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    Ultimate Southern Home

    The ultimate Southern home: Brother-sister builders make a dream almost reality in West U

    Joel Luks
    Nov 2, 2014 | 10:01 am
    The ultimate Southern home: Brother-sister builders make a dream almost reality in West U
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    A house isn't a home unless you feel as though you could drop your everyday stuff on the floor, sink into a comfy couch and cozy up with family.

    Southern living, after all, is about comfort, about the ability to entertain a small group of friends and a large rowdy crowd in the same space. Southern living means being able to enjoy a relaxed tête-à-tête in an intimate space and casual impromptu gatherings with unexpected guests.

    The front door is always open.

    It's with this in mind that siblings Sarah Lavine-Kass and Benjamin Lavine, owners of Stone Acorn Builders, set out to design their Southern Living Showcase Home, located in West University at 2718 Talbott St. Themed "Home for the Holidays," the 4,300-square-foot, four bedroom, four bathroom, two-story charmer — open for tours on the first two weekends in November — speaks to one of the builders' favorite aesthetics: The concept of an old-new home.

    "What we see a lot in our business now is that people are not as interested in formal living and dining rooms," Lavine-Kass says. "We really like the idea of a home where every bit of space is usable — both in the first and second floors."

    The floor plan, approved by Southern Living magazine, begins with a two-story foyer graced by stained beams and painted millwork, leading toward a long hallway that accesses a library with a full bathroom — which may function as a second bedroom downstairs — before reaching the family gathering area that's open to the dining room and an impressive kitchen with a butler's pantry.

    "We really like the idea of a home where every bit of space is usable."

    As for entertaining indoors and outdoors, a fabulous al fresco area with stone fireplace and summer kitchen has electronic screens that descend to create a charming sunroom. What's killer is the wall of exterior French doors that fold out of the way completely to render the lanai and the indoor public areas as one expansive party pad.

    Designed for a retired army general and a charming dame of a missus who's quite the cook, the decor mixes one-of-a-kind finds from Carl Moore Antiques, a stunning antique farmhouse dining table and repurposed materials sourced from military miscellanea, such as the boy's room headboard that's crafted from old wood slats taken from a vintage army truck.

    There's a catch, though — this family doesn't exist.

    Designer Edwina Vidosh of Edwina Alexis Interiors imagined a client profile in order to help her weave a fanciful story line when choosing decor elements. Paintings nod to the fictional family's travels, and handmade holiday ornaments appear as though they were collected heirlooms. In contrast, industrial items such as task lighting fixtures and rustic touches such as a barn door on an iron track update the aesthetic to reflect today's interpretation of Southern lifestyle.

    "The antiques, warm and special family heirlooms, truly represent the generational aspect of Southern life," Vidosh says. "But, as we all know, Southern living is all about entertaining, so I wanted to include modern items that make the home very livable."

    Proceeds from the $10 admission benefit Operational Finally Home, a nonprofit that builds and donates mortgage-free homes for injured veterans and their families. In addition to the home being open for touring, a myriad activities aim to entice visitors, including cookie decorating demonstrations, champagne and chocolate tastings, craft beer tastings, chef demonstrations and flower and centerpiece crafting workshops (see the complete schedule here).

    ___

    Stone Acorn Builders' Southern Living "Home for the Holidays" Showcase Home, located at 2718 Talbott St., is open on Sunday and Nov. 8 and 9, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

    Sarah Lavine-Kass, left, with Edwina Vidosh and Benjamin Lavine.

    Stone Acorn Builders' Southern Living "Home for the Holidays" Showcase Home
      
    Photo by Joel Luks
    Sarah Lavine-Kass, left, with Edwina Vidosh and Benjamin Lavine.
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    the feel of cotton

    Designer-loved Houston company makes custom bed sheets affordable

    Emily Cotton
    Jun 6, 2025 | 3:00 pm
    Look Linen Co
    Photo by Michael Hunter
    The Diamond Pique Collection boasts clean lines and a luxurious, sophisticated texture.

    Cool, crisp, freshly-pressed white cotton sheets have secured themselves into the zeitgeist — it’s how the sensation of luxury actually feels, especially when retiring from Houston’s summer heat. Now, three local ladies with deep designer roots have joined forces to bring their attainable luxury bedding line, Look Linen Co., to market. Available online and through exclusive pop-ups, Look Linen Co. offers personalized products with personalized service.

    Sylvia Longoria Dorsey and daughter Elizabeth Dorsey Fertitta joined forces with longtime friend and designer Lizzie Kappler to create a linen line that filled a gaping hole in the bedding market: local, affordable, personalizable bedding with reasonable lead times. Look Linen Co. has quickly become a designer darling due to their classic styles and stately embroidery — luckily, it’s available to everyone.

    “It’s so complicated when you’re going through custom channels,” Kappler tells CultureMap. “Lead times are long and really expensive. We really wanted to bring luxury linens to the market that feel very custom and that are accessible and feel personal, but also attainable to our customer.”

    With a generous 12 luxe embroidery color options, customization is key. “We spent a long time curating the color selections just based on what sold best from both of our [design] backgrounds,” says Kappler.


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    A post shared by Look Linen Co. (@looklinenco)


    All Look Linen Co. products are made of 100 percent long staple cotton, imported from Europe. Monogramming is done locally and completely in-house, which allows for their quick, two week (or less) turnaround time. Three classic styles — Banded, Scalloped, and Diamond Pique — are available, as well as a new floral addition, the Lucky Collection. The soft, delicate clover pattern found in Lucky is perfect for clients who prefer to mix-and-match their linens — especially pillows.

    One of the several things setting Look Linen Co. apart from other boutique lines is their Dorm Shop. Fertitta notes that dorm room and sorority house bedding has become a booming market.

    “These girls love to decorate their dorms,” she says. To cater to that market, Look Linen Co. offers extra-long twin bedding and a specialized, oversized pillow affectionately called “The Biggie” that can double as a headboard in a pinch. All customizable, of course.

    The runaway hit product from Look Linen Co is the wildly popular, hourglass-shaped pillow called “The Boobie Pillow.” Designed to assist ladies of a certain age keep delicate décolletage skin from creasing, it also found another life as a post-surgery neck and shoulder pillow, amazing travel pillow, and so much more.

    “We started hearing people were using them at MD Anderson: ‘I couldn’t make it through without this pillow,’ or ‘my husband used it after open heart surgery,’ etc. It has really taken on a life of its own,” says Fertitta. “It’s no longer what we intended it to be, but it’s so great, and a best seller. It makes a great gift, it’s almost like a lovey!”

    For anyone curious which collection and embroidery color has been most popular, the answer is the Scallop Collection in Baby Blue, a classic choice. “Everyone loves a scallop,” says Kaplan — we tend to agree.



    Look Linen Co
      

    Photo by Michael Hunter

    The Diamond Pique Collection boasts clean lines and a luxurious, sophisticated texture.

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