Curious Houstonians have no doubt noticed the impressive Novowood-clad building taking shape at 2222 Westheimer in the always stylish River Oaks area. Here to satisfy curiosity, CultureMap introduces the architect-and-designer-driven showroom: Gala Design-Studio.
This one-stop-shop style showroom and studio offers architectural and design services for both interiors and exteriors, including bespoke closets and storage solutions. The 10,000-square-foot interior showroom provides access to over 20 artisanal Italian furniture lines and will premier the largest footprint of Boffi products in the Southwest region.
Houston-based business partners Renee Galang (CEO) and James Kim (COO) began breaking ground on the site back in August of 2023, trusting their vision to Cisneros Design Studio and CTC Contractors — proving that good things come to those who wait.
Photo by Duc Hoang
The Novowood-clad building on Westheimer is drawing a lot of attention.
CultureMap caught up with Galang, a University of Texas at Austin trained architect, for a chat and to tour what is shaping up to be quite a showroom. While Gala Design-Studio’s grand opening is slated for mid-September, Galang is finishing a meeting with an existing client when we arrive early — proving that business at Gala has already begun.
Post graduation, Galang relocated to Manhattan where she spent five years at Rogers Marvel Architects as a junior architect. With little hesitation, Galang readily conceded that “The culture of an architecture firm in New York is a lot different than here, so I wanted to transition to interiors.”
Galang followed a traditional intro-to-design path of working with friends and family friends, running into a not uncommon issue: “I didn’t know how to charge people, obviously cutting myself short,” she says. “I wanted to learn the business and the brands.” And that she did, diving headfirst into an immersive Houston retail and design education that one could even consider “Gonzo” style.
Running the gamut of roles from sales consultant to buyer, Galang’s resume includes local favorite Kuhl-Linscomb, as well as Ligne Roset. These roles, along with a stint at architecture and design firm Raye Studio, led to the co-ownership and design director position at the Houston Poliform showroom. Following that, her partnership with Kim on the ARAN Cucine showroom, (situated catty-corner to Gala Design Studio) was the beginning of what has become a successful business relationship.
It’s clear from the jump that this is not a “hobby studio” or pet-project born out of well-financed boredom. The flow of the showroom and the thoughtfully engineered vignettes are those of someone with refined editing skills and an eye for warm, casually elegant luxury.
“I just put this all together going to the trade shows in Milan,” Galang says. “Every year I’d go check stuff out and pick up new vendors, and started this from the ground up.” Later, she adds,“Our brands have expanded so much due to the demands of our clients — that’s how we’ve accumulated everything (designer lines).”
The first floor showcases pieces from Boffi.Photo by Renee Galang
In what will be the largest showing of the 90-year-old prestige company in the Southwest region, the first floor is dedicated to Italian luxury brand Boffi. Known for their distinctive and elegant (Míele compatible) kitchens, bathrooms, and closets, Boffi are joined by their sister brands: DePadova and ADL.
“They were the first to integrate appliances into cabinetry, and then everyone copied them,” Galang says about the decision to feature Boffi. “They are known as the most innovative design brand in the world. They are the ones who started modern kitchen design — they’re in the MOMA.”
With her background in architecture, Galang jokes that kitchens were her “first gateway drug” into interior design, noting that “everything has to fit together like a puzzle.”
“My new gateway drug (into exteriors) is Novowood. Now we can do the exterior and move inside. The goal is to design the whole project and develop that great relationship with the client,” she says.
“It’s just really important to me to design to their lifestyle, their function and daily routines — just help their day flow better. I always ask clients when we get started to walk me through their typical day, it’s important,” she adds.
The DePadova line of furniture will be showcasing their collaborations with Paul Smith and Japan-based Time & Style, among their already impressive offerings. Integrated into the Boffi range on display will be lux ADL doors and partitions — take note that ADL does fabulous things with wine rooms as well!
Gala Design-Studio is collaborating with Lauren Rottet of the famed Rottet Studio, an architecture and design firm with an office in Houston. She will be installing her collection of furniture and accessories in a dedicated on-site vignette and intends to attend the showroom’s grand opening in September.
In addition to their flagship brands, Gala Design-Studio will carry over 20 artisanal brands, including: MisuraEmme, Linie Design, Roll & Hill, COR, Actiu, La Cividina, Bomma, Ethimo, RS Barcelona, Arte Veneziana, and Newform Ufficio.
It will interest readers with elevated security concerns that Oikos, the former Italian bank vault company, is now in the exterior door business. Galang visited their factory north of Venice, Italy, to see the doors in person and will be having them installed at the showroom for clients to see for themselves.
“[They’re] amazing, architectural, high security front doors — backlit onyx, double sided, whatever you want or need. They do auto-open as well, through cellphone, buttons, or both,” she says.
While discussing the security of Oikos security doors, Galang mentions that the doors have even “been tested against an AK-47, and I can’t remember the highest bomb . . . but they’re super secure.”
Will anyone actually pay for a bomb-proof door? “The client who was just here ordered nine or 10 of them,” she says. Well, we stand corrected!
