don't spare the waterworks

Design experts and real estate pros celebrate posh plumbing brand's Houston return

For many people, their homes are the largest and most significant investments they make. While a trusted broker is there to guide the selection of the initial investment, be sure not to overlook how certain designer finishes guarantee top-dollar when it’s time to sell — now, or one-hundred years from now. Choosing a designer with experience utilizing investment-worthy finishes certainly helps.

Ultra-luxe hotels and spas often inspire design for private homes, especially the bathrooms. Check the pulse of anyone who doesn’t let out an audible gasp when visiting any outpost of Soho House, one of the 27 Auberge Resort locations, or perhaps something closer to home, Houston’s own Lancaster Hotel. What these properties have in common is who they trust to do their outfitting — Waterworks.

Houston designers were devastated to lose our Waterworks showroom in 2009. After years of constant courtship by Elegant Additions owner Julie Koch, they have returned. The boutique Waterworks showroom could not be more at home in the historic building in the Heights that Elegant Additions occupies. Seeing the brand’s beautiful forms and finishes juxtaposed with the building’s exposed historical brickwork is just the classical vibe one expects from the 46-year-old plumbing institution. While the showroom is only open to the trade, designers, contractors, and builders can schedule appointments for clients who want to see these products before deciding to purchase them.

With little more than an arts background and a loan, Barbara Sallick founded Waterworks in 1978 inside her father’s pipe fitting outfit. Sallick’s vision of elevating plumbing fixtures into works of art has grown into the world famous and beloved brand known today. Completely customizable, the 27-step artisanal manufacturing process takes place in one of four countries: Italy, France, Portugal, or the UK — completely dependent on the collection. With an international reputation for quality, it’s safe to say that Sallick's risk has paid off.

Last Friday, designers and luxury real estate professionals were invited to welcome Waterworks back to Houston. Graciously co-hosted by Compass broker Caroline Bean and famed interior designer Paloma Contreras, Elegant Additions invited Miranda Ness, senior managing boutique partner for Waterworks, as keynote speaker for a morning salon focused on the company’s role within luxury property ROI. She noted its track record of a minimum $400 return for every $100 spent on Waterworks products.

Invitees enjoyed delectably curated bites by chef Jo Celestrini while mingling amongst themselves and their hosts. While neither Contreras nor Bean spoke during the event, each talked to CultureMap about the subject of brand recognition within the luxury home sphere.

Photo by Andy Phan

Paloma Contreras, Natalie Steen, and Caroline Bean.

“In the world of luxury real estate, high-end fixtures are more than just finishing touches; they are statements of quality that significantly enhance the value of a home,” Bean says. “When it comes time to list your home, these premium upgrades not only attract discerning buyers, but also ensure a higher return on investment, elevating your property to the next level.”

Contreras added her thoughts on why certain brands perform better than others. "Waterworks is a heritage brand that seamlessly merges timeless design with the highest quality. I know that when I specify Waterworks for my clients, they will be getting something that will stand the test of time.

“Their product assortment runs the gamut from classic to transitional to modern, so I can always find something to suit the projects I am working on. The fact that the brand has such distinct name recognition is the cherry on the sundae as my clients understand that they are making a solid investment in their homes."

Guests were generously sent home with a goody bag and a copy of Sallick’s coffee table book: The Ultimate Bath by Rizzoli. Leafing through it, one can see how fixtures truly are the jewelry of the home. If incorporating elegant, artisan crafted fixtures to a home in order to increase resale value, while introducing beauty, Waterworks is the way to go — ask any designer, especially Paloma Contreras.

designer finishes luxury real estate waterworks showroom elegant fixtures the-heights

respectful design

New Montrose studio brings bespoke European design to Houston

Photo by Laurie Perez

Armazem.design is located in the historic Winlow Westheimer buildings.

Houston’s newest interior design showroom is a dazzling display of how historic preservation and swanky European design can slip into a harmonious dialogue that quietly dismisses the longstanding notion that contemporary furniture has no place within the oftentimes rigid constraints of a traditional home.

Tucked between The Upper Hand Salon and The Phoenix Pub in the historic Winlow Westheimer buildings, Armazem.design is a lifestyle design boutique carrying elevated European design and architectural solutions from century-old brands such as Arclinia, Lema, Barausse, Foscarini, Gaggeneau, and Sub-Zero Wolf.

The name Armazem pays homage to founder and principal Jon Fante’s Brazilian roots. Traditionally, armazems were community cornerstones — general stores where people not only shopped but also learned, connected, and built long-term relationships. Appropriate then, that Fante would choose to nestle himself between a salon and a pub, two businesses that are traditional archetypes for familiarity and community.

Armazem.design is set up like a bespoke home as opposed to a traditional contemporary design concept space. With everything from stately 1920s Victorians to cozy 1930s bungalows still in play in Montrose, setting up shop in a “Houston Browns” brick building from the 1930s — complete with original wide plank floors, exposed brick interior, and open rafter ceilings — allows clients to get a genuine feel for how the product lines work within the framework of these older homes.

Fante, who was born, raised, and educated as a civil engineer in Brazil, came to the States in 2006 to handle US operations for Florense. Fante retired from his position as CEO in 2017 to start Armazem.design in Chicago. The decision to expand to Houston is something that Fante says was a no-brainer, as Houston has been moving towards a more contemporary style overall.

“What we are trying to show here is that you don’t have to be in the extremes. You don’t have to be in the extremes of classic American design, which is beautiful, and what is also perceived here as European design, which is super contemporary, which is also beautiful,” Fante tells CultureMap. “There is a breadth of solutions in the inbetween.”

The buildout for Armazem.design takes clients on a journey through two kitchens, a living room, dining room, generously-appointed closet and dressing space, home office, and casual den space, all outfitted with wall units, complex storage solutions, and warm, comfortable furnishings. Formerly open spaces have been divided into distinct concepts using architectural partitions that can be designed for any space.

Every aspect of Armazem.design is custom made to order. The design may follow a more European school, but there are wooden elements and handmade objects that protect their environment from the contemporary curse of feeling cold, uninviting, or institutional. With lead times around three to four months, going bespoke here is as accessible as placing orders from mainstream retailers.

“While there is a focus on kitchens, there are a lot of different products that we bring,” says Fante. “We are a showroom that is focused on interior architectural applications for home. We have partners in doors, partitions, wall paneling, closets — there is a lot. We got this historical place in Montrose and we made it as a home. We want people to walk in and feel like they could live here. It’s very comprehensive.”

The owners of the building are currently working with the city to gain historical recognition, something that would mean a lot for the neighborhood, and to Fante.

“We were very lucky to find this space. We preserved every historical element in the showroom — you see these very rustic floors, these floors are almost 100 years old.” Fante discovered more of the historic “Houston Browns” brick during the renovation (the classic Houston brick has been out of production for decades), all hidden behind swathes of drywall. “We ripped that all out to expose the true character of the space,” Fante explains. “Of course we kept the brick.”

Fante shares that the decision to restore the building led to a phrase from an architect in their Chicago showroom that has remained their motto here in Montrose: “Let’s not bully the space, let’s respect it.” That’s a sentiment that the entire neighborhood can get behind.

Armazem.design is located at 1911 Westheimer Road and is open Monday through Friday from 9 am-5 pm.

Photo by Laurie Perez

Armazem.design is located in the historic Winlow Westheimer buildings.

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