catching up with hilton carter

Hilton Carter dishes on his ties to Houston, his recent book, and his new TV show

Don’t call Hilton Carter a “Plantfluencer.” No stranger to indoor plant enthusiasts, the multi-hyphenate author recently dropped his latest of three collections for Target, is a regular television contributor, and has a soon-to-be-released show on the Magnolia Network. I think his over half-a-million Instagram followers will agree that he’s outgrown “Plantfluencer.” Let’s call him what he is now — a Renaissance Man.

On Friday, April 26, Bree Clarke, owner of The Plant Project, hosted a breezy, courtyard-chic event in honor of the plant stylist extraordinaire. Baltimore-based, Carter is currently on tour to promote the latest of his five books — The Propagation Handbook: A Guide to Propagating Houseplants— and it is delightful. Over 70 attendees enjoyed sips and bites from Fiora’s Bottle Shop while DJ Sage provided a backdrop of soothing music throughout the evening.

To describe Hilton Carter as “magnanimous” is an understatement. For over an hour, Carter strolled around the courtyard to better engage with the audience while sharing amusing and relatable insights into his trials and tribulations of being a successful “plant-parent.” Warmly recognizing multiple fans from his previous book tour, it’s no small wonder that his following is so strong.

The event took place at the Montrose location of Clarke’s store, The Plant Project, A Place Where Community and Plants Grow. It’s a beautifully curated plant shop that brings self-care, inclusion, and a love of plants together in a welcoming environment. Clarke opened her first Plant Project in Dallas during the fall of 2020. A Houston location soon followed in July 2021.

Clarke offers expert advice on plant selection and care, local pick-up and delivery, nationwide shipping, and a variety of hands-on and how-to workshops on everything from repotting and flower arranging to diversity and self-care. She also regularly hosts Plant Pop-Ups in the community and at area farmers markets.

That work earned Clarke Congressional recognition for The Plant Project as the First Black Woman Owned Plant Shop in Texas. Her inclusive lifestyle brand, The Iman Project, focuses on nourishing relationships and building a diverse community through style and design.

I sat with “plant besties” Clarke and Carter post-event to chat about what’s most important to them: “community, giving, and sharing.”

CultureMap: How did this partnership between the two of you come to be?
Both: Joanna [Gaines]!
Bree Clarke: It was at “Silobration” a few years ago. [Magnolia’s annual event in Waco, TX.]
Hilton Carter: She [Joanna] said ‘Hey, there is this girl selling plants in the street!’ I love plant people and decided to roll-up on whoever this person was going to be. I gave her a hug and that was it! For me, in those situations, it’s a kinship between plant lovers, in that sort of sense. Also, an understanding of individuals who look like me. In the space, trying to share that sort of love and support as well. If I was in that situation — there, selling plants — I’d want to see someone there who looks like me.
BC: In Dallas, I opened up the plant shop because you did not see a Black or Brown person at all. I wrote a blog on April 7, 2020, to focus on Black and Brown plant shops. I found “Plant Chica” in Los Angeles and a few others, no one in Texas — nobody in “our” neighborhood.

I like my sons’ being able to see something I wasn’t able to see as a little girl. When Hilton goes up there on The Today Show, it just shows it’s available and attainable for everyone — truly plant joy for everyone. You [Hilton] set the road for me, and now I’m allowed to set the road for other people like me — and that’s what it is.

CM: Do you feel you had an extra boundary as well because you’re a woman?
BC: I look at color more than I look at sex. It’s so important to see someone who looks like [me]. In 2020 everybody came out as a “plant influencer” or “plantfluencer” and all that jazz. A lot of it was trending and hopping on to a trend, “oh, this is cool, or whatnot.” What I’ve seen with Hilton, it’s something that’s innate. I grew up with plants, he grew up with plants — mine is design and plant love.

CM: You do a lot of workshops and plant education. Do you think of these as “safe space” workshops?
BC: I want to educate people more than that. I want people to get in tune with themselves: self-care, plant-care, all being one. Figuring out yourself, going through your seasons — plants are the same: we need to eat, we need water, light, love, to be talked to and whatnot. I teach that part of it — that’s what The Plant Project is. I go to Hilton for the plant education part of it. Taking care of plants is taking care of you.
HC: Plant-care is self-care.

