Adding Country French, Giving Traditional a New Warmth!!

I loved seeing how finishes and fabrics transformed this home! While remaining very traditional with architecture and furnishings, the homeowners wanted to create a fresh more inviting look by incorporating French antiques.  To achieve the transformation, they enlisted the help of Munger Interiors.

     

For inspiration, Elizabeth and Amy, the two sisters that comprise Munger Interiors, turned to the Charles Faudree's style that the homeowners love.  By changing some of the color tones in fabrics, finishes and furnishings from room to room, they managed to eliminate some of the heaviness that existed in the architecture.  The formerly cream-colored entrance didn't evoke the warm elegance that the homeowners hoped guests would feel. "While the fabrics and accessories played a big part in the overall goal," Elizabeth noted, "the plastered walls were the game changer."  Plastering the walls brought an overall glow and depth that you can’t accomplish with plain paint. They feel luminous no matter the time of day, and the room always looks candlelit.  The antique chair and sconces balance the newer furnishings in the home and create interest.  

  

Prior to the redo, this nook in the entrance way felt very expected and formal. 

By adding some French country antiques, the whole concept of mixing the old with the new comes to life.  The home begins to tell a story and become interesting.

The homeowners wanted to keep the damask wallpaper, chairs and table in the dining room, so the Mungers found a way to tie in these older pieces with the other rooms. The gray-blue rug from Carol Piper Rugs and new draperies balance the updated, French blue-toned study across the entrance. 

The introduction of the sconces, confit pots and 18^th century trumeau mirror in the dining room again brings in that country French flair while the addition of a smooth, porcelain plaster finish on the ceiling adds warmth and romance to the previously flat white painted ceiling.

This is actually where the project got its roots!!! For the study renovation, the homeowner wanted a place that she and her husband could both enjoy without the look being too feminine. As you can see, Elizabeth agreed that an update would make a big difference in the home!!! And Potter Construction did a great job bringing the plans to life.

The walls were fully paneled, and the existing bookcases were antiqued, increasing their character and patina. The addition of the reclaimed beams from Custom Floors Unlimited and the plastered ceiling furthered that old world charm. I always love a classic silk velvet like the one by Schumacher used on these study chairs. Rich and soft to the touch - it's the perfect combination for a shared office space.  The camel tones of the Pierre Frey fabric used on the ottoman, draperies and desk chair appealed to the husband while the softness evoked from the worn, antiqued look and the bird pattern was a favorite of the wife's. The light fixture and 18^th century wine tasting table from the Gray Door are fabulous. 

The finish on the cabinetry pulled the warm browns from the beams and floors and showcased a French feel.

    

All of the furniture in the study is new with the exception of the desk chair, a few accessories, and all the books in the shelves. As the husband says, “You can tell a lot about people by looking at what books they read”. Having their personal book collection displayed was really important to these homeowners, and luckily for the designers, much of their collection consisted of beautiful bound books!! The more reference-oriented titles were hidden behind the custom doors that also house the computer and work space.

In the living room, only a few key antique and country French accessories and lamps were blended in with existing pieces—the plaster was the major change!

This family room stays true to the same philosophy of the rest of the home's design - they tried to reduce the number of heavy pieces and keep the furnishings that didn’t weight the room down. Just a few dark wood pieces and a lot of the beautiful French confit, Majolica and silver collections. To freshen up the reds and greens that the homeowners love, the Mungers added wheat tones to the family room area and eliminated the heavy greens and brown leathers. By integrating some existing fabrics, they were able to maintain consistency while still bringing in plaids and small prints to create interest.  To differentiate between the den, bar and kitchen area, a distressed, textured finish over the fruitwood colored cabinets allowed for a lighter look.

 

The hints of red in the new finish help to tie in the older fabrics as well.

Once the homeowners realized what a big impact the finish had in the den, they added the same finish on all the beams and molding in the bar.  I love the fabric behind the chicken wire that adds another layer to the space within the same country French feel.

Switching out lamps and other accessories also provided instant updates. Mixing the warmth of the existing French confit collection with some glass wine bottles, painted altar sticks and beautiful coffee table books created all the layers needed to make the room successful. The homeowners entertain frequently, so adding comfortable club chairs on casters really made the room inviting for any use.

