Interior designer of international renown Martyn Lawrence Bullard had one word of advice for Houston-based design talent Lucinda Loya. "Hotels." As he perused her cutting-edge, whimsical home, he praised her creativity and talent suggesting that she reach beyond residential interior design into the commercial realm.

Bravo's Million Dollar Decorators co-host was in Houston for a book signing and program at the Houston Design Center, focusing on his latest coffee table tome Live, Love & Decorate. Extending an official Lone Star welcome, Lucinda and Javier Loya hosted an elegant Mexican buffet in his honor and invited in swell friends and local design world figures.

It was a special night all around as the affable Bullard signed books and discussed his new line of jewelry to be launched at Bergdorf's in September. In fact, he wore a unisex ring from the collection and carried a pocket watch he designed, literally in his breast pocket. Bullard so admired the Sandra Ling bracelet that Kimberly DeLape was wearing that she took it off and gave it to him. He was thrilled.

Only hours earlier, Lucinda had taken a leap in her design business, wrangling Design Center owner Grant Roane into favorable terms for a lease for office space. She had sworn that she would never move her business from her home that she had designed with a home office. But her work has grown to the point that more space is necessary. Grant and his wife, Sheri Roane, were among the party guests.

Welcoming Bullard were Barbara Davis, Ericka Bagwell and Alex Klein, Alton LaDay, Jonathan Glus, Saba Jawda, Matthew Ginzberg, Gary Blackshire, Lynne T. Jones and Lucinda's design team — Heather Hill, Stephanie Bowles and Jessica Fontenot.