Leading A New Generation
Architect and professor Donna Kacmar considers both the indoor and outdoor environment.Article by River Oaks Lifestyle Staff Article by Diane Cowen Originally published in River Oaks Lifestyle Architect Donna Kacmar’s career has been about getting things just right, and convincing others to do so, too. As either an architect or teacher – in the architecture schools at Texas A&M (her alma mater), Rice and now the University of Houston, where she’s a tenured full professor – her goal has been to emphasize...
Raising The Bar
Connie LeFevre turned a passion for Interior Design into three hugely successful businesses. She shares insight into what makes her stand out from the crowd. Article by River Oaks Lifestyle Staff Photography by Photography courtesy of Design House Originally published in River Oaks Lifestyle Connie LeFevre, an established interior designer with over 40 years of experience, is the only Houston interior designer to own her own studio, furniture and décor showroom, and fabric and wallpaper supply, all in one...
Lucinda Loyas Style
Houston interior designer creates glamorous homes using fashion sense and serious design principles. Article by Diane Cowen Originally published in River Oaks Lifestyle Lucinda Loya’s Louisville, Ky., vacation home is intentionally eclectic, filled only with things that date back to its 1875 origin through 1976, the year her family moved away from that area. Loya, one of Houston’s most glamorous and approachable interior designers and a Houston Chronicle Best Dressed Hall of Famer, combines couture-level style...
Courtney Hill Fertita Branches Out
Longtime residential designer applies her good taste to Houston’s restaurant scene. Article by Diane Cowen Originally published in River Oaks Lifestyle Courtney Hill Fertitta is known for her elegant and timeless touch in residential interior design but lately she’s found a new outlet for her creativity at popular Houston restaurants. She’s been busy adding color and rich pattern to the original Carraba’s, which opened nearly 40 years ago, and to two of the city’s newer restaurants, Bludorn and Navy Blue, a...
A Life and Career of Grand Gestures
Kelly Gale Amen creates furniture, textiles, and, now, delicate pashminas. Article by Diane Cowen Originally published in River Oaks Lifestyle Kelly Gale Amen’s life is full of grand gestures, but his work is admired for the simplicity with which he approaches clients’ needs. They want to keep a favorite brown sofa or have stacks of books they can’t live without. Amen will make it work. He can change the energy in a room by adding color or shifting in furniture, hanging new art and mirrors or placing a new rug or...
Telling Stories Through Her Architecture
Michelle Old nurtures art and architecture while elevating design and mentoring younger peers Article by Diane Cowen Originally published in River Oaks Lifestyle When Michelle Giuseppetti Old was younger, art was her passion. When a high school art history teacher posed the idea that great architecture was an expressive public art form, Old could see her future occupation in a whole new light. In addition to its inherent beauty, great architecture offers functionality and performance to its users and focuses on...
Sensory Experiences
Designer Gail McCleese makes her mark on the hospitality industry in Houston. Article by Diane Cowen Originally published in River Oaks Lifestyle Gail McCleese sits in a curvy booth at Annabelle Brasserie, watching other diners experience the setting she helped create: a ceiling dripping with colorful faux florals and French country style using materials so plush you want to reach out and stroke them. “Biophilia is important to me. I like to bring in nature or the sense of a garden since we’re stuck inside so...
The Luxury of Home
Article by Diane Cowen | Photography by Lucy Call | Originally published in River Oaks Lifestyle After more than 20 years in business, Erin Stetzer has carved a comfortable niche in Houston’s luxury home-construction industry, but doesn’t forget those early days, when she and her husband were starting their family. A native of Ohio, Erin moved to Houston as a sales representative for a chemical company and her work schedule found her constantly traveling. She and husband Alec married 23 years ago and they now...