15house& home | November 2009 | house and home on l ine . com16

John Puffer, a.k.a. “Big John” at Montalbano Lumber1309 Houston AvenueThis big, tall Montana native beganhis career as a museum preparatorpainting old stagecoaches at aWestern museum in Montana. After35 years as a geologist, he returned tohis passion for paint and for the lastnine years has managed the paintdepartment at Montalbano’s onHouston Ave. Awkward do-it-your-selfers and master contractors alike getthe same level of respect and attentionfrom John, who favors Pratt &Lambert brand paints. He can mixand match colors like nobody’s busi-ness, has a cult following, and is theRembrandt of house paint inHouston.

Sam Roberts Roberts Carpet & Fine Floors8 locationsWhen Sam started a small one-manstorefront carpet business on Fondrenin Houston in 1984, he discovered hehad a knack for selling. As businessgrew and he added staff, he alwayshad the highest sales figures, and nowonder. His high-energy enthusiasmcoupled with in-depth knowledge ofhis product meant you couldn’t notbuy a carpet from him. What keepshim fired up? “The creative process,”he says. “Flooring makes an enor-mous difference in the way yourhouse looks and feels. When someone

comes into our store, we want themto choose floors they love. And fiveyears from now, we want them to stillreally love it.” With wife Valerie as hispartner in the business, the companyhas grown to eight locations. Nolonger on the sales floor, Sam closelymanages the company hands-on tomake sure service and installation ofhis flooring are first rate. Former president of the National FlooringAlliance, a group of the top 36 floor-ing retailers in the U.S., he’s a nation-al expert in his field. He’s maintaineda wicked sense of humor through itall and plays a mean ‘60s rock guitar.

Pam Kuhl-LinscombKuhl-Linscomb 2424 W. AlabamaSince 1984 Pam has worked as aninterior designer in Houston, win-ning countless awards and accolades.In 2001, she started a retail shop,then merged her Dec Center designshowroom with the shop in 2003.The resulting store on W. Alabama,with 70,000 square feet of retail spacecozily nestled amid four 1930sduplexes is a tour de force of Americanretailing. She carries both modernand traditional furnishings for thehome, and while every piece is care-fully curated, nothing feels precious.Pam’s warm Texas personality per-vades the store. Snobbery is not con-doned, and you can always find coolstuff there for under $10. This iswhere design-savvy Houstoniansbring out-of-town guests to show

them the latest, most dazzling offer-ings from American and Europeandesigners.

Anne Breux, architecte d’interieurEvery time we see a gorgeous modernhouse in Houston that someonedoesn’t quite know how to furnish,we think, “Where’s Anne Breux whenyou need her?” Her cool, cerebralinteriors enhance modern architec-ture, rather than compromise it orapologize for it. This Paris nativeturned Houstonian is the ultimatemodernist, crossing the Atlantic at thedrop of a beret to visit the latest Parisateliers and Milan salons and bringfresh ideas back from astonishingdesigners like Zaha Hadid, theBouroullec brothers or Piero Lissoni.Her clients range from rap stars toindustry titans to ordinary Joes andJanes who love her cool, clean aesthet-ic. With her infectious joie de vivre,Anne leads them like a pied pipertoward her optimistic vision for thefuture. Yesterday’s gone, Anne is now,and she’s always thinking abouttomorrow.

Geoffrey Westergaard,Carl Moore Antiques 1610 BissonnetWith a background in art history andyears of travel to Europe and Asia insearch of rare finds, GeoffreyWestergaard of Carl Moore Antiquesis one of the most knowledgeablesources in America about antiques.

Don’t let that intimidate you. Hisshop is warm and welcoming, hismanners are impeccable, and if you’relucky enough to find him in the shopand ask him about a particular pieceof furniture, you’re in for a treat. Hispassion for the romance, history andmystery of antiques will keep youspellbound. And suddenly you’llunderstand why those Cabriole legson that mid-18th-century Frenchchair are more lyrical and preferableto those of the early 18th century.When you buy from Carl MooreAntiques, you are buying a fine pieceof furniture more thoroughlyresearched than you can possiblyimagine, thanks to Geoffrey’s intellec-tual rigor and love for antiques andtheir history.

