Showhouse Showdown

HGTV settles the score between two Houston designers as a wine room takes on awaterfall

Angela Lee, ASID Allied Member, is the principal designer for Evolution byDesign, which she founded with her husband William Lee.

Photo by Felix Sanchez
With a client list ranges from new construction homeowners, to some of the NFL’smost respected athletes, Lee tries to reflect the unique personality in each ofher deisgns as shown in this 2007 living room project.

Photo by Felix Sanchez
Example of Angela Lee's work from a 2007 master bath project.

Photo by Felix Sanchez
Cindy Aplanalp, AISD Allied, general speaks of her style as an "elegant mix ofsophisticated eclectic," incorporating touches of the traditional and a savvyuse of textures and technology.

B. Goldman
Example of Aplanalp's work in a 2010 residential project in Kehmah.
The kitchen from Aplanalp's 2010 residential project in Kehmah.

The city’s interior design scene was all a-flutter this summer when HGTV selected two Houston designers to duke it out in on its newest half-hour reality competition, Showhouse Showdown. Due to the fickle nature of TV scheduling though, everyone is still waiting to find out who won months later.

In the sweltering heat of early August, Cindy Aplanalp and Angela Lee took on identical 3,000-square-foot homes in northeast Houston’s Fall Creek community. Tasked with creating five original rooms on a $50,000 budget, each designer was given roughly a week to craft unique spaces that appeal to a broad spectrum of home buyers.

“It was harder to be filmed working than I thought,” Lee laughs. “You have to execute your designs, talk to the camera and try to look good all at the same time.”

More than 400 people turned up for a public tour of the houses on Aug. 13, the first 150 of which voted on their favorite of the two designs. With the help of former reality star Bob Guiney, Showhouse Showdown: The Wine Room vs. the Indoor Waterfall will settle the score when it airs this January.

“It was harder to be filmed working than I thought,” laughs Angela Lee, owner and principle designer of Evolution by Design. “You have to execute your designs, talk to the camera and try to look good all at the same time.”

“I had a style called ‘functional elegant’ to guide me through the project,” Lee says. “It’s a transitional style that’s not really contemporary and not really traditional. In other words, I looked to modern lines with a classic feeling.” To maintain the balance, she mixed traditional elements with modern accents.

While $50,000 may seem like a perfectly sizeable budget to the uninitiated, Lee says, the money goes quickly when having to account for cabinets and appliances for the kitchen. Used to working with million-dollar client budgets, both designers found themselves in the unfamiliar position of making many of their design decisions based on cost.

“I do a lot of expensive homes and wanted to bring some of those high-end elements into my designs,” says Aplanalp, a principle at By Design Interiors. “I used venetian plaster on several key walls and had my own carpenter hand-craft trim to the window casements. Instead of ceiling fans, I chose cool lighting features.”

To save her budget, Aplanalp put her family to work, having them move furniture and sew decorative pillows. She also re-purposed a broken piece of furniture to create a low-cost wine cabinet and tried to purchase as much furniture from garage sales, World Market, Costco and Pier One as possible.

“Lighting is a magical element to interior designers in that it does so much to control the overall aesthetic. First lighting, then flooring. That’s always my design mantra,” Aplanalp says of her technique. “Wait until you see the master bedroom. It’s a very sexy space designed to be a retreat. With all this wonderful accent lighting, anyone will look good naked in this room.”

Stay tuned for more details on Showhouse Showdown, as HGTV plans to post its revised fall and winter schedules in November. Everyone's going to find out who won — someday.

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Houston Astros mark final regular season games with Dollar Dogs, super swag, yoga, and more

Houston Astros Facebook

Catch José Altuve and other heroes before the playoffs.

The Houston Astros are dominating the American League and in a juicy twist, are currently seven games ahead of the New York Yankees as the best team in the league. With the playoffs fast approaching, fans are clamoring to see our hometown heroes in their final home stand of the season.

Games this week feature the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks, the Tampa Bay Rays, and Philadelphia Phillies and include the usual fan-favorite activities. As always, tickets are available online — get those playoff tickets soon.

Here's a rundown of the games and events.

Tuesday, September 27 – Astros vs. Arizona Diamondbacks: 7:10 pm

A First Responders Coin presented by LyondellBasell will be available to 10,000 fans, and Dollar Dog Night returns with unlimited dogs for a buck.

The Astros Foundation and Honeywell will celebrate 10 STEM teachers in the Houston area who earned the STEM Teacher Hall of Fame Award in a pregame ceremony. Each Hall of Fame Award winner will receive pregame recognition, a $2,000 check, and a Honeywell and Astros gift pack.

