i can see clearly

Round Top’s smash hit wireless lamps light up Houston patios this summer

As chic, bolo-tied and Fraulein-booted Houstonians descended upon the Round Top Spring Show in March, it wasn’t the array of antiques that had tongues wagging. The trendiest tents, barns, and perfectly-curated, invite-only cocktail hours and dinner parties all had one thing in common — the lighting!

Creatively-shaped jute pendants hung from sprawling Live Oak branches and barn beams, colorful floor lamps illuminated pastoral pop-up lounges, and dozens of whimsical lamps topped tables, with nary a power source in sight. New rechargeable technology by British brand Pooky Lighting was the culprit. Everyone clambered to get their hands on it, but the products hadn’t hit the market yet. Last week, however, that dream came true. The long-awaited Novogratz x Pooky collection of wireless outdoor lighting is finally available to the public, and it’s electrifying.

Power source constraints have long been the Achilles heel of homeowners attempting to add a little zhuzh to their outdoor spaces, relegated to incorporating zigzagging bistro lights and bland metallic tabletop options from big box stores. This stylish new collaboration allows indoor styling in outdoor spaces — and it’s actually affordable. With the priciest item in the collection topping out at just $425, expect to see this Round Top favorite popping up in tree branches and pergolas all over Houston. Not to mention impromptu sunset picnics in Menil Park — très chic!

Known for their color-forward approach to design, Robert and Cortney Novogratz’s brand, simply “The Novogratz,” has produced a fresh and sophisticated 14-piece collection for Pooky Lighting that blends traditional silhouettes with contemporary color. Utilizing their own playful “Antonine” fabric design in four colorways, including a delicate vintage pink option they’ve called “Blush,” there is something for everyone.

"We couldn't be more excited about our partnership with Pooky, drawing inspiration from our love of vibrant colors and outdoor living with hints of mid-century design. The collection beautifully blends our colorful, contemporary style with Pooky's elegant twist on traditional lighting, resulting in pieces that feel both fresh and sophisticated,” says Cortney Novogratz.

“What I love most is how we've brought much-needed color to outdoor spaces — especially that vintage-toned pink — and the way the cordless technology allows these stunning designs to enhance any gathering without limitations.”

The collection is available in four colorways: Blush, Denim, Moss, and Sand. The traditional-leaning “Stefan” lanterns come in small ($175), medium ($225), and large ($350). For a hanging application, color-matched lantern hooks are available for $50. Sure to be a hit at just $170, the “Tallulah” Jute Basket Pendant Lights add playful elegance to al fresco dining. The “Holleder” Standing Lamp sits at the top of the price range at $425, while the coordinating table lamp sits at $175. The second cordless table lamp option, “Oscar,” is $125. Three wall sconce styles are available: “Agnes” ($125), “Brandy” ($70), and the “Bellamy” Candle Sconce that is available in a brass finish for $95.

In addition to the lighting options, the collection includes decorative accents, such as the “Brandy” mirror ($395) for making sure everything is “just so” on balmy Bayou City nights, “Heidi” solar light strings ($165), and dinner candles packed in pairs for $5. Lampshades featuring The Novogratz “Antonine” fabric come in various sizes, in either Blush, Cappuccino, Seaview, or Sunshine (starting at $50).

Mix and match colors, styles, and shades for a bold, Maximalist look, or keep things clean and simple with a matching set, the possibilities are endless. Integrate hanging lanterns into a front yard landscaping theme, place floor lamps near the pool—toss out the rule book!

“We love how this collection encourages people to accessorize their outdoor space in the same creative way as their indoor rooms….the old rules of lighting no longer apply,” Pooky Lighting chief creative officer Jo Plant says. “There’s no reason why you can’t have a standing statement lamp next to your favorite lounger, or colorful table lamps and lamp shades over your outdoor dining table. We’re celebrating the joys of outdoor living and who better to do that with than The Novogratz who love color and pattern as much as we do.”

