Interior designer PALOMA CONTRERAS takes us on a tour of Houston, once a backwater home to

oil wildcatters, now a hub for sophisticated shopping, world-class art, and culinary creativity

By KIRK REED FORRESTER Photography by MAX BURKHALTER

HOUSTON• MY HOMETOWN •

Contreras frequents Biscuit for home goods and baby gifts. OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Charming handbags at à bientôt, heirloom tomato salad at Thompson + Hanson’s Tiny Boxwoods café, Buffalo Bayou Park, Le Colonial restaurant

EET PALOMA CONTRERAS, the Houston design juggernaut whose meteoric rise began in 2007 with her interiors blog, La Dolce Vita. A former Spanish teacher with a natural eye for refined composition, Contreras’s aesthetic education grew along with her online following—a legion of fans who love her classic style and the occasional cameo from her chocolate cockapoo, Tate. Eleven years later, Contreras is at the helm of projects from coast to

coast, preparing for the fall publication of her first book (Dream Design Live, Abrams) and speaking regularly on the design circuit while still managing the relentless demands of a blogger.

Like the designer herself, Contreras’s Houston is a city on the rise. Ambitious, pragmatic, and generous, it has shaken off the mud from Hurricane Harvey and gotten back to the business of being the nation’s fourth-largest city (and its most diverse). Here Contreras takes us on a whirlwind tour of a thoroughly modern Houston, a place where you might just as easily stumble on an elegant Vietnamese restaurant as you would a Tex-Mex dive, where the prowess of avant-garde art rivals that of the World Series–winning Astros, and where high-end fashion shares the sidewalk with boots and rodeo dreams.

WHERE TO SHOPFound is an incredibly chic shop with a nice mix of custom upholstery, art, and antiques, all put together in an inspiring way. I love it for Christopher Spitzmiller lamps and gifts like cocktail napkins by Hibiscus Linens. For wardrobe staples and great of-the-moment pieces, Sid & Ann Mashburn is the place to go. The service there is always warm, and it’s set against a beautiful backdrop. I love the Ann Mashburn line as well as a French brand they carry called Carven. Down the block is à bientôt, a store that’s like a candy shop for grown-up women. The owner, Betty Newton, has a great eye for accessories, especially bags and shoes. Biscuit is a charming store that sells a gorgeous proprietary bedding collection along with stylish home goods and baby gifts. The glossy, Dallas-based Forty Five Ten recently opened an outpost in the River Oaks District where you can find fabulous shoes and clothes, but I especially love their beauty counter, which is full of

82 | M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 8

PH

OTO

S: C

AR

AC

OL

BY

DE

B S

MA

IL; F

OR

TY

FIV

E T

EN

CO

UR

TE

SY O

F F

OR

TY

FIV

E T

EN

; ME

NIL

BY

DO

N G

LEN

TZE

R/

TH

E M

EN

IL C

OLL

EC

TIO

N. P

RE

VIO

US

PA

GE

: LE

CO

LON

IAL

BY

ER

IC L

AIG

NE

L; P

AR

K B

Y R

ICK

GA

RD

NE

R

M

CARACOL

KUHL-LINSCOMB

FORTY FIVE TEN

THE MENIL COLLECTION

FOUND

FOUND

indie, cult brands. Longoria Collection in Uptown Park is my go-to destination for high-end furniture, chic tabletop finds, and objets d’art from brands like Ralph Lauren and Kelly Wearstler. Encom-passing several buildings on one block, Kuhl-Linscomb is more of a lifestyle emporium than just a store. Often compared to New York’s ABC Home, it has everything from furniture and bedding to tabletop, children’s gifts, and apothecary. Another Houston gem is Thompson + Hanson. Part nursery full of gorgeous plants, flowers, and containers; part café; and part lifestyle shop, it’s always filled with unique pieces, great gifts, and a few carefully culled fashion brands.