Wednesday, September 28 – Astros vs. Arizona Diamondbacks: 7:10 pm

All fans can score a Yuli Gurriel AL Champion Replica Ring presented by Gallery Furniture will be available to all fans in attendance. One lucky fan in attendance will receive a personalized ALCS Elite Fan Ring, boasting real diamonds and 10k white gold.

Wednesday is also the Cadence Bank Houston Open Night at Minute Maid Park. More than 1,000 kids and their families that participate in First Tee of Greater Houston will be in attendance, with a ceremonial first pitch in conjunction with Cadence Bank Houston Open Night.

The Cadence Bank Houston Open is set for November 10-13 at Memorial Park Golf Course. Tickets are on sale now.

Friday, September 30 – Astros vs. Tampa Bay Rays: 7:10 pm

The first10,000 fans in attendance will receive a Yuli Gurriel Orange Astros Jersey presented by Schlumberger. Pregame Happy Hour presented by Budweiser runs 5 pm- 7pm.

As always, Friday night concludes with Friday Night Fireworks of the regular season presented by ConocoPhillips (weather permitting). Fans voted for K-Pop as the night's music.

Saturday, October 1 – Astros vs. Tampa Bay Rays: 6:10 pm
The first 10,000 fans score a Jeremy Pena Bobblehead presented by Taquerias Arandas. Saturday also marks Domestic Violence Awareness Day at Minute Maid Park, with a pregame ceremony and ceremonial first pitch.

Sunday, October 2 – Astros vs. Tampa Bay Rays: 1:10 pm

The first 10,000 fans will receive an Astros Bucket Hat presented by Xfinity. Sunday is also Yoga Day at Minute Maid Park, where fans can purchase a $40 add-on package to participate in yoga (led by a professional yoga instructor) for 45 minutes after the conclusion of the game. Those who purchase the add-on will also receive an Astros yoga block, cooling towel, water bottle, and drawstring bag. For more information and to sign up, please visit the Yoga Day site.

For the final time during the 2022 regular season, Sunday will features the Astros’ Kids Run The Bases event, open to kids ages 5-12.

Monday, October. 3 – Astros vs. Philadelphia Phillies: 7:10 pm

The final series of the 2022 regular season against the Philadelphia Phillies opens with all fans receiving a Dusty Baker AL Champion Replica Ring presented by Coca-Cola. For the last time this season, one fortunate fan in attendance at the game will receive a personalized ALCS Elite Fan Ring, with real diamonds and 10k white gold.

As it is Space City Monday, the Astros will don their Nike City Connect Space City uniforms.

The Astros will also recognize the longtime Astros executive Jamie Hildreth and his family in the Houston Baseball Media Wall of Honor pregame ceremony.

Tuesday, October 4 – Astros vs. Philadelphia Phillies: 7:10 pm

Hot dog fans, head up: This is the final Dollar Dog Night with unlimited dogs for a buck. Héctor Herrera, star midfielder for the Houston Dynamo, will throw out a ceremonial first pitch.

Also, the Astros will join Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana in celebrating 10,000 local wishes granted by Make-A-Wish over the past 38 years. Prior to the game, wish kids Adrian (from Corpus Christi, 12 years old); Elizabeth (Houston, 14); and Lourdes (Houston, 18) will meet Astros’ superstars Jose Altuve and Kyle Tucker and lovable mascot Orbit. The wish kids will join the team for batting practice, pregame activities, and more.

Wednesday, October 5 – Astros vs. Philadelphia Phillies: 3:10 pm

The Astros will celebrate fans with Fan Appreciation Day. One-of-a-kind prizes will be given out to select fans each half-inning of the game along with much more. For more information, visit the Fan Appreciation Day site.

a real pickle

Houston's first-ever professional pickleball tournament swings into Memorial Park

USA Pickleball/Facebook

The first-ever pro pickleball tourney promises to be a smash.

Is pickleball more fun to watch, like baseball, or is it more fun to play, like softball? Houstonians can ponder these questions when the first-ever professional pickleball tournament ever to be hosted in the Bayou City comes to town in October.

The APP Sunmed Houston Open swings into Memorial Park from October 19-23. A showcase of some of the world’s best pickleball players, the tournament features action in pro, senior pro, and amateur divisions.

Registration to participate APP Sunmed Houston Open Golden Ticket Qualifier for Amateurs and Pros, which promises a $60,000 prize purse, is open through October 10 and can be found online. Importantly, interested players must enroll as a member of USA Pickleball if they are currently not registered with the organization.

