embrace tenniscore

How to serve up style at home this summer with classic cabana stripes

Why is it a bad idea to fall for a tennis player? Because to them, “love” means zero. Viral hit movie Challengers, along with the exponentially expanding love of tennis-adjacent pickleball, has firmly solidified “tenniscore” as the outdoor style of the summer.

Much like the age old skier versus snowboarder rivalry, pickleballers have unwittingly become the antithesis of tennis court preps — can’t we all just get along? Slide style and decor into the conversation, though, and the answer is a resounding Yes! As it turns out, everyone loves a stripe, especially a cabana stripe.

The general definition of cabana stripe fabric features wide vertical stripes and characteristically bold colors set against a white background. They can be of varying widths, but traditionally have even stripes and may feature more than two colors.

The classic cabana stripes have been the reigning champion of quintessential American country club decor for decades, but they have far more humble beginnings. In medieval times, the print was created as a marker for much lower strata of society than it is today. A horizontal cabana stripe identified servants, criminals, and those employed in the world’s “oldest profession” to their fellow members of society, and until fairly recent years, prison uniforms maintained their stripes.

For a plethora of reasons the pattern slowly became the “aristocratic stripe” between the 16th and 18th centuries. The mid-1800’s saw Queen Victoria dress Prince Albert in a striped sailor suit that pushed the pattern in a decidedly nautical direction. Ultimately, Coco Chanel sent the stripe into the world of high-fashion with her first foray into business — the boater hat.

The beauty of the humble cabana stripe is that it lives comfortably anywhere it’s placed along the modern timeline. Slim Aarons, the iconic, semi-voyeuristic society photographer of the mid century, perfectly captured the stripe in its natural habitat of the French and Italian Rivieras, all the way to Palm Springs, Palm Beach, and who could forget The Beverly Hills Hotel?

It is the timeless universality that will see it splayed across yacht cushions and gift-with-purchase tote bags alike for a long time to come. A cabana stripe is a stylish and safe bet, regardless of budget or commitment level. If a bold-but-sophisticated look is something that is not likely to change, then selecting a stripe as a chaise or sofa fabric is the perfect choice.

More likely to change decor with seasonal trends? Buy neutral upholstery cushions and toss a cabana striped outdoor rug underfoot — it works in applications large and small.

Brands like Serena & Lily and Ballard Designs have always kept a striped option available for their furniture and decor, plus a tweak here and there per season. Personally, my favorite brand to put out a stripe this season is Business & Pleasure Co. Mostly known for their fun lines of coordinating beach accessories, they have really come out to play this year with their home collection. Their collaboration with “It Girl” fashion house Staud, simply named B&Pco x Staud, has me in tatters — I want it all. The beauty of the collection is how the addition of a fun upholstery trim or simple scallop can make a classic staple so fresh.

Whether hitting the tennis court, playing pickleball, or simply lounging by the pool this summer, one thing is certain — be prepared for stripes. The decision to add them to your decor? It’s in your court!

Ballard Designs/Facebook

Ballard Designs shows off these cabana stripes.

cabana stripes decor home-design tenniscore

they're durable, too

3D-printed Houston housing project cements a more affordable future

Courtesy of Cole Klein Builders

Homes in Zuri Gardens are a hybrid of 3D concrete and traditional wood construction.

Houston is putting itself front-and-center to help make sustainable, affordable housing a reality for 80 lucky homeowners in a scalable housing community that will hopefully catch on nationwide. Recently, developer Cole Klein Builders partnered with HiveASMBLD to pioneer what’s touted as the world’s first large-scale, one-of-a-kind, affordable housing development using 3-D printing technology, merging robotics, design, and sustainability.

Located across from Sterling Aviation High School, near Hobby Airport, Zuri Gardens will offer 80 two-bedroom, two-bathroom homes of approximately 1,360 square feet situated in a park-like setting, including walking trails and a community green space.

Homes in Zuri Gardens will hit the market in early summer of 2026. Final pricing has yet to be determined, but Cole Klein Builders expects it to be in the mid-to-high 200s.

Interestingly, none of the homes will offer garages or driveways, which the developer tells CultureMap will provide a savings of roughly $25,000 - $40,000 per home.