CM: To touch on the new book, I love that it’s organized like a textbook. Was that intentional?
HC: It’s definitely a handbook; it’s formatted to be utilized. Some of my books are more “coffee table books” and are design heavy, leaning more towards pretty pictures and to help you in the process of caring for plants.

For the most part, I think this book, the ultimate goal is for it to be treated more like a book book. I want these books to become dirt and water stained because people are using them. It’s like a cookbook, you’re always going to come back to it. Something people are going to pull out often, which is the reason I wrote it like I did.
CM: I can see this living in the kitchen with the cookbooks for sure. That’s where most people tend to do their propagating.
HC: Yes! Keep it where your sharp shears are!

CM: You mentioned that you have a pilot coming up. Can we talk about that?
HC: You can! I don’t know when it’s coming out, but I can say to be on the lookout for it. It’s a good one. It’ll be on the Magnolia Network, Discovery+ and MAX.

The show is called “The Plant Stylist, with Hilton Carter.” NO! They changed it, it’s called “Planterior with Hilton Carter.”

BC: He hates being called a “Plantfluencer.”
CM: I’ve never heard that term, but I don’t like it either.
HC: It’s just…ugh.
BC: So many people call him that.
HC: Write “Hilton doesn’t like to be called a ‘plantfluencer,’ he actually hates it with a passion.”
CM: I can put that in the article.
HC: Thank you!
CM: “Not one to be mistaken for a ‘plantfluencer,’ Hilton Carter…”
HC: Great!
BC: I think people are recognizing you more now on the styling side.
HC: I would hope! But, yeah, I don’t know when it’s coming out, but soon.

CM: This is your fifth book, any plans for a sixth?
HC: I have a sixth book coming out.
PUBLICIST: Bree has a book coming out.
CM: Do you?!
BC: Yes. It’s called “The Plant Project.”
HC: What’s the release date?
BC: I don’t have a release date. I can’t really say anything except for the name and that it’ll be out in about 8-9 weeks.
CM: Can you give us a theme for the book?
BC: It’s about community, plants, and self-growth. The Iman Project and The Plant Project have always been about self-growth, workshops and creating a space for everyone — no matter your background, race, religion or style. I wanted to share plant growth with self-growth and have different things hand-in-hand while doing those. It’ll have workshops, DIY, not only plants, but flowers as well.
CM: Cut flowers?
BC: Yes, but flower bouquets and things.

CM: Speaking of bouquets: Hilton, in your new handbook, you have a section on propagating entire bouquets. It never occurred to me that plants can be propagated together — that’s really cool.
HC: Awesome! I think you should try it! The goal of the book is to spark some inspiration around not just propagation, but in ways you possibly haven’t done before.

Photo by Michelle Robertson

Bree Clarke and Hilton Carter addressed the crowd.

Run, don’t walk to get your copy of Hilton Carter’s The Propagation Handbook: A Guide to Propagating Houseplants.

gardening hilton carter interview magnolia network plant stylist plantfluencer q&a

Design oasis in River Oaks

2 Austin design darlings team up for new Houston showrooms

Photo by Lindsey Brown

Browse exclusive sustainable products curated by the team at Canvas.

As Houston continues to see its star rise in the world of design, the onetime cliched notion that creatives simply must flock to Austin to obtain any street cred is beginning to shift. While some still consider the capital of Texas to be the epitome of cool, the pendulum swing to the east represents a well-deserved acknowledgment of the award-winning work being done in the Bayou City. And what better proof of this than two Austin design staples, Canvas Showroom and J&L Hardware, opening locations in River Oaks.

The newly-refurbished shared space is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it trade-only building nestled amongst a nest of warehouse spaces and a scuba shop, and yet, it is truly a design oasis. Houston favorite Thompson + Hanson created the landscaping, which includes a variety of pollinator-attracting plants on the exterior and an impressively-sized olive tree in the enclosed, European-style courtyard dividing the Canvas and J&L Hardware showrooms. Dramatic, yet understated, the courtyard sets the tone for the artisanal magic found inside.

Interior designer and Houston native Christina Cole first opened her trade-only Austin stalwart, Canvas Showroom, in 2019. Since that time, the showroom has become a must-stop-and-shop for her meticulously-curated artisanal textiles, furnishings, and more. The new River Oaks showroom is shared with Austin neighbor and fellow trade-only showroom J&L Hardware, and both promise personalized service, expert consultations, and access to exclusive products that embody artistry and functionality.