Here you can see the original stain that was throughout the house combined with the front of the bar that lightens up the space. Elizabeth and Amy are huge believers in mixing finishes to create interest. "We get bored with rooms that are all the same. The most successful rooms, in our opinion, combine painted pieces, woods, mirrors, ceramics, etc.” I loved working with the Munger duo and design assistant Laura (www.mungerinteriors.com).  It was clear that they had such a great rapport with the homeowners, doing a wonderful job translating what the homeowners wanted in their forever home!!! Thanks gals for sharing this project--I loved the evolution of it all.   Next week we will see the final product of the home I showcased about move-in time.  Have a great week.

Parisian's Escape from the City

My cute intern for the summer, Amanda, is going to school in Milan and getting her Master's degree in marketing and management! I've had the best time hearing about all of Amanda's travels and  wanted to share Amanda's photos of her friend’s parent's home in France.  Next week we will be back in the US seeing a home we just completed which is WONDERFUl!

It’s hard to believe that you can drive only one hour from the hustle and bustle of Paris and find a quaint, quiet town to relax for the weekend or holiday.  Many Parisians have second homes in the countryside to escape the tourists, traffic, metros and noise of the city and their busy weekdays. This retreat, in the charming little town of Treuzy-levelay, is hidden in the French countryside, far away from tourists. Wouldn't that make a fun car!

Like every proper French town, this petite village has a beautiful church, several outdoor markets and at least two bakeries. Built during the 17th century, the church shown here – Eglise Saint Marin - was one of the first churches to go against traditional Catholicism and promote the French Revolution by supporting Agnosticism.  

This building, built in 1836, was once a tile roofing and pottery factory, but now-a-days parents bring their children here on the weekends to make creations of their own. 

Amanda was lucky to stay with her friends parents, Francis and Eclaire Avanturier, in their lovely brick and stone home from the 1880s.  It was inherited from Éclaire’s grandfather who purchased it in 1950 for only a few euros.  Wow - that would have been the time to invest!! The house is covered in stunning vines that give it such a charming, homey feel. I love the entrance floors- I'm sure Chateau Domingue, a wonderful Houston shop that imports similar treasures, would love to purchase these!!

As an avid reader and book collector, Mr. Avanturier began adding libraries to all of the rooms in this house once he ran out of space in their Parisian apartment years ago. He goes to book fairs all over the city to buy, sell and trade used books.  I love these interior walls that are the same as the exterior stone, but then slathered in plaster. 

The bones of this room are wonderfully charming and quaint!!  It is so fun to see how the Europeans have inspired us.  The plaster, old stone walls and antique beams give the space such warmth and character. Notice the door with the mirrors installed in them - a wonderful look.  We have made new doors look old at several of the homes I have done and then antique mirror has been installed.  The light fixture too is something I'm seeing a lot as it comes back in reproductions. And, of course, I just love the paint finish on the chest by the stairs!!

The old floors leading into the kitchen are mix-matched in a way that adds so much character.  In Europe, it's quite common to add onto spaces using whatever surface might be available for the work. The end result is always charming and unexpected!!! These handles on the stairs are intriguing too - I wonder what they might have been used for!

Most of the surfaces throughout the home are original, like these beautiful wooden floors!  I would love to see them uncovered!! Adding to that historic, old world feel, the house is filled with antique treasures which are still used like this sewing machine (there are actually two side by side).  “The Avanturiers were shocked that I was so intrigued by all of their ‘junk’," smiles Amanda. "If I could pack it all into a suitcase and fly it back to the States, I would!!”

 

The attached garage/shed is actually bigger than the house itself. The family plans to renovate and turn it into a large family room on the bottom floor and three bedrooms/bathrooms on the top floor. I suggested that they sell all of the wonderful antiques in the shed to cover the cost of renovations—they just need some buyers!!

The gardens in the backyard are exquisite! Year-round, they keep the landscape green and covered in flowers or autumn-colored leaves. With apple, pear, cherry, plum and hazelnut trees, the family has lots of fresh ingredients to pick in the fall. Yum!!!

The old wooden beams in the loft on the top floor are from the original construction, infusing the space with a natural age-old look.

There's Amanda with the Avanturiers after lunch. They always eat outside in the back gardens. It's one of their favorite spaces, where the grandchildren play football, soccer, or handball while the parents read and sunbathe.

A short 5 minute walk takes you to these beautiful yellow fields, full of flowers that are almost as tall as you. It makes you feel like you’re in a painting. These are actually Colza plants, used to make an oil that's similar to canola oil. 

For a real Parisian treat (arguably the best treat in the world!), you should try these lovely little macarons… Though they can be difficult to make, they're well worth a try.  I'm so happy to share this family recipe from the Avanturiers. To find additional recipes, Mowielicious also has an amazing blog with even more authentic, French macarons -- and some really great photos like the ones shown here!

