National Spotlight

HGTV picks Houston firm as a contender in national Fresh Faces of Design contest

HGTV has selected gindesigns as one of its Fresh Faces of Design for its work creating Ruggles Green's location in The Woodlands.

Photo by TK Images/Courtesy of gindesigns

A Houston design firm is competing for some serious national recognition, but it needs Houston's help. HGTV has selected gindesigns as one of its Fresh Faces of Design nominees for the space it created for Ruggles Green in The Woodlands.

After surviving the initial rounds, the competition has moved on to audience voting. If gindesign wins the audience vote in the "Posh Public Spaces" category, it will advance to a final round where a team of judges will pick an overall winner from the audience favorites in each of the 11 categories.

"They found us," owner Gin Braverman tells CultureMap about how her company found itself in the contest. "They told us it's a fresh design, and they're looking for fresh faces."

Gindesigns is well known for its work at places like Public Services, Camerata and The Commoner/The Boulevardier. For Ruggles Green, Braverman and partner Ginny Schneider had the task of tweaking the company's look while remaining true to its image of serving healthy meals that cater to popular diets like Paleo and gluten-free.

"They wanted an interior that felt more fresh and more in sync with their mission," Braverman explains. "We wanted to bring a lot of greenery in but not necessarily the color green. We tried to bring in other colors from the logo to give it a natural and fresh color palette."

The first week of voting has already taken place, and gindesign is outside the top three. However, Braverman has fired up a social media campaign, and she's confident the firm can move up the ranks quickly. Ruggles Green is helping by offering a $100 gift card to the person who votes the most often (once per day, per the contest rules).

"It’s exciting," Braverman says. "We’re thrilled to be a part of it, and we hope to get a lot of votes."

hgtv

Branching out

Luxe linen, bedding, and home brand weaving style and sustainability opens first Texas store in Houston

Photo courtesy of Boll & Branch

Boll & Branch's new Highland Village location opened on August 5. It provides guests with thoughtfully curated items for the home, including luxury bedding, towels, pajamas, and more. All items are made from the highest quality, organic cotton.

Houstonians who want to give their homes a refresh may want to check out a brand new spot for some inspiration. Boll & Branch, a luxury linen brand with shops in Boca Raton, Florida and Greenwich, Connecticut, has opened its very first Texas location in Houston's Highland Village.

The brand, whose productions can be found in select Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's stores around the country, offers thoughtfully designed products for the living room, bedroom, outdoors and beyond.

Photo courtesy of Boll & Branch

The new showroom at 3930 Westheimer features exclusive and unique regional items that can be only found in that store.

Guests will find an array of high-quality towels, bedding, pajamas, and more in an immersive, design-forward shopping experience, the company promises.

Boll & Branch's Signature Starter Bundle includes the brand's Signature Hemmed Sheet Set in colors such as balsam, shore, and sand; along with a coordinating duvet and pillow cases. The solid colors allow guests to mix and match, blending or contrasting to already established home decor. The waffle bed blanket, made with long-staple, 100-percent organic cotton, offers plush luxury.

Visitors to the Highland Village location offers shoppers a spa-like environment, and thoughtful customer service. All products are expertly crafted from the finest sustainable materials, 100-percent traceable, and made free from toxins – guaranteeing a softer, more luxurious product.

Those who quickly ask about familiar thread count indicators of quality, Boll & Branch instead focuses on using the highest-quality cotton available. According to the brand's press materials, Boll & Branch has a strong presence among Lone Star State shoppers, so a brick-and-mortar location is sure to be a must-visit for brand lovers and newbies alike.

Launched in 2014 by Scott and Missy Tannen, who now serve as CEO and Head of Design, respectively, Boll & Branch is now a $200 million business. Sweet dreams, indeed.