Husband-and-wife team Josh and Naleah Rygs founded Austin-based J&L Hardware in 2015 and have since introduced an abundance of exclusive European plumbing and hardware lines to Texas. The J&L space is a remarkable reflection of Naleah Rygs: elegant, sophisticated, timeless, and warmly approachable. Garishly-branded placards are absent here, replaced by a gallery of nondescript fixtures in every finish imaginable. Guests of Miraval Resort & Spa, The Hotel Albert, The Commodore Perry Estate, and more will be familiar with their work.

Representing a curated selection of the world’s finest artisanal brands, J&L Hardware offers trade professionals access to collections from Volevatch, Nanz, Studio Ore, The Water Monopoly, Fantini, Armac Martin, Sun Valley Bronze, Samuel Heath, THG, Cocoon, Cea, Pruskin Hardware, Studio Bookmark, Toni Copenhagen, Watermark, Merit Metals, and more. That’s not to say that J&L overlook the mainstream, everyday brands as well.

“We look at ourselves as a big box in a little box,” Naleah tells CultureMap. “Our heart is to allow for those [mainstream brands] to be foundational, then be able to layer in or customize big pieces here and there — I never want to tell someone ‘no.’”

Prior to moving to Texas, Naleah had only lived in Los Angeles and NYC, and her taste reflects that: “I’m feeling highly influenced by the [Houston design] community,” she says. “I love their viewpoint on things. I love the things that they are focused on that are different. Houston might be a little more traditional, or have moments of it, and then it has moments of gorgeous modern. We are such a melting pot in this landscape, and I love international influences.”

J&L Hardware is appointment only, allowing for design professionals to come in for personalized service and work without distractions. “This is just beautiful because we want for you to enjoy your time. We want you to feel comfortable and inspired — it’s just a different way to work. You want to feel like you really have a team supporting you, because our clients are the trade: your builder, your designer, or your architect. We are an extension of a team versus a shop to shop in; the trade is the synergy of our work,” she says.

Just across the courtyard is where you’ll find Canvas. Fans of organic, sustainable living will be found flocking to this showroom, as it’s the core identity of Canvas. This jewel box showroom features a thoughtfully-curated mix of globally-sourced materials and objects, from innovative artisanal textiles by Anne Kirk, Inata Alpaca, Chapas, Designs of the Time, JG Switzer, and Karin Sajo; to textural rugs from Awanay, La Manufacture Cogolin, Miksi, and Van Ghent; as well as distinctive lighting, furniture, and decorative objects from Kaia Editions, Alinea Design Objects, Danny Kaplan, Fern, and more.

“Houston felt like a natural choice for Canvas Showroom’s second location, not only because I grew up here, but because of the energy, creativity, and cultural depth that define the city,” Cole tells CultureMap. “Canvas was founded on the belief that luxury should feel inviting. We offer refined, exclusive furnishings with an approachable spirit, and that philosophy resonates with the most compelling aspects of Houston’s design culture. It’s a place where warmth and elegance go hand in hand.”

Canvas distinguishes itself by offering small-batch, artisanal, handcrafted lines, making it especially appealing to a health-conscious clientele who prefer organic materials like cotton, wool, cactus, and nettle fiber materials.

“If you have the appetite for it, we have the product for it,” says Canvas sales director Nick Lanni. “A lot of what we carry is sustainable, it’s natural, it’s organic. We don’t want off-gassing and terrible chemicals in your house.”

Noting that the organic movement began with food and has slowly crept into the home industry, Lanni makes a compelling argument for sourcing from Canvas: “For centuries people have been using these very products to make things — it’s not brand new — but it’s brand new to modern times, where plastic is king.”

Very big on “vibes,” Canvas curates lines that bring soul and a human touch to the market. Family sheep farms that hand craft felted wools, husband and wife ceramicists who make lighting fixtures, woodworkers’ hand hewn furnishings — these items carry on centuries of traditional crafts.

“Someone’s soul is in it. They are putting their blood, sweat, and tears into it,” says Lanni. “All the product from here, someone has touched it to make it, and that’s really important when you’re putting together your home. You want the good energy, and when things are created with love, it’s just better.”

Photo by Lindsey Brown

Browse exclusive sustainable products curated by the team at Canvas.

home-design openings canvas showroom j&l hardware