Spring forward is upon us once again. That means it's time to spruce up around the house.
Temperamental plants are returned to the gardens, and we take a somewhat cautious inventory of our closets. Even the most committed procrastinators among us remove any lingering reminders of winter and the holiday season.
In my 19 years as an interior designer, I still find myself bemused that spring, not fall, is always my busiest time of year. I think people hesitate returning their holiday decor to their Rubbermaid prisons not due to the labor aspect of the chore, but because so many associate any idea of décor with a gateway to feelings of nostalgia for the holidays. Why do we love them so — usually because so much of it is collected over time, inherited from special people and places, and it just feels good. Once it’s all put away, clients inevitably make the same call — that their houses “feel empty.”
Thus, I present my three interior designer-approved, go-to places guaranteed to carry pieces that have stories of their own to share with guests year round (looking at you, arm chairs from the original Houston Club). No need to put those away when the days get longer. Best of all, they're built to last.
Upper-Kirby Consignment, or "UKC" as it's known colloquially, is the spot to shop for gently-used, mostly bespoke furniture and décor from many of the finest homes in Houston. Overstuffed silk upholstery is no stranger here. Now that it’s almost peony season at Trader Joe’s, the store usually has an always-classic ginger jar or elegant vase to accompany those stems.
UKC owners Colleen Smith and Peggy Strode are the queens of local sourcing. "We are often asked where the pieces in our shop come from. The furnishings, art, and decorative pieces are all from Houston homes. We make house calls every Tuesday to see pieces and learn their provenance — every piece has a story,” the duo tells CultureMap in an email. (2912 Ferndale St. 77098)
Designers Furniture Exchange is a place I love for sourcing more traditional pieces from famous manufacturers - think Theodore Alexander and the like. A common gripe among those who prefer a full dining set is how difficult it can be to shop consignment—definitely not the case here.
Also, I love that their proprietor, Mike Frank, posts video tours of their newest pieces on their Instagram account almost daily. Not only do they make my day, they let me know when it’s time to visit to snag a new piece. (5701 Richmond Ave. 77057)
The Guild Shop is a place where savvy Houstonians really can find it all. As a ministry of The Church of St. John the Divine, the store receives arguably some of the best donated items in town.
I have been known to spend an entire morning fawning over their inventory. I could write an entire piece on their glassware alone; their shelves span everyday drinking glasses to gilded, etched crystal. Fancy an affordable tea service along with a cart to accompany that “new” set? The Guild Shop has it covered. I will be forever obsessed with a smoked glass baroque mirror I found there in the most beautiful pastel yellow. (2009 Dunlavy St. 77006)
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Share your latest finds with Emily by emailing her at emilycharlottecotton@gmail.com.
Photo by Rachel Alyse Manning
Upper Kirby Consignment sources from Houston's top homes.