Chocolate Macarons Recipe

Yield: 15 Cookies

Preheat oven to 350

Macaron Batter Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar

½ cup powdered almonds

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 large egg whites, at room temperature

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

Chocolate Filling Ingredients:

3 teaspoons light corn syrup

½ cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon butter

5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips or chopped

To make Macaron Batter:

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and have a pastry bag with a plain tip (about 1/2-inch) ready.

Grind together the powdered sugar with the almond powder and cocoa in a food processor or blender until there are no lumps

Beat the egg whites with mixer until they begin to rise and hold their shape. While whipping, beat in the granulated sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes.

Fold the dry ingredients into the beaten egg whites with a rubber spatula.

When the mixture is smooth, scrape the batter into the pastry bag and pipe it onto the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1-inch circles (about 1 tablespoon each of batter), one-inch apart.

Tap the baking sheet a few times on the counter top to flatten the macarons.

Bake 15-18 minutes and let cool completely, then remove from baking sheet.

 

To make the chocolate filling:

Heat the cream in a small saucepan with the corn syrup. When the cream just begins to boil at the edges, remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let sit one minute, then stir until smooth. Stir in the pieces of butter. Let cool completely before using.

Take two macaron halves and add the filling to one side, simply put together like seen in the images. Et Voila! 

If you really, really like macarons as much as Amanda does, you can make massive ones like these! Thanks, Amanda,   for sharing your amazing experience with us - It definitely makes it seem hard to come back to the states!!

Next week, we'll be looking at a wonderful new home in the Memorial area with a ranch, industrial feel. Have a great week and stay cool--hehe--if possible!! 

New York Design Meets Houston

 I own Celerie Kemble's first book  Celerie Kemble To Your Taste and was so excited to be called in on a project that this talented New York designer and team were doing in Houston .  I thought I was going to be intimidated when working with such a famous lady, but Celerie and her design assistant Lindsey who is from Katy Texas were as nice, down to earth and fun as they come!! Meeting in the sweltering heat on this total redo with no air-conditioning, they mapped out their design plan to me.

 Celerie adores the scale and design of this wallpaper from Designers Guild and plans to cover the entrance and upstairs landing with it. Unfortunately, it is no longer being made.  She's trying to have them make one last run, but if not, the Segreto team will use the wallpaper design as inspiration to come up with a stencil.

 Remodeler extraordinaire, Christopher Garrett, is heading up the construction (and taking a quick lunch while talking to the subs). Although the homeowners loved the bones and details of their formal 20 year-old Georgian-style home, they wanted to bring down the formality with their design to suit the needs of a young family and add some interesting surprises. As Celerie explains, "Our clients have a good sense of humor and were willing to go with almost all of our crazy ideas. Monkey wallpaper in the powder bath?  Why not! There is also a bit of an English garden theme that runs through the main rooms to suit the house and the clients' love of flora." 

No time to waste here - Celerie is also eating on the run! There are so many decisions to be made during this trip to Houston.  This couple came to Celerie and Lindsey to create their "forever" house with a big personality, ideas they had never seen before and personal touches that would work for their family. 

What was the inspiration in picking out flooring stains and fabrics for the dining room?  The starting place was the beautiful raspberry crystal that the homeowner uses for entertaining.  The drapery, chair upholstery, and fabric wall coverings combine to give the room romance and texture.  Everything is considered when developing a unique room that will work for all occasions.  The painted trim in the dining room is a Pantone color, 412C. When Celerie and Lindsey can't find the perfect color on the charts, they turn to Pantone colors that are typically used for printing—wow that opens up a whole new world for me!!

The entrance leads into the paneled den, painted a wonderful pantone green.  Lindsey passionately states “there are few colors I've come across that I didn't like - it all depends on the context and the way you pair them together. Color makes a house come alive!”  To overcome the challenge of maintaining a sense of flow throughout, colors reveal themselves again in other rooms through fabrics. "Greens consistently run through the main floor, and the raspberry of the dining chairs appears as an accent in the floral in the family room, for instance. Orange is another repetitive color theme, transitioning from pale apricot in the master bedroom, to bright lacquered burnt orange in the study, to pomegranate in the living room, to rust in a bar slab."

