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    longbow legacy

    Houston oil giant's historically significant estate on elite street lists for $9.6 million

    Holly Beretto
    Jul 14, 2022 | 7:15 pm
    Serenity in the yard.
    Serenity in the yard.
    Photo by Patrick Bertolino for Sotheby's International Realty

    When the summer heat was just too much for Houstonians during the first 40 years of the last century, those with means escaped to a shady spot along Buffalo Bayou called Longbow Lane. Families built massive, multi-acre estates there, complete with stables, swimming pools, and hunting lodges.

    In this pre-World War II world, the homes of Longbow Lane became a world unto themselves, where the very privileged lived very well.

    Now, a new generation of well-heeled Houstonian can be part of that history. Known simply as 3 Longbow Lane, a historically significant, 7,732-square-foot manse sitting serenely on close to three and a half acres is for sale. The six-bedroom, six-bath-home is on the market for $9.6 million, represented by Ruthie Porterfield of Sotheby's International Realty.

    This estate is far more than just another multi-million-dollar property in a city with plenty of them. This estate was built in 1967 for oil man and attorney Bill Liedtke and his wife Bessie, following a move to the Bayou City from the oil fields of Midland. Of note, the estate's listed seller is William Liedtke III.

    By the time he turned up in Houston, Liedtke had already partnered with his brother J. Hugh Liedtke and the future United States president George H.W. Bush to found Zapata Petroleum in the mid 1950s. He and J. Hugh also founded the Pennzoil Company. Liedtke needed a home that showcased his place in the pantheon of energy giants; 3 Longbow Lane was it.

    He chose architect O'Neil Ford to design it. Ford was the creative force behind San Antonio's La Villita historic district and HemisFair. By the time he turned his energy to 3 Longbow Lane, he was considered the dean of Texas architecture.

    His touch is apparent throughout this stunning property. The courtyard style floorplan is a Modernist take on the architectural motifs of New Spain and Mexico, echoing Texas' colonial roots. Design touches employ antique, unique brick, tile, stone, and masonry elements from Guanajuato and Morelia, Mexico.

    Exposed beams and loads of natural light play throughout the home, which features interior courtyards, brick vaults, and a rambling layout.

    Upon entry, a two-story atrium soars upwards 30 feet, nodding to Mexico's colonial haciendas. Tezonite stone climbs above the upper galleries, reaching the wood ceiling. A skylight floods the entryway with light.

    And that's only the beginning of 3 Longbow Lane's dramatic design. In the family room, a spiral staircase curves gently around an enormous, whitewashed brick fireplace, copied from a silver mine smokestack. Down a first floor hallway lies the primary suite, a secluded spot with walk-in closets, two bathrooms sporting Satillo tile floors and marble sink decks, and a dressing room that has its own closet.

    A kiva fireplace and shed-style ceiling make for a killer accents in one of the bedrooms upstairs. The pool house's has a vaulted brick ceiling, tile floors, and stunning views of 3 Longbow Lane's grounds. There's a even a deck that will make owners and guests feel like they've stepped into a child's treehouse reimagined for adults.

    Patios and fountains complete the grounds. Two pools are connected by an underground tunnel. Swimming through the tunnel was a right of passage for the Liedtke children and grandchildren; perhaps it will be for the next owners, as well.

    Throughout 3 Longbow Lane, the windows remind all who enter that this is as much oasis as it is a home. The jaw-dropping, panoramic views of its tree-lined grounds promise serenity and exclusive living.

    This incredible escape is both retreat and home. Its new owners will find themselves part of a legacy of luxury and design.

    O'Neill Ford designed the architectural marvel.

    3 Longbow Lane Houston
      
    Photo by Patrick Bertolino for Sotheby's International Realty
    O'Neill Ford designed the architectural marvel.
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    American made

    Top Houston restaurant builder now crafting custom furniture and lighting

    Emily Cotton
    May 9, 2025 | 3:00 pm
    Custom Concepts Furniture & Lighting office lobby The Kennedy
    Photo by Josh Gremillion
    The company designed and built the furniture and lighting for The Kennedy.