WHERE TO SIP & SAVORTiny Boxwoods—the charming café at Thompson + Hanson—has the best breakfast in town. I’m a big fan of the House Migas. And even though it’s early, you’d be remiss to leave without a chocolate chip cookie; they are famous (and they start selling them at break-fast)! For lunch, I love Brasserie 19 for a quintessential French fix. The people-watching is wonderful, the wine list is great, and the sleek interior

ELOISE NICHOLS

M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 8 | 85

BISCUIT

is lovely. For dinner, I recommend Le Colonial for Vietnamese food in an elegant space. Order the Cha Gio Crispy Shrimp & Pork Roll and the Bo Luc Lac Shaking Beef and you won’t be disap-pointed. James Beard award–winning chef Hugo Ortega’s restaurant Caracol is one of my favorites for its Mexican seafood and bright, airy dining room. But watch out—the margaritas will sneak up on you! If I’m just going out for drinks, Anvil is the place for creative cocktails. My favorite is their French 75, but I ask for whiskey rather than gin. When my husband and I are in the mood for good food in a fun, casual setting, we head to Eloise Nichols. The restaurant is quite stylish, and they have the best burger in town. It can be tricky to find top-notch Spanish food outside of Spain, but BCN Taste & Tradition (named for Barce-lona’s airport code) delivers in spades. Housed in an old home in the Montrose neighborhood, it’s a romantic, intimate setting. The food is authentically prepared; the service is elegant and attentive. Armandos is the Mexican restaurant for the stylish set. Go for a margarita and stay for the people- watching, especially on Thursday nights, when they turn up the music and open up the dance floor.

WHAT TO SEEThe Menil Collection is one of my favorite places in Houston. The Renzo

M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 8 | 87

PH

OTO

S: S

ID &

AN

N M

AS

HB

UR

N C

OU

RT

ESY

OF

SID

& A

NN

MA

SH

BU

RN

; MU

SE

UM

BY

RO

B W

ILLI

AM

SO

N/C

OU

RT

ESY

OF

T

HE

MU

SE

UM

OF

FIN

E A

RTS

, HO

UST

ON

; AN

VIL

BY

JU

LIE

SO

EF

ER

; FO

UR

SE

AS

ON

S C

OU

RT

ESY

OF

FO

UR

SE

AS

ON

S

ANVIL THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, HOUSTON

À BIENTÔT

BNC TASTE & TRADITION

SID & ANN MASHBURN

FOUR SEASONS

JAMES TURRELL SKYSPACE

LONGORIA COLLECTION

BAYOU BEND COLLECTION AND GARDENS

THOMPSON + HANSON

Piano architecture creates a stunning space for the collection donated by philanthropists John and Dominique de Menil. With works by Cy Twombly, Alexander Calder, Dan Flavin, and others, this place is a must. Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens is another place that any design lover should visit. The 1920s estate has extensive gardens and is home to an important collection of American antiques. Houston is lucky to have so many amazing museums. The crown jewel is The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, which is in the midst of a massive expansion set to open in May. My out-of-town guests are blown away by the exhibits there. After the museum, head five blocks west and see North and South Boule vards, where 100-year-old live oaks create a canopy for gorgeous historic homes, many designed by noted Houston architects John Staub and Birdsall Briscoe. Down the street, the James Turrell Skyspace at Rice University is an incredible sight to behold. Light projected to (and through) the ceiling changes color at sunrise and sunset. It’s the perfect setting for contemplation. Houston is known as the Bayou City, and our newest outdoor space,

Buffalo Bayou Park, is a great place to bike, walk, or even kayak.

WHERE TO STAYDowntown, the Four Seasons is newly renovated with incredible views of the skyline and a great new restaurant called Bayou & Bottle. The high-end, low-key St. Regis is perfectly situated near River Oaks, just minutes from all the best shopping and dining and con-venient to the Museum District. The Houstonian is an old-school favorite. Centrally located but tucked down a tree-lined road, it feels miles away from the city noise. It’s known for its beauti-ful grounds, including a lovely pool and golf course, but save time for appoint-ments at the world-class spa.

PHOTO ID

For details and more Houston picks from our editors, see Sources, page 90 M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 8 | 89

ST. REGIS

PH

OTO

S: S

KY

SPA

CE

BY

FLO

RIA

N H

OLZ

HE

RR

/CO

UR

TE

SY O

F R

ICE

UN

IVE

RS

ITY

; GA

RD

EN

S B

Y R

ICK

GA

RD

NE

R/C

OU

RT

ESY

OF

TH

E M

US

EU

M O

F F

INE

AR

TS,

HO

UST

ON

; LO

NG

OR

IA C

OLL

EC

TIO

N B

Y M

ICH

AE

L H

UN

TE

R P

HO

TOG

RA

PH

Y; S

T. R

EG

IS C

OU

RT

ESY

OF

ST.

RE

GIS

The James Turrell Skyspace at Rice University is an incredible sight

to behold. Light projected to (and through) the ceiling changes color at sunrise

and sunset. It’s so peaceful—the perfect setting for contemplation.

–PALOMA CONTRERAS

TINY BOXWOODS