Full-immersion shopping at the Gallery
01.01.70
Forget cookie-cutter retail and retro trinkets. The Gallery is open at Highland Village, and Restoration Hardware will never be the same.
At least chairman and co-CEO Gary Friedman hopes that's the case.
"It's really a first-of-its-kind-in-the-world store," says Friedman, whose meticulous personal style is evident in every inch of the new store's three floors of classically inspired fabulousness. The store opened Friday.
Friedman is from California, but the former Williams-Sonoma executive dreams more like a Texas wildcatter, and this store is a major play.
You may have to endure a traffic jam and parking nightmare to get there, but inside the charcoal Venetian plaster walls - which Friedman and architect Howard Backen envision as a majestic estate - visitors are immersed in a realm of monochromatic luxury with displays that indeed feel like the rooms and gardens of a grand home.
"It's a great envelope for what we do," Friedman says.
Through each perfectly lit archway of the ground floor's central hall, another enticing space beckons. Tucked into the massive double staircase under a 40-foot skylight is an area Friedman says is a "gesture of hospitality, to make our guests feel welcome" - the Bellocq Tea Atelier .
Source: Houston Chronicle
Prepping your kitchen for the holidays
01.01.70
The key to a successful holiday season lies in organization! There's nothing more stressful than trying to find your roasting pan in your cupboard of thousands of pans as the turkey defrosts in the sink or dig through a cluttered pantry trying to find flour on a cookie deadline. Instead of the chaos that comes with holiday cooking, stay sane this year by following these key kitchen organization tips!
Declutter your pantry
My pantry used to be a nightmare. There was, literally, stuff everywhere. I had 3 packages of 1/4 full flour, sugar spilled everywhere and random soups and spices mixed in with the chocolate chips. I finally had it and spent an hour completely rearranging my entire baking pantry. A great way to organize is to pour your flour, sugar, chocolate chips, etc. into canisters or old jelly jars and label them. Makes it much easier to spot what you have!
Source: SheKnows.com
Valentine's Day – Not Condign for LoversMy favorite programme ideas from Kinfolk Fun were the spunk-shaped, peculiar pizzas, the Lemony Girlfriend Beverage, and the watermelon cut into hearts with a large cookie cutter. You actually have to go see them for yourself. They also have some enthusiastic social gathering games and more »
