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

Tiffany Fusilier and Andres Sanchez.

“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

the feel of cotton

Designer-loved Houston company makes custom bed sheets affordable

Photo by Michael Hunter

The Diamond Pique Collection boasts clean lines and a luxurious, sophisticated texture.

Cool, crisp, freshly-pressed white cotton sheets have secured themselves into the zeitgeist — it’s how the sensation of luxury actually feels, especially when retiring from Houston’s summer heat. Now, three local ladies with deep designer roots have joined forces to bring their attainable luxury bedding line, Look Linen Co., to market. Available online and through exclusive pop-ups, Look Linen Co. offers personalized products with personalized service.

Sylvia Longoria Dorsey and daughter Elizabeth Dorsey Fertitta joined forces with longtime friend and designer Lizzie Kappler to create a linen line that filled a gaping hole in the bedding market: local, affordable, personalizable bedding with reasonable lead times. Look Linen Co. has quickly become a designer darling due to their classic styles and stately embroidery — luckily, it’s available to everyone.

“It’s so complicated when you’re going through custom channels,” Kappler tells CultureMap. “Lead times are long and really expensive. We really wanted to bring luxury linens to the market that feel very custom and that are accessible and feel personal, but also attainable to our customer.”

With a generous 12 luxe embroidery color options, customization is key. “We spent a long time curating the color selections just based on what sold best from both of our [design] backgrounds,” says Kappler.

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All Look Linen Co. products are made of 100 percent long staple cotton, imported from Europe. Monogramming is done locally and completely in-house, which allows for their quick, two week (or less) turnaround time. Three classic styles — Banded, Scalloped, and Diamond Pique — are available, as well as a new floral addition, the Lucky Collection. The soft, delicate clover pattern found in Lucky is perfect for clients who prefer to mix-and-match their linens — especially pillows.

One of the several things setting Look Linen Co. apart from other boutique lines is their Dorm Shop. Fertitta notes that dorm room and sorority house bedding has become a booming market.

“These girls love to decorate their dorms,” she says. To cater to that market, Look Linen Co. offers extra-long twin bedding and a specialized, oversized pillow affectionately called “The Biggie” that can double as a headboard in a pinch. All customizable, of course.

The runaway hit product from Look Linen Co is the wildly popular, hourglass-shaped pillow called “The Boobie Pillow.” Designed to assist ladies of a certain age keep delicate décolletage skin from creasing, it also found another life as a post-surgery neck and shoulder pillow, amazing travel pillow, and so much more.

“We started hearing people were using them at MD Anderson: ‘I couldn’t make it through without this pillow,’ or ‘my husband used it after open heart surgery,’ etc. It has really taken on a life of its own,” says Fertitta. “It’s no longer what we intended it to be, but it’s so great, and a best seller. It makes a great gift, it’s almost like a lovey!”

For anyone curious which collection and embroidery color has been most popular, the answer is the Scallop Collection in Baby Blue, a classic choice. “Everyone loves a scallop,” says Kaplan — we tend to agree.

Photo by Michael Hunter

The Diamond Pique Collection boasts clean lines and a luxurious, sophisticated texture.

home-design