked through it all,” says Donnelly. “She learned my taste. I told her I wanted to add texture and some color for my husband. It was an easy process—Nina’s good at business and very creative.”
“The truth is I love being home because it feels like me, and it feels like us.”
—homeowner Jennifer Donnelly
Of course, the key to any successful relationship is open communication, and client and designer experienced that from the start. “Jennifer was very clear about wanting a home that not only looked luxurious but also felt personal and welcoming,” says Magon. The duo introduced much of the promised color through artwork, accessories, and furniture. “Achieving a harmonious balance between the artwork and new furnishings involved selectively incorporating pieces that complement each other in terms of color, texture, and form,” Magon adds. “By mixing timeless pieces with contemporary designs, we were able to create a layered and inviting atmosphere throughout the house.”
It’s so inviting, in fact, that even Donnelly is subject to its charms. After a long week of travels, coming home has taken on a new sense of urgency. “I drive up, and I see the fountain and my cat, Simon, in the window, and I immediately get excited to go inside,” she says. “My husband tells me, ‘You might love this house too much,’ but the truth is I love being home because it feels like me, and it feels like us.”
The Bold & the Beautiful
Designer Nina Magon and homeowner Jennifer Donnelly share their tips for adding hits of the high life to create not-at-all-common common areas.
Focus on fashion.
Donnelly’s personal style is very much alive and well throughout the home—even in hardworking spaces like the elevator, gym, and salon. “Style is a way to express who you are without words,” she says. “My fashion sense reflects the design of my home. While you’ll often find me in Lulu clothes around the house, my love for fashion is evident. For instance, my closet displays a collection of Birkin bags alongside a pair of teal roller skates—that’s just who I am.”
Bring wow to the walls.
“My husband and I had different preferences: He loves color, while I prefer neutrals combined with various textures,” says Donnelly. “We compromised by incorporating color through art.” The matchmaker worked with Magon to layer in artwork that was both beautiful and meaningful—including a piece by her friend, the singer Jewel—then doubled down with colorful wallpaper. “I wasn’t all that keen on the idea initially, but I ended up loving it,” Donnelly says.
Delight with light.
Substantial sculptural chandeliers add a heaping helping of drama to almost every room, including the breakfast area. “We chose the ‘Glass Teardrop’ chandelier by Studio M Lighting to add a touch of elegance and ensure the lighting was both functional and a statement piece,” says Magon. “It enriches the space’s functionality while maintaining its glamorous aesthetic.”