Carrie GlassmanShoemake, architectA native of Houston, Carrie capturessense of place in the homes shedesigns for Houstonians. She “gets”Houston—its humidity, its lushgreenness, the subtle change of sea-sons and the quality of light here. Thehouses she designs with architect-partner Ernest Maldonado are noth-ing if not local, and they are beautifuland touching in their acknowledg-ment of our terroir. Windowsembrace exterior views and bring innatural light. Views of landscape areessential, and oak trees are celebrated.She even thinks about winter andsummer solstice in Houston and howsunlight strikes houses during the

In honor of Houston House & Home’s 15th anniversary this month,we salute 15 Houstonians who make our homes a better place tolive. Since 1994, we’ve covered architects, designers, historic preser-

vationists, contractors, painters, carpenters, stonemasons, upholster-ers—people who work with their minds and hands, know exactly whatthey’re doing and excel in their profession or craft. Not only are theygood at what they do, they’re “into” it. They love their work, and itshows in the level of service they provide and in the final product.

They’re exactly the kind of people you want to work on the most important investment you have—your home. Often theirbusinesses are small, family-owned concerns. Many are unsung heroes.

Some have won national and international awards. Famous or not,they’re there for us, helping us make our homes and neighborhoodsplaces we love to be. They realize that the concept of “home” isn’t justfour walls, but our neighborhoods and public spaces in Houston wherewe live.

At House & Home, they make our jobs easier because theyinspire us with their new ideas, energy and expertise. While we’ve cho-sen to honor these 15 Houstonians on our 15th anniversary, we knowthe list is much too short. We could easily have listed hundreds of folks,so stay with us for the next 15 years. For now, let’s applaud these 15we’re fortunate to have living and working in Houston.

15 HOUSTONIANS WHO MAKE OUR HOMESA BETTER PLACE TO LIVE

17

solstice. She orients dwellings to acceptthe sun’s light so those who live thereget a sense not only of the day, butalso the year. “You get the sense youare part of a solar system, of somethingbigger than you are,” she says. She’s aLEED-accredited professional and agreen-building advocate, too.

Ivan Martinez, ICM Marble & Granite“Perfectionist” is the first word peopleusually utter when asked to describeIvan. A master of stone countertopsand table tops, he is a stickler formeasuring counters accurately so thegranite and marble he fabricates fitsperfectly. Architects and buildersadmire the way he works the stones’natural color and patterns, gets thegrain flowing in the right directionand minimizes and use of seams. Formore than 26 years, Ivan and his wife,Dollie, have operated ICM Marble &Granite. Thanks to the Houston ShipChannel, our city has become one ofour country’s largest importers of gran-ite and marble, and Ivan and Dolliestay aware of the stone slabs cominginto port, what’s available and whereto direct their customers to find thebest stones for their countertops.

The Stratton FamilyC & D Hardware314 E. 11th St.C&D Hardware was founded in1951 in the Houston Heights. Jimand Kathy Stratton bought it in1999, and their friendly customerservice and gift department are whatlure people from The Woodlands,Galveston, Cypress and Sugar Landto their charming store in theHeights. Tired of wandering aroundan impersonal giant box store forhours trying to find the right sizedlag bolt? Walk into C&DHardware, show them what youneed, and you can be out in a jiffy.“A convenience store for hardware iswhat we really are,” says Jim. That,and a shop with great gifts andChristmas lights of every shape andcolor imaginable. Lights in theHeights couldn’t happen withoutC&D’s enormous inventory of holi-day lights and decorations and elec-trical cords and connections tomake it all work together.

Wayne ClarkClark’s Hardwood Lumber700 E. 5 1/2 St.Since 1946, Clark’s has supplied lum-ber to homebuilders, remodelers anddiy-ers in Houston. Wayne’s fatherbought the business in 1968, and heruns it now. Their specialty is custommilling, interior molding and exteriorsiding. They can match your existingmolding or siding, or create it new.They make knives to cut the molding,and save the knives, so you may beable to get your wood milled withouthaving a knife made to cut it. Clark’salso carries more than 100 varieties ofhardwoods and exotic woods and isknown for its inventory of stair partsand ballisters as well.