    The last two decades have seen astronomical growth for Houston’s culinary and hospitality scene, even attracting the Michelin Guide to the Bayou City. While the fare remains of utmost importance, the most radical transformation in how diners select restaurants is all about aesthetics. If cozy dinners, matcha runs, and milestone celebrations don’t make “the ‘gram,” did they even happen?

    These days, hospitality design has to be bolder, swankier, and sexier than ever before in order to attract an elevated clientele, all while remaining practical and commercial grade in construction quality. While it has become de rigueur for restaurateurs to announce which top interior designer or architectural firm has created their latest opening, it is somewhat less common to hear about the construction firms who translate those designs into the physical realm, but that’s about to change.

    Construction Concepts — the award-winning build team behind some of Houston’s trendiest restaurants such as Marmo, Graffiti Raw, Doris Metropolitan, and Cocody, their collaboration with Houston design star Nina Magon (the full list is an astonishing 400 projects) — have launched an ambitious new venture in hopes of revolutionizing the furniture and other furnishings used in hospitality design throughout Houston. Joshua Weisman and Mark Bordman’s new stand alone project, Custom Concepts Furniture & Lighting, delivers bespoke furniture and lighting solutions for restaurants, hotels, hospitality, and corporate spaces.

    Trendy Houstonians have more than likely experienced the Custom Concepts Furniture & Lighting treatment without having realized it. New hot spots Chardon, Melrose, and Solarium have all been outfitted with Custom Concepts creations, with highly-anticipated Succulent and Recess both hot on their heels.

    After 20 years on the build side of the business and being recognized with 16 Houston Business Journal Landmark Awards for projects across four categories, the why behind creating the new company becomes clear.

    “We saw an incredible need for this product and service; it’s an underserved market. There’s very limited options for people to go find these products and we have a passion for unique designs and builds — eclectic, neat pieces,” Weisman tells CultureMap. “There’s just no big surplus for it. You’re either custom making it, or you’re going to a big box store and seeing what you can find.”

    With a robust team numbering almost 30 people, Custom Concepts handles everything for clients from design all the way to white glove delivery and installation, plus an absolutely unheard of two-year warranty on all of their products. Lead time on bespoke pieces is around 12 weeks, lighting is 8-10 weeks, and furniture requires 10-12. Amazingly, their in-stock catalog line of approximately 2,000 SKUs is ready-to-go. “You could call tomorrow and say ‘I need 40 stools with backs in this color,’ and we’d give you four or five models to choose from,” says Weisman.

    Given Custom Concepts’ quality and elite clientele, one could easily assume that services are mildly cost prohibitive. Shockingly, this isn’t the case. “Our pricing, being straight to manufacturer, is considerably less than retail. Our pricing is very aggressive and competitive compared to the national market — 40-50 percent less than nationwide retailers,” says Weisman. “We build things to last that are amazing and affordable,” adds Bordman.

    Restaurants and hospitality make up 90 percent of Custom Concepts’ business, but residential clients are not unheard of. Weisman tells CultureMap that some higher-end clients will reach out to them directly when in need of lighting and furnishings for an entire home. Otherwise, they work directly with designers. “We love having designers come in and run wild with it — and we manufacture it from scratch,” says Weisman. “Whatever their vision is, we will bring it to market for them.”

    Attention to detail is undoubtedly the cornerstone of Custom Concepts. Furnishings have felt padding to protect floors and all tables — like those at Chardon — have a velvety felt underlining to protect their clientele’s delicate garments from catching, no detail is insignificant.

    “Just being proactive in the design and product that we’re delivering, we’ve been in this arena for so long, why not go the extra step,” says Weisman. “Really refining your product and what you’re giving your client; let’s do these added features, let’s do the ‘wow’ factor. If you can make it flawless, why not?!” Why not, indeed.

    Custom Concepts Furniture & Lighting office lobby The Kennedy
      

    Photo by Josh Gremillion

    The company designed and built the furniture and lighting for The Kennedy.

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