Hospitality Design - January/February 2014 - 57

products

brenda
houston

proﬁle

By Ashleigh VanHouten
Photography by Nick Pendergast (headshot)
and John Parrish

2

ALL THAT GLITTERS

1. Houston's newest
offering: Arte al Muro,
custom wallcoverings
showcasing large-scale
images of minerals such
as malachites, shown
here in blue.

A designer channels her love of gemstones
into unexpected creations

After specializing for years in designing
jewelry stores for the likes of Baily Banks &
Biddle, Harry Winston, and David Yurman,
it's no surprise that Brenda Houston
developed a fascination with minerals and
gemstones. So much so that in 2008 she
turned her passion into a new business:
product collections made from and inspired
by these beautiful resources.
She started off crafting table lamps with
bases made from rare stones, and since then,
has expanded to tables and accessories, and
most recently wallcoverings. "The amazing
thing about working in minerals is you never
know what will be available on the market
at any given time; therefore, you have to be
flexible in creating designs around what you
find," explains the designer, who divides
her time between Dallas, New York, and
Los Angeles. "I work extremely close with
miners now to source select minerals before
anyone else knows they are available. After
we cut open a stone and discover the beauty
within, I can then determine what I think
it will look best as, be it tables, lamps, or
simply mounted pieces."
Her Catalina table lamps, whose bases
showcase ammonite fossils from the Jurassic
period mounted on acrylic plates, were the
first to find a home in a hospitality setting at

2. A trio of rough-edged
agate topped tables
make up the Collezione
Puzzle Coffee Table.

1

the Four Seasons Hotel Denver's presidential
suite. "Each slab is different and features a
variety of colors and patterns," she says.
More recently, she launched the Eco
Collezione of mirrored stainless steel tables,
boxes, and coaster sets, all incorporating
a dramatic agate, some of which are 100
million years old; the Collezione Puzzle
Coffee Table, a trio of rough-edged agate
topped tables "where the base splits apart
ad infinitum to create side and accent tables
as needed and then comes together again
to form one large coffee table"; and Arte al
Muro, custom wallcoverings showcasing
large-scale and stunningly realistic images
of faceted minerals and agates, inspired
by Houston's own photos of the rare
minerals she scours the globe for. She
credits evolving technology for turning her
wallcovering vision into a reality: "It took
us over a year to achieve and produce the
imagery desired in clear and precise details
on such a large scale."
Knowing that luxury comes with a price
not affordable for all, she also introduced the
Diego Cooper collection for hospitality, a line
of serving pieces, coaster sets, wall sconces,

and accent tables at a more moderate price
point, thanks to incorporating minerals
more readily available. "I listen to what
design firms say to me and understand that
not everything can be an expensive, one-ofa-kind item," she says.
Yet, it's the challenge of the exclusive,
custom work that excites Houston. Take the
St. Regis Dubai. "[The team was] looking for
a very specific color for mineral lamps in a
bright chartreuse/gold green," she says. "I
ended up locating a mine in Russia and was
able to retrieve specimens of golden mica
to create the lamps, which are showcased
throughout the hotel. It is an extremely
popular color in Dubai but not often seen
in nature!"
And nature, according to Houston,
is endlessly awe-inspiring in its balance
between strength and fragility. "I love the
juxtaposition of my agate tables, which are
incredibly strong and sturdy-they are made
of rocks that are 165 million years old after
all-but look so luxurious and delicate." hd
b rend ahoust on.com;
b rend ahoust o ndesi gns.com

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