Nancy O’Connor Adkins Architectural Antiques3515 FanninHoused in a vintage Midtown mansion, Adkins ArchitecturalAntiques is not only a distinctive store,it’s a fun getaway. Wander the groundsand rooms for hours to see all theunusual artifacts and curiosities NancyO’Connor and her business partnerHerve de Salve have amassed. Need acupola, corbel or pediment? This isyour place, and the prices are great.Relax in the knowledge you’re recy-cling salvaged architectural treasuresand helping the environment, as well.We never fail to find something wecan’t live without here. This Old Housemagazine selected Adkins as one of thetop architectural salvage dealers in thecountry.

Steve Ista, Ista ConstructionKnown as the This Old House man ofHouston, Ista is an expert at remodel-ing old houses in Houston, especiallyin the Houston Heights. He won’t lethomeowners make changes to theirhouses that are not in keeping with thespirit of the house or the neighbor-hood. He’s a true connoisseur of oldhouses and practically channelsWilliam W. Wilson, he’s redone somany of the houses Wilson built hereat the turn of the century. When youcall to ask one of his clients if they likehim and his work, they always say no,they don’t just like him, they love himand his work.

The Lam FamilyHien Lam Upholstery819 W. Drew St. Husband and wife Hien and HongLam dramatically escaped war-tornVietnam in the late 1970s. Theymade their way to Houston in 1983and opened their upholstery busi-ness in 1990. Hien, a carpenter,and Hong, a tailor, complementeach other’s talents well, and they’vemanaged to build a business whereeveryone who works there is amember of the extended Lam clan.No one is better at matching fabricpattern to a chair or sofa thanHong. She has a great eye and herstitches hold strong. In addition toupholstery, the company does slip-covers, drapery and bedding. Theirhigh quality work has made theirbusiness grow and grow. They nowhave a 32,000 square foot work-shop in the Montrose.

David Bushprograms and informationdirector for GreaterHouston PreservationAllianceHistoric preservation is a thank-less job in Houston, which hasone of the weakest historic preser-vation ordinances in the country.Nevertheless, David Bush perse-veres, writing and speaking inbehalf of the legions ofHoustonians who treasure thecity’s historic homes and build-ings for their economic value aswell as for their emotional pull.When trying to prevent demoli-tion and testifying at public hear-ings, David is polite yet forceful,always well-spoken and armedwith the facts. If you love historichomes and neighborhoods, he’syour worthy advocate. He andGHPA win some battles and losesome (they’d win a lot more withstronger preservation laws), buthe never gives up. A native ofNew Orleans, where the econom-ic value of historic preservationhas been proven time and again,David worked nine years for theGalveston Historical Foundationbefore joining GHPA in 2003.

Lynn Edmundson, found-ing director, HistoricHouston When developers or builders win,and a historic structure is slated forthe wrecking ball, Lynn Edmundsonand her organization, HistoricHouston, are often there to savepieces of the house before it goesdown—a newel post here, a mantelthere, ornate doorknobs everywhereand maybe even a houseful of old-growth pine flooring that can berecycled. Since 2003, HistoricHouston has managed the HistoricHouston Salvage Warehouse whichsells salvaged building materials atlow prices. Lynn’s salvage operationsare great for the environment, too.When historic houses can’t be saved,she moves them to other sites andconverts them to affordable housing.Clearly, she’d rather old houses stayintact. We’ve seen her testify at pub-lic hearings to save old buildings—she’s tall, elegant, fierce, formidable.

Kevin ShanleySWA GroupInstead of thinking of bayous asdrainage ditches, why not makethem beautiful natural waterwayssurrounded by parks? Harvard-edu-cated landscape architect KevinShanley, president of SWA Groupin Houston has been thinking andplanning how to improve Houston’sbayous for more than 20 years.Paving our bayous with cement isnot the best solution for flood con-trol, but how else to control flood-waters? Kevin’s flood control pro-posal for Sims Bayou, now beingimplemented by The Sims BayouFederal Flood Project, is one goodmodel to follow. It allows SimsBayou to meander widely so morestormwater can be collected andhave more opportunity to permeatethe ground. And parks can be builtaround the stream. Kevin has par-ticipated in numerous other bayouimprovement plans and projectsand is president of the BayouPreservation Association. He’s gotthe vision to make Houston’s water-ways and green spaces a true civictreasure.

house& home | November 2009 | house and home on l ine . com18

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