Houstonians who keep even the most casual of social diaries have come to terms with the notion that morning and afternoon gatherings centered around games of Bridge and Canasta have given way to the fashionable Mahjong craze that has taken the nation by storm. The ladies have spoken and are trading in their playing cards for flirty tiles — and a Houston designer has created just the place to store them.
Interior designer Elizabeth Autenreith of Avella Interiors — the firm was adorably named by combining the names of Autenreith’s three children: Avery, Ellis, and Laine — is the creative mind behind the cult-favorite Hidden Gems gaming table that is now front-and-center among in-the-know Mahjong groups.
Autenreith’s creation has become nearly impossible to keep in stock, and it’s little wonder why or how. Consumer trends have become enamored — rightly so — with seeking out handmade, heirloom-quality pieces that can be passed down through generations.
Designed, handmade, and hand-finished here in Houston, the “Hidden Gems” table is a favorite of luxe local designers such as Paloma Contreras, James Farmer, Marie Flanigan, Haddy House, Lindsey Herod, and Katie Davis. Local purveyors such as Upper Kirby’s Lam and Spring Branch’s Little Coterie Warehouse cannot stock them fast enough. It’s also worth noting that the table has been shipped to just over 20 states.
“I just started to see an uptick in Mahjong lounges in homes,” says Autenreith. “Everyone was trying to make room for a Mahjong table. I wanted to create something that was meant to be a fixture in a home, not something that would be taken in and out like a folding table, but something that was a beautiful fixture that had a lot of functionality — I just drew a picture with pencil and paper.”
The “Hidden Gems” gaming table is available in ten colors like the very cutely-named “Sea Breeze,” “Pretty Peas,” “Make Me Blush,” and the newly-debuted “Jim for the Win.” Grasscloth versions are also available in “Natural Nouveau,” "Serene Celedon,” and "Elegant Ecru.” Custom colors are also available to meet any design needs.
Cleverly designed to appear as anything from a breakfast to a foyer table, the soon-to-be-cult classic doesn’t necessarily have to be used for Mahjong parties, but Autenreith doesn’t see the trend slowing down anytime soon.
“It’s going to keep going,” she says. “It brings people together and you get to have sweet memories with your friends and family — whether it’s a puzzle or playing cards. It was inspired by Mahjong, but the functionality is there for so many other games, and it’s so great for overflow seating like at Thanksgiving and Christmas, or as a kids’ table for arts and crafts — the uses are kind of endless.”
It’s worth noting that Autenreith’s design ethos and the price of the “Hidden Gems” gaming table ($2,250) are at a bit of an impasse — or, perhaps not. The Avella Interiors model is a niche within niches, if you will. There are no minimums, whether it be room or project. She lovingly touts herself as “everyone’s designer,” and she’s not wrong.
Everyone’s designer
Autenreith serves an underserved community of people who love design, but like to take it slow. Let’s face it, while fantastic, most Houston designers seek a $50,000 promised spend and five room minimum just to let you speak to their assistants.
Avella Interiors is not “that girl.” There is literally no minimum. “I just think there is sort of a niche that needs to be filled in the Houston market, and maybe beyond,” says Autenreith. “I’m for someone who doesn’t necessarily want to spend a lot of money on an interior designer for their entire home. I can work with the pieces in their home and just sort of zhuzh it up a bit.”
Autenreith’s design services fall distinctly between that girlfriend with great taste and too many hours cruising Pinterest — who can be bought with a night off from the kids and a bottle of Chablis — with a full-on designer.
“I can work with a budget-conscious client, and we can buy store bought drapes and make them look custom,” explains Autenreith. “It’s an area that I think is underserved. I have no minimum and am happy to just do one space. We all want to be able to afford an expensive designer, but the entire preface and bottom line of my business is to buy and invest in things in your home that you will love, and then you will love your home.”
Her perfectly-curated vintage finds can be found at the aforementioned Little Coterie Warehouse, which, by the way are very affordable as gifts or personal homewares. A quick look at her prices will ease any stress. But she understands an investment, and that’s where we are.
“I just think that you may want to spend and indulge on one piece of furniture, and love it, and then collect little things to put around your house — it’s supposed to bring you joy, right?” says Autenreith. “Home is supposed to do all those things. You don’t always have to spend a lot of money to get the same results.”
The “Hidden Gems” table is just that. The hollow body of the table, with a removable top so lightweight that a child can remove it, can conceal everything from Mahjong pieces to unfinished puzzles while smartly concealing corner-appointed and cork-lined drink surfaces at every corner.
The long and short of it is, will Autenreith happily come by to rearrange a messy bookcase? Yes. Will she also indulge the sale of a piece of heirloom furniture that she hopes will bring families together for generations? Also, yes.
