Buildings We Have a Crush On

February 10, 2016October 20, 2017Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Let’s say you have an architecture-loving friend coming to Houston for the weekend. You want our hometown to be seen in the best possible light. What buildings would you choose to represent Houston? Would you do a Heights crawl, street by street? Include the Astrodome? Visit the Beer Can House? Drive...

Winter Dreams

January 26, 2016October 20, 2017Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Come winter, there’s a little less to do in the garden. This is the time I walk around, notepad in hand, planning ambitious beds and making lists, even while taking a break from the actual digging and planting. It’s time to daydream and, yes, even pre-order some strange and ugly bits...

All That Glitters is Green

December 7, 2015October 20, 2017Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Click images for source Your house is all decorated, full of holiday greenery and ready for family and guests. There’s an evergreen swag across the mantle and garland wrapped around the banister, a wreath on the front door and the tallest Christmas tree your living room ceiling can accommodate. It looks...

What’s the Difference? A Guide to Art Nouveau and Art Deco

November 28, 2015April 16, 2023Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Click images for source What’s the difference between Art Nouveau and Art Deco? Many people, even some professional designers, are often flummoxed by the difference between the two styles. Here’s how to tell them apart. Art Nouveau is the older of the two styles, but it overlapped with the Art Deco...

The Long Sleep

October 31, 2015October 20, 2017Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Photo slideshow by Cameron Ansari. Click other images for source. Our recent Facebook re-post of a Curbed.com article about the oldest house in New York City noted that the little wood house in Queens has its own cemetery on the property dating back to the 1700s. That inspired a lively debate...

12 Nosy Questions for Brian McCarthy

October 6, 2015October 20, 2017Teresa Byrne-Dodge

New York interior designer Brian McCarthy arrives in Houston on Thursday, October 8, for a series of Texas appearances to celebrate the publication of his new book Parish-Hadley Tree of Life. Among his stops: The Lobby at Greenwood King, where he will discuss time spent with the legendary design firm and...

Gardening with Dogs

October 5, 2015October 20, 2017Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Several years ago, after closing on our new house, I looked at my garden and decided it needed a dog. Not a tidy little dog – we already had a perfectly fine miniature schnauzer, not to mention two cats – but a nice big lummox of a dog: a German shepherd....

Et tu, Houston?

October 5, 2015October 20, 2017Teresa Byrne-Dodge

For anyone who loves a great Caesar salad, Houston’s annual Caesar Salad Competition is a must-see — or, make that, a must-taste. This Friday, October 9, marks the 31st annual staging of this madcap toss-up, which, so far as I can ascertain, is the oldest Caesar salad competition in the United...

Living with a Pond

August 31, 2015October 20, 2017Teresa Byrne-Dodge

When we moved in, the goldfish pond was a wreck with about 10 inches of fetid