Moving into the kitchen, I was given another challenging project.  The floors will be a cream stained wood with the grain undertone coming through.  The blue floral drapes will serve as the inspiration for a floor design painted on a larger scale with a weathered, "been there" technique. Because this will lead to other rooms and hallways, it presents quite a challenge! I'm looking forward to seeing which of our four designs they will choose. We tried to incorporate some of the lattice pattern used on the chairs to highlight that chic garden feel.

Here are some cheerful blue color choices for the kitchen. I love the bead board ceiling that they installed – it gives the room a wonderful texture.

  For one of the upstairs kids' rooms, Celerie and the homeowners chose these fun, bold fabrics. The hardware looks like vintage wheels! They are actually old outdoor faucet handles found on Etsy (a wonderful internet shopping sight if you haven't tried it!).  

 This upstairs game room has two trim colors.  The lighter color SW Rice Paddy  meshes with the hemp wall covering so it blends and  then the teal on the crown and cabinets, Pantone 547C, becomes the accent.   Eurolux paint is a great product for high sheen finishes; it is much easier to use than lacquer and gives the same effect! I love that tip!!!  Their philosophy is that "every room needs a little sheen (or a lot!), a little woven, chippy, metallic, soft, textured, old and new. It creates curiosity and visual appeal. If everything has the same quality, the look becomes flat."

The fun fabrics and textures they are using in this room are fantastic. The walls will have a celery colored hemp, while the ceiling will be covered in the wallpaper, making a game room that will definitely inspire creativity and fun!!  Don’t miss the bone hardware selected!

The media room is also full of whimsy.  The furniture layout plan is still up in the air.  The husband loves those big oversized leather chairs that recline and would like to do two rows of the bench seating.  Celerie's idea is a bit different—she wants to honor his wishes by placing these in the back row and two in the front, alongside a comfy, cozy, "curl up with hubby and watch a movie" couch.  I love this idea, turning the media room into a multi-purpose great entertaining room that can work equally well for a family movie night or a date night destination!!!

Look at these fun fabrics and color combinations!  Being so lucky to listen in on all the choices, I quickly learned that the team shopped everywhere! They were very upfront about costs of everything - both low and high. “I think there are always places to splurge and places to save,” smiles Celerie.  “While nothing compares to a real silk velvet, sometimes something from West Elm or Ikea works perfectly too. We are honest with our clients and tell them when it's okay to buy inexpensive chairs so we can get a killer chandelier. Our biggest job is knowing where to find exactly what you're looking for at every different price point.”

                                     

Celerie and Lindsey certainly are staying true to their philosophy that decorating your home doesn't have to be so serious, it should be fun! We had a great time together - I just can't wait for her next book, Black & White (and a bit in between), to come out in November. She'll be signing books in Houston at the Kinkaid Book Fair on November 7^th ! I feel honored to be there with her to with Segreto: Secrets to finishing Beautiful Interiors.  So excited!!  

Thanks Celerie and Lindsey—you both are wonderful!!  You can find out more about Celerie at www.kembleinteriors.com or follow Lindsey on twitter, @LindseyHerod. The New York office now has six designers and an influx of interns who all work with clients around the world, as well as a Palm Beach office that's run by Celerie's mother.

It's Move-in Time!!

This custom home I have been working on with builder Rona Milbauer and designer Julie Dodson is finally ready for move in.  These homeowners who have several homes wanted a turnkey job.  This is a walk through of the first stages of the furniture move and I will show you the finished product totally furnished with art and accessories in a couple of weeks.  Thanks Julie and Rona for letting me photograph in progress rather than at the end!!  I think it is fun to see the evolution.

The custom floors Rona designed created a wow factor immediately.  The entry tile was made to her specifications and imported to save cost.   Julie played off these fabulous floors, pulling their tones into the color scheme throughout the home.

  Julie accomplished something casual yet glamorous for these home interiors. “The homeowner has the most fabulous purse collection on the planet, and to be honest, that was my inspiration for the  style.  I wanted the space to have a modern, casual and transitional feel to it."  By adding soft pale purple-pink as an accent color, Julie softened the more masculine gray tones.

Using the main wall color of the home as a backdrop, we brought the floor border up to eye level by stenciling and glazing the walls a softer version of the entrance floors. I love the finish on the chairs from Mecox Gardens  (www.mecoxgardens.com), and  I can’t wait to see how Julie accessorizes the rest of the room!  I did get a hint, though: she will be incorporating an antique mirror with some fab contemporary art.  