Instead of parking for individual units, 140 parking spaces will be provided. Ideally, this small-town-inspired design will provide opportunities for neighbors to meet, connect, and build community.

Each two-story home is comprised of a ground floor printed by HiveASMBLD, using a proprietary low-carbon cement alternative by Eco Material Technologies that promises to enhance strength and reduce CO2 emissions. The hybrid homes will have a second floor built using engineered wood building products by LP Building Solutions. Overall, the homes are designed to be flood, fire, and possibly even tornado-proof.

The Zuri in Zuri Gardens is the Swahili word for “beautiful,” a choice that is fitting considering that the parks department will be introducing a five acre park to the project — with 3-D printed pavilions and benches — plus, a three acre farm is located right across the street. The Garver Heights area, where Zuri Gardens is located, is in what’s classified as a food desert, which means that access to fresh food is limited. Residents will have access to the farm’s fresh produce, plus opportunities to participate in gardening and nutrition workshops—that’s a win for everyone.

With the novelty of Zuri Gardens, it’s no surprise that the neighborhood already has an 800 person waitlist, but with stringent buyer requirements, it’s unclear how many of those 800 will qualify. Developer Cole Klein Builders created Zuri Gardens in partnership with the Houston Housing Community Development Department, who provided infrastructure reimbursements for the roads, sewer lines, and water lines. In return, CKB agreed to push the purchase prices for the homes as low as possible.

Zuri Gardens also received $1.8 million dollars from the Uptown Tourism Bond, 34 percent of which must be used with minority owned small businesses. Qualified buyers must fit a certain area of median income according to HUD guidelines, and must be owner occupied at all times — so no property investors or short term vacation rentals will be allowed.

“They’re trying to bridge that gap to make sure there is a community for the homebuyers who need it — educators, law enforcement, civil workers, etc.,” Cole Klein Builders’ co-principal Vanessa Cole tells CultureMap. “You have to go through a certification process with the housing department to make sure that your income is in alignment for this community. It has been great, and everyone has been really receptive.”

Cole has also brought insurance underwriters to visit the site and to help drive premiums below regular rates for Houston homeowners since homes in Zuri Gardens are not built to traditional standards — claim risks for one of the 3-D homes are extremely low. Tim Lankau, principal at HiveASMBLD, notes that the 3-D hybrid design allows for a more traditional appearance, while having the benefits of a concrete structure: “That’s where the floodwaters would go, that’s where you can hide when there’s a tornado, and that’s where termites would eat. So you get the advantages of it while having a traditionally-framed second floor.”

It’s important to note that Zuri Gardens is not located in a flood prone area, nor did it flood during Hurricane Harvey — being flood proof is merely a perk of a cement house. The concrete that Eco Material Technologies developed is impervious. The walls are printed into hollow forms, which house rebar, plumbing, and accessible conduits for things like electrical lines and smart house features. Those walls are then filled with a foamcrete product that expands to form a “monolithic concrete wall.”

David McNitt, of Eco Material Technologies, explains that his proprietary concrete is made of PCV, and contains zero Portland cement. Instead, McNitt’s cement is made from coal ash and is 99 percent green (there are a few chemicals added to the ash). Regardless, it’s made from 100 percent waste products.

“This is a product that has really been landfilled before,” says McNitt. “It’s coal ash, and it’ll set within 8-10 minutes. It’s all monolithic, and one continuous pour — it’s literally all one piece.”

Eco Material Technologies’ concrete product is impressively durable. A traditional cinderblock wall will crush at around 800 psi, while this material crushes at about 8,000 psi.

“It’s ten times stronger than a cinderblock wall that can withstand hurricanes,” claims McNitt. “I don’t think you’d even notice a hurricane. It’ll be really quiet inside, too — so you won’t get interrupted during your hurricane party. It’s way over-engineered, it really is.”

The second story is built using weatherproof and eco-friendly products by LP Building Solutions. Their treated, engineered wood products come with a 50 year warranty, and their radiant barrier roof decking product blocks 97% of UV rays, and keeps attic temperatures 30° cooler than traditional building materials. These materials, combined with the concrete first floor, will keep heating and cooling costs low — something the folks at HiveASMBLD refer to as “thermal mass performance.”

Courtesy of Cole Klein Builders

Homes in Zuri Gardens are a hybrid of 3D concrete and traditional wood construction.