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    Hometown Glory

    Memorial dream house wows: Houston interior designer wins Best Kitchen honors from a national magazine

    Barbara Kuntz
    Barbara Kuntz
    Aug 10, 2014 | 12:01 pm

    What began with hopes of being recognized in a national magazine led to a Texas-based interior designer's dream coming true as she won "Best Kitchen" honors from the prestigious Southern Living.

    Chandos Interiors, with designer extraordinaire Chandos Dodson Epley at the helm, is the latest recipient of the award, featured in the publication's August edition. The firm has two offices, one right here in Houston and another in Dallas.

    Photos of the best kitchen, part of a finished new custom construction project in the Memorial area with builder Corbel Custom Homes, grace two full pages of the magazine — as do rave reviews from some of the judges/writers.

    "We originally submitted the entire house and weren't even aware that we were being judged on what we had submitted," Epley, already an award winner in the interior design field, says. "It was probably in May when we were contacted that we had won 'Best Kitchen' — and we were thrilled."

    Epley says she worked on the home "from the ground up" starting two years ago, striving to meet the client's wishes for transitional French with youthful details projecting a casual elegance. Epley managed to strike that balance, "putting heart and soul" into the house — as shown in the kitchen.

    "We originally submitted the entire house and weren't even aware that we were being judged on what we had submitted."

    "It's a very large space," she says. "It's probably about 800 square feet, so we wanted to 'warm it up.' "

    As a full-service design firm, Epley and her team began by presenting the clients with renderings inspired from concept images. Once the kitchen design was determined, the group moved forward by selecting all the materials — from paints to species of wood to countertop finishes.

    Sherwin-Williams' "Gray Mindful" brings a fresh neutral to the cabinets, long, hand-hammered pulls with pewter coating from Architectural Design Resource accent as hardware and Cuban concrete tile from the Houston Design Center in a gray, black, cream and terra cotta star pattern serve as the eye-catching backsplash and entire covering of the kitchen's main wall. Above the large granite-topped island, two lanterns from Shop by Brown cast additional light on the prepping space.

    And speaking of the island, Epley won kudos from Southern Living experts: "With a clever paper towel holder, a disguised trash pullout and plenty of storage for linens and utensils, the island was designed to be the room's command central."

    The magazine also cheered Epley's choice of the decorative hood, as she noted, "It needed to be something that had some presence." Thus, the stately vent cover, made of powder-coated steel and brushed nickel, made the final cut. Epley partnered with The Lonestar Range Hood Co. on the project.

    Just off the kitchen is a light-filled nook that Epley transformed into a cozy retreat overlooking the pool and garden.

    "The house has an open floor plan, and the client wanted a space to sit, not at the breakfast table that would be too central, but rather in the mix of things," Epley says. "She wanted a place to sit with girlfriends and enjoy coffee or wine."

    Epley is now finishing decorating two Colorado homes, one in Beaver Creek and the other in Aspen — and planning her new own home to be built in January 2015. All well almost four months pregnant with twins.

    Design Tips
    Epley offers these design tips, highlighted in the Southern Living article:

    • Every kitchen needs: "Patina. In the South, our rooms just seem to have more personality."
    • Best design trick: "Remove window and door casings to give classic spaces a crisper look."
    • Most worthy splurge: "Hardware with a handmade quality. You want to feel every dimple and bump."
    • Can't get enough of: "Using painted brick inside as flooring or a backsplash."
    • No-fail color inspiration: "Lots of white! It's so versatile and can go in a traditional or modern direction."

    Award-winning designer
    Chandos began her 14-year career after graduating from the University of Texas with a bachelor's degree in interior design. She honed her skills working for several of the nation’s top interior design firms, including Dan Carithers and the late Naomi Leff and Greg Jordan.

    Chandos Interiors was selected by House Beautiful magazine as one of the “Next Wave” of Interior Designers in 2010. In 2012, Chandos Interiors was recognized as a "Star on the Rise" by the Decorative Center Houston.

    "Best Kitchen" by interior designer Chandos Dodson Epley as featured in the August issue of Southern Living.

    Chandos Dodson Epley Southern Living August 2014
      
    Photo by © Laurey W. Glenn Southern Living
    "Best Kitchen" by interior designer Chandos Dodson Epley as featured in the August issue of Southern Living.
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    news/home-design

    like a rock

    10 premium European stone brands arrive in Houston for the first time

    Emily Cotton
    May 16, 2025 | 2:28 pm
    Portugal Marble staircase
    Photo courtesy of Portugal Marble
    Portuguese marble is also an option for timeless elegance

    Eight Italians, a Dane, and a man from Portugal walk into Houston. No, this is not the beginning of a promising joke — far from it. For three days, a delegation of 10 European natural stone companies made the rounds to some of Houston’s top design firms, showcasing gorgeous products that have (mostly) only been available to the European market, until now. Read on for the exclusive details on which old-quarry brands will soon be popping up all over the city.