As for spectators, admission is $10 online or at the gate during tournament times.

With more than 4.8 million people playing worldwide — an increase of 40 percent since 2020 — pickleball is currently America’s fastest-growing sport. (Interestingly, Microsoft founder Bill Gates has been playing pickleball for more than 50 years, according to Forbes.)

Currently, more than 10,000 Houstonians are estimated to play pickleball.

Jumping on that trend, the City of Houston helped organize the tournament in a joint effort between Council Member Abbie Kamin, Houston Parks and Recreation Department, Greater Houston Pickleball, and the Houston Pickleball Association.

“It doesn’t stop at this tournament; our District is leading the way and making the investment when it comes to supporting Houston’s love for Pickleball— one of the fastest growing sports in the country,” Kamin noted in a statement. “We’re the first office to partner with the incredible team in our Parks and Recreation Department to bring pickleball courts to five of our district’s parks, which should be ready for all Houstonians to enjoy very soon.”

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The APP Sunmed Houston Open will run at Memorial Park (1500 East Memorial Loop Dr.) from October 19-23. For more information, registration, or tickets, visit the official site.

The Ice House Cometh

Favorite Houston watering hole opens 'longest bar in Texas' in bustling Woodlands locale

Photo by Michael Anthony

Kirby Ice House has opened in The Woodlands.

One of Houston's most popular patio bars has opened its third location. Kirby Ice House has arrived in The Woodlands.

First announced last year, the new Kirby Ice House occupies a prime location at 1700 Lake Robbins Dr. that's near The Woodlands Mall, Market Street, and the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. With 10,000-square-feet of interior space and an 18,000-square-foot patio, the massive bar has room for 700 people.

Photo by Michael Anthony

Kirby Ice House has opened in The Woodlands.

The interior features a 141-foot-long bar, which dwarfs the 120-foot bar at the Memorial/Spring Branch location and is touted as the longest bar in Texas. Follow all the games on 61 HDTVs or a 300-inch jumbo screen. Interior details include Kirby Ice House signatures like vintage posters of actors and actresses and Texas signage. A 30-foot tall live oak tree provides shade on the patio.

Drink options start with 51 rotating beer taps along with wines by-the-glass and bottle. Cocktails include a cucumber-lime Moscow Mule, blood orange paloma, and lemonade Old Fashioned. Food trucks — including Satellite Pizza, Lupe Tortilla, Hearsay on the Go, Mr.Sizzles, and Boot Shooters BBQ — will be on-site daily.

"We’re so excited to finally be a part of the vibrant Woodlands community,” partners Danny Evans and Russ Morgan said in a statement. “This is a prime location with incredible proximity to residences, businesses, hotels, and attractions, and the casual indoor/outdoor format is a perfect match for the relaxed vibe of the area. We look forward to being a central, neighborhood-centric place to gather — whether it’s for an office happy hour, birthday, sporting event, pre-gaming for a concert, or just hanging out with friends.”

cocktails news-you-can-eat the-woodlands openings

Showhouse Showdown

HGTV settles the score between two Houston designers as a wine room takes on awaterfall

Palatial, fairy-tale mansion in The Woodlands charms market at $13 million

New Texas-based app makes mental health care more accessible

Buzzy EaDo brewery fires up new cannabis dispensary and lounge

Houston Astros mark final regular season games with Dollar Dogs, super swag, yoga, and more

Palatial, fairy-tale mansion in The Woodlands charms market at $13 million

New Texas-based app makes mental health care more accessible

Buzzy EaDo brewery fires up new cannabis dispensary and lounge

a real pickle

Houston's first-ever professional pickleball tournament swings into Memorial Park

Palatial, fairy-tale mansion in The Woodlands charms market at $13 million

New Texas-based app makes mental health care more accessible

Buzzy EaDo brewery fires up new cannabis dispensary and lounge

The Ice House Cometh

Favorite Houston watering hole opens 'longest bar in Texas' in bustling Woodlands locale

Palatial, fairy-tale mansion in The Woodlands charms market at $13 million

New Texas-based app makes mental health care more accessible

Buzzy EaDo brewery fires up new cannabis dispensary and lounge

Showhouse Showdown

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a real pickle

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome Get Houston intel delivered daily.

We will not share or sell your email address.

The Ice House Cometh

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome Get Houston intel delivered daily.

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CultureMap Emails Are Awesome

Get Houston intel delivered daily.

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