 To the right of the entrance and across from the dining room, this living room is currently being used as a staging room.  Tying in with the dining room's stencil, the same gray - Sherwin Williams 7673 -  was used for the walls and trim.  Without darkening the cabinets in this room, we enhanced them to lend a furniture feel.  The chosen hardware which looks like jewelry really gives them a sense of glamour. 

In the powder bath, this hand-painted design mixes the grays used in other areas of the home with the copper colors of the sink, sconces and mirror. To bring in a bit of a Hollywood, we added a bit of copper leafing on the vanity.

  

The family room and kitchen area really showcases the sleek, transitional style that Julie was going for and gives ample seating for this family of 5.  She had the sofas custom made and upholstered in an indoor/outdoor velvet from Maria Flora at Allan Knight in Dallas, and the chairs are upholstered in an indoor/outdoor fabric as well from Link textiles.  I love the idea of using indoor/outdoor fabrics for the most lived-in areas - they can enjoy a beautiful look without the worry of having to be careful!!!!

 

The homeowners gave Rona complete creative control on all the tile and surfaces so she always worried ”will they like my selections?”  Well, Rona, hats off to you here.  It's beautiful!!  After taking the homeowners to my studio, they fell in love with how the cabinet finishes can soften cabinetry, taking them from spray painted to an interesting custom look.  All the kitchen and den cabinets and paneling were treated with a bit of gray detailing to define the lines while pulling in the tile, granite and furnishings.

 

Julie has a talent for blending patterns, fabrics and texture, managing to give these rooms a sense of fun while still keeping the sleek, sophisticated vibe the parents wanted. For the clients' two young girls, Julie wanted their rooms to represent them so the girls chose their color schemes and Julie ran from there!  I love all the fabric headboards and the designs on the carpet!!

 

You can see in this close-up of the drapes how the hot pink pom pom trim adds some whimsy, but stays in the contemporary style of the rest of the house.

 

For the boy's room, a tailored look was chosen that will definitely grow with him in his teenage years.  The striped drapes pull together all the colors in the room.  I can’t wait to see the bedding!!!

 

I love how the tile and contemporary light fixture work great together in his bath!!

Rona’s favorite thing about being a builder is the ability to be creative - she envisions every home as a blank canvas with its own personality. "I love the challenge of figuring out what's new, different and unique and incorporating those ideas into every project." The use of tile paneling and mirrors in this master bathroom provides lots of light and interest, making the space feel larger.

 Here are the creative gals now!!  The master bedroom is Julie's favorite! She started with a fabric by Opuzen from Allan Knight in Dallas that caught her eye the minute she saw it - she used the material for the shams and duvet cover.  The draperies from ZR at George Cameron Nash are simply to die for too!

 

Look at the fabulous headboard for the master!  I can just imagine it with the drapes and fabrics, just  wonderful!!!

 

Even the laundry room has amazing surfaces that carry out the overall color scheme for the home.

 

Here is another fabric combination for a comfortable guest bedroom retreat.   

I can’t wait to see this window treatment installed - the wonderful cornice pattern frames, not just the top, but the entire window, and the fabric drapes go on the inside!!  Thank you so much, Rona (mailto:milbauer@aol.com) and Julie (www.dodsonanddaughter.com), for the great sneak preview!! I know we all will be excited to see the final reveal of the rooms. I love working with you both!! 

Join us next week for a feature on a home in Houston that I've been working on with New York designer, Celerie Kemble. As Lindsey one of Celerie's designers would say---Cheers!! Hope everyone has a great week!!

Jill Brown--An Inspiration!!

I’m fortunate in my line of work to run into so many wonderful women at different stages in their lives, some just out of school looking for their niche, some with young kids juggling a hectic schedule and others who are looking to focus their attention on something new now that they are empty nesters. While I can share my story with them, I wanted to talk with other women who have followed their passions and turned what they love to do into a business. Meeting with my first spotlight on women, Jill Brown, the owner of Brown, a premier lighting and antiques store in Houston, I found so much more than a successful shop creating a design buzz after only 5 years.  I took my daughter with me to photograph the store.  Great job, Kirby!!!

 

Here are Jill and I now having a bit of girl time!! Jill grew up in the farmlands of Ohio, a childhood that certainly influenced her down-to-earth perspective and impressive work ethic. She met her husband, Foster, in Kentucky, got married when she was 25 and had two sons, Sam and John. Using her degree in marketing and retailing, Jill worked in merchandising and product developement as a young adult.   She always had a strong love for antiques, instilled in her at an early age by her mother – they would often go together to scout out antiques and treasures.