Photo by Amy Neunsinger

Cortney Novogratz proves nighttime picnics with the pups are easy with Stefan lanterns.

home-design furniture

gold pony club

Inside the creation of the rodeo cook-off’s most over-the-top tent

Courtesy of Cotton Holdings

The Gold Pony is the ultra-private VIP lounge behind the stage.

The Cotton Q Club is arguably the glitziest and most exclusive tent at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s annual World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest. Hosting nearly 800 invited guests-per-night, the 5,000-square-foot space includes a 50-foot bar, a new pop-up martini bar by Sophie Cocktail & Terrace Bar called “The Stirrup,” the ultra-exclusive “Gold Pony Club,” and a full stage for private concerts. This season, county music acts include Gabby Barrett, Sammy Kershaw, Josh Turner and Braxton Keith.

Aside from the obvious, what sets the club apart from the rest is the sheer magnitude of its operation. Once inside, guests are encapsulated by velvet-draped ceilings illuminated by crystal chandeliers, three-layer tartan-topped carpeting, richly-colored wooden-paneled walls, plus thousands of red roses swathed acrobatically throughout.

To coincide with the year of the horse, five enormous ponies made entirely of red roses have been suspended from the ceilings. The second additions this year hang on either side of the bar in The Gold Pony, the club’s even more exclusive VIP area. The kinetic artworks were created by Houston artist Sneha Merchant —all for a three day fête. This begs the question: how do they do it?

Cotton Holdings and its subsidiaries are well positioned to carry out the entire project themselves — so they do. Never bothered or besmirched by the possibility of running into issues with rental companies, everything at The Cotton Q Club is procured, purchased, and stored in-house. As one would expect from a company that provides disaster relief around the world.

“There is a lot of love and care put into this because we’re not in a hotel, we’re not in someone’s home,” Cotton Holdings chief marketing officer Zinat Ahmed tells CultureMap. “So for us to be able to create this entire infrastructure under a tent — down to the walls and chandeliers — it is much more than throwing a party. It’s about the details that make people feel that they are at a hotel, they are in an extravagant room, they are at The Polo Bar.”

Ahmed notes that a lot of the company’s culture is mixed into the tent, such as what Cotton does as a disaster relief company (including providing food by Cotton Culinary).

“Cotton Logistics puts up tents during a natural disaster. Seeing the Cotton team, whether it’s cleaning or moving things around, welcoming everyone, that’s part of our Cotton GDS — we restore communities after natural disasters. Our synergies in different parts of our day-to-day are here,” she says.

Ahmed’s team has complete creative control over the interior aesthetics of the club. Always sourcing anything that cannot be made in-house to local vendors is something she feels is important. Nothing is rented, not even the furniture or accessories.

“Every single thing, unless it was done by a local vendor, was done in-house: design, signage, execution — even the embroidery,” she explains

Everything is checked over during the summer months so there won’t be any surprises when the cook-off comes back around. Every item is organized, labeled, and stored either in Cotton’s warehouses, Conex boxes, or in special climate-controlled safes — down to the matchboxes.

“We are always prepared and ready to go,” explains Ahmed. “It’s not chaotic at all because we’re used to it — it’s a normal day at Cotton.”

When asked for her favorite parts of the tent this year, Ahmed readily answered that it has to be the five rose ponies in the main area of the club. Secondly, the two commissioned works by Sneha Merchant. Sprinkled in diamond dust, one is a female mallard wrapped in a boa, champagne flute in hand, while the other is a smartly-suited jackalope complete with cowboy hat and martini.

Both pieces are lit by antique sconces Ahmed sourced from Round Top, while the taxidermy Zebra heads are on loan from the Columbus, Texas ranch of Cotton Holdings’ Chairman Pete Bell.

“Every detail, down to the swatches of velvet has been thought of with a lot of love and care,” says Ahmed. “You use that mindset with something like this. So, if you have a mindset like before you deploy to a hurricane, you can do it for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.”

Courtesy of Cotton Holdings

The Gold Pony is the ultra-private VIP lounge behind the stage.

houston livestock show and rodeo home-design cotton holdings