    Excitement mounts as this new age of Maximalism calls for everything these natural stone lines have to offer. From colorful pastel marbles to dramatically contrasting slabs, bold basalts, imaginative Venetian terrazzos, and timeless marble cladding options — nothing was overlooked. Yachts and aircraft aren’t left out either, with a line of lightweight aluminum honeycomb-backed stones. There is even something for the eco-conscious, with a LEED-certified product making the list of brands to finally land stateside.

    The mission was organized by Veronafiere Spa, which is also the organizer of Marmo+Mac — renowned as the world’s leading international trade fair for the natural stone industry.

    “The Chamber was proud to partner locally with Veronafiere to coordinate all the events and meetings held in Houston on May 5, 6, and 7,” Francesca Bacci, business development manager at the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce of Texas, tells CultureMap. “The main goal of the mission was to create opportunities for manufacturers to connect with top-tier industry professionals, fostering networking and business development in the strategic U.S. market.”

    Design and architecture firms Gensler, Perkins & Will, HOK, Jacobs, Intexture-Aura, Rottet Studio, and Nina Magon Design were all stops along the delegation’s tour, as well as Thorntree Slate at the Houston Design Center and the Amodo European Collection showroom at the Decorative Center. AIA Houston hosted a credit panel at their headquarters, and BeDesign hosted a luncheon with special guest and design powerhouse Abel Design Group. Houstonians with interest in these newly-available product lines will certainly know where to look.

    Without further ado, here are the ten Marmo+Mac WeSpeakStone Delegation’s European brands that are now available in Houston:

    Basaltite Guidotti Battaglini Srl
    La Basaltite is a medium-grey stone with crystals of leucite immersed in a microcrystalline structure, derived from the hardening of lava in the eruption centre of Bolsena – Bagnoregio.

    Pierangelo Umena of Basaltite shares that: “Houston and Texas can be a good market for our stone, Basaltite, because it is a natural grey stone extracted and processed exclusively at our facilities in Italy with an elegant and minimalistic neutral grey tone in great combination with white and any other colour or material.

    Cancian Pavimenti
    This legacy Venetian terrazzo brand dates back to 1840. The only LEED-certified brand on the list, this lightweight, nearly zero waste product is definitely one to watch. With numerous weight and backing options, this product can be made to suit both airplanes and yachts.

    Alina Klak, who represents Cancian Pavimenti through Marble Büro, had this to say about expanding to Houston: “As the second fastest-growing city in the nation, Houston is a dynamic and promising market for Marble Büro’s traditional Italian terrazzo.With a surge in high-end residential and commercial developments, there’s growing demand for unique, durable, and customizable surfaces. Marble Büro—representing a third-generation terrazzo company with nearly a century of family experience—brings an authentic piece of Italy to Houston, offering genuine Italian precast terrazzo tiles crafted with artisanal time-honored techniques and tailored to meet the vision of today’s architects and designers.”

    Domos
    Based in Verona’s Stone District, Domos develops marble and natural stone products. “Marble is a source of inspiration for us, and design is form, it’s function,” a representative tells CultureMap.

    Elite Stone
    Perfect for those who appreciate dramatic, yet timeless, design statements, these marbles are perfect for book-matched, full-slab installations; this is the stone for clients who enjoy striking contrasts and bold veining.

    “Houston gave me the impression of a city that unveils its charm gradually—like a well-kept secret,” sales manager Davide Sandini says. “Its true beauty isn’t loud or fleeting, but lasting and deeply appreciated by those who live there. The locals radiate pride in their surroundings, and that quiet sophistication makes Houston the perfect setting for our timeless, luxurious Italian marbles.”

    Fauske Marble by Moser Aps
    Based in Denmark, this sustainably-minded fourth generation company produces exquisite arctic marbles in colors like pinks and purples, plus many more.

    Grassi Pietre Srl
    Founded in 1850, this Nanto, Italy based touts its ability to combine “artisanal know-how with the most modern technologies available for stone processing and production.”

    Marcolini Marmi Spa
    The brand is known for its adherence to Italian taste and tradition in the areas of marble, granite, onyx, and stone.

    Moca Stone SA
    Marcelo Costa believes their warm, creamy marbles are a perfect fit for Houston: "Our natural stone materials, extracted from our own quarries and produced in our own facilities, are distinguished by their uniqueness, elegance, and luxurious appeal, making them a perfect fit for high-end residential and commercial projects across the city," a representative says.

    Porfido Trentino - Cave Famiglia Pisetta
    Thanks to a location in the middle of the Alto Adige's porphyry platform, the company offers a very large variety of porphyry products such as the cubes, irregular slabs, and tiles with split sides. In addition, it stocks other, more sophisticated materials such as steps-to-stone stairs, as well as materials with polished and flamed surfaces which are specially indicated for indoor floorings and coverings.

    R.E.D. Graniti Spa
    This exquisite marble cladding company offers monument quality stonework built to last for generations.

    With all these exciting options, Houston’s top designers and architects undoubtedly have big plans for the new products. Time will tell how they enhance design in the Bayou City for many years to come.

    Portugal Marble staircase
      

    Photo courtesy of Portugal Marble

    Portuguese marble is also an option for timeless elegance

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