Whether at home, the office, the dog park or the ballpark, you're likely to hear the sniff … sniff … achoo! of a sneeze somewhere.The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America has named May as National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. Houston's allergy season started early this year, and many residents are still suffering. While you can't control tree pollen or the dust in the office, you can control the allergens in your home. Forty million to 50 million people in the U.S. are affected by allergies, say the Centers for Disease Control.Bryan Gene Thompson, managing director at Keep It Green Maids, said many of his clients have allergies."While a lot of people think an air-filtration system is the end-all solution to allergy-proof your home, ... Continue reading →

Houston Chronicle reporter Melanie Warner recently toured Fire Station No. 6 with its owner, Axiom President Tom Hair, but she had some unfinished business after leaving the station. Warner wanted to slide down the fire pole. But first things first. Warner, a senior reporter with the Chronicle whose blog, Design Houston, regularly appears on the newspaper's website, chron.com, interviewed Hair at the station last week. After a brief introduction to the building's exterior, Hair led Warner through the interior, pointing out the details of the mahogany windows, the mural-size photos on the walls, the reclaimed Cedar Bayou bricks and pinewood flooring, the unobstructed view of downtown Houston. All of this proved inspiring to many visitors at Fire Station No. 6. For Warner, the fire pole ... Continue reading →

A seemingly endless number of cozy window seats beckon for someone to curl up with a book. Three reclaimed-brick porches promise respite, with places to settle into a rocker and sip a cold mint julep. In fact, at every turn, the 4,777-square-foot house exudes Southern hospitality.The Southern Living Showcase Home in Bellaire - the first in the Houston area - is a model for architecture and craftsmanship as well as a source for décor ideas. The latest in the lifestyle magazine's construction and renovation program, it will be open for tours Saturdays-Sundays through May 20.The two-story house was designed by JKM Designs and constructed by Stone Acorn Builders; the firms incorporated reclaimed materials and green elements throughout. The décor is by Edwina Vidosh of Edwina ... Continue reading →

The sounds of the city - the hum of cars, the music of the light rail, chatter of people walking by and biking to-and-fro - define urban life. Add the convenience of less commuting and more dining-out options, and you'll understand why people across the country are choosing city life. Houston is no exception.On Saturday, the Centerpoint Energy Downtown Home Tour will afford Houstonians a peek into private living spaces in some of downtown's most desirable residential buildings. The self-guided tour includes Bayou Lofts, Commerce Towers, National Cash Register Building, City View Lofts, Four Seasons Residences, Hermann Lofts, Houston House and Post Rice Lofts.In half of the nation's 50 largest metropolitan areas, the share of downtown residential construction has more than doubled since 2000, according ... Continue reading →

Russell Montgomery of Serenity Knives forges a knife shown. He makes custom, handcrafted knives for chefs, at home cooks and hunters. ( Melissa Phillip / Houston Chronicle ) On May 24, 2011, Russell Montgomery took fate into his own hands. He quit his job of more than 10 years as a store manager at Starbucks and became a full-time bladesmith. For years, Montgomery collected high-end, custom, handmade knives; but over time, his passion for collecting led him to create the utilitarian wares under the auspice of Serenity Knives. Houston hunters, at-home cooks, collectors and chefs already are familiar withMontgomery’s handiwork. More recently, local foodies are experiencing the joy of cutting at Oxheart, the new downtown eatery for which Montgomery designed and crafted a line of ... Continue reading →

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Lawndale Design Fair 2012 celebrates modern Over the weekend, Lawndale Art Center featured vintage and contemporary modern design from Texas and beyond for its Design Fair 2012. Wares ranged from contemporary handscreened, handpainted pillows by Rusty Arena of Arena Design, luxe vintage modern pieces by Forma Revivo, curated by owner, founder and conservator Dutch Small, as well as a collection of furniture and accessories in the medium to highend category of vintage modern by Reeves Antiques and Cool Stuff all Houston-based. If you didn’t make it to the event, enjoy this gallery of a few of the goods on display: Lawndale Design Fair 2012 Posted by melaniespencer on April 30, 2012 at 1:36 pm | Permalink | Leave a comment Categories: GeneralTags: arena designs, decorating, ... Continue reading →

Lawndale Art Center If the mere mention of design superstars such as Ward Bennet and Karl Springer set your heart aflutter, you’ll want to clear your calendar this week. The Lawndale Art Center is hosting its meticulously curated Design Fair 2012, which kicks off Wednesday at 6:30 at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Brown Auditorium with a free lecture by Evan Lobel. Lobel is founder of the New York-based Lobel Modern, which specialized in furniture, lighting and art by designers from the 1940s thru the 1980s including Tommi Parzinger, Vladimir Kagan and the aforementioned Karl Springer. In his talk, “Important Design from the 70′s and 80s. Lobel will discuss the designs of Karl Springer, Philip and Kelvin Laverne and Ward Bennett. Friday, sip, shop ... Continue reading →