 

In 1997, her life suddenly changed when Foster announced that they were all moving to Belgium. For the next few months, the family adjusted to their new life abroad. Foster kept rather late hours at his job, and Jill, for the first time, was out of her comfort zone - amid three different languages, she found it difficult to get around and felt like an outsider, but she shortly learned to love the country for all of its unique treasures.

Jill is certainly a master of display!!  I love the little chalk boards she uses for pricing.  This would be so cute as place settings or menu boards for a dinner party.

 

Jill began buying light fixtures, industrial pieces, and antiques during her time in Belgium.  The garage was the first thing to fill up, then the home, then storage units. She amassed a huge collection of unusual things – a mix of French, Belgian and Flemish items. Jill and I shared a similar experience when we first started out: we both had to reassure our husbands that we were not absolutely nuts! When Foster asked what she planned to do with all these products, she responded, “I might not make any money with this, but I promise I will not lose any.”  Showing his support, he insisted that she treat this as a business, not a hobby.

 

In 2001, after four happy years abroad, the family returned to Houston with all Jill’s goods in tow.  She became known among designers as a secret source for unusual items, and Jill began to show her pieces at Skelton St. John, and later opened Brown. Sharon Skelton was a mentor to Jill and very supportive and helpful!!  I have found so many guardian angles out there as well. Never be afraid to ask for help or advice!

These days of new beginnings for Jill were unexpectedly shattered by Foster’s sudden death. Losing her biggest supporter and best friend, Jill poured herself into the store while raising the boys on her own.  Her hard work and perseverance through a difficult time turned into success, as the business continued to grow. In talking to Jill, I felt that Foster was still with her every step of the way - telling her she could do anything.  This great love affair she references, was inspirational  to me in itself.

 

Brown, now at the forefront of major design trends, provides stylish Houstonians with unusual European lighting and antiques with an industrial slant. The business is always evolving as Jill follows her instincts and does what feels right in her heart. She adds and subtracts categories anticipating the next design trend. Of course, sometimes she makes mistakes: “I make so many of them that I can hardly believe it. That’s how I learn, and I would encourage other women to just let it rip. Allow yourself to make mistakes.”

 

Jill always keeps the business true to herself, and it’s grown into a family affair, with her sons now helping. Her oldest, Sam, works full time since he graduated from college learning all facets of the business. Jill still touches and hand picks every product, believing it’s “the only way to sense finish, weight and even color. I am extremely affected by color. I love color.” No wonder we bonded!

 

Her passion for the business continues to grow with the goal to treat her clients as if she were shopping for herself and to give them an interesting product that they won’t find elsewhere. She takes pride in the fact that each item in the store is uniquely edited for her clients. She loves to learn and is drawn to anything educational.  These antique learning maps, hand-drawn and colored are some of her favorites. 

 

As if she isn’t busy enough, Jill takes time to help others. Adding her love of philanthropy into the business, she enjoys throwing fundraising events at the store and, with grace, does all of the cooking herself! She loves to cook and has taught her boys how to make her famous buckeyes!!! Last year, she supported Yellowstone Academy, a faith based nonprofit school giving a top rate education to children from a severely financially depressed environment. www.yellowstoneacademy.org  This Chandelier and Champagne event, in which she hosted the party and donated all items in a  auction, was just one of her charitable functions she put on last year. This year she is hosting an event on October 11th to benefit Lamar High School. She gives back to the community, not just through money, but through following a cause as passionately as she follows her dreams.

 

I love that Jill incorporates her many loves – design, scouting for unusual items, learning, merchandising, love of people, cooking, and event planning– all into this creative outlet that’s become her dream job.  Every one of us has so many wonderful talents, and things we are passionate about doing. I think writing down your strengths and favorite things to do is a great starting point to see if you want to start a new career and where that direction should be.

 

Her final advice to other women interested in following their passions? “I would tell women to be prepared to work harder than one can imagine.  I would also tell them not to beat themselves up too much for mistakes, to follow their instincts and to pray for direction.  I pray literally and figuratively that the Lord opens my eyes.” 

 

It’s incredible to see all that Jill’s accomplished. And, of course, I love, love, love the store! Brown is located at 2940 Ferndale in Houston (713-522-2151, www.shopbybrown.com). You can also find her items on 1st Dibs - Brown was one of the original Houston shops chosen my Michael Bruno when he expanded to Houston.  Thanks Jill for sharing your story with us!  I not only had so much fun shopping at your store, but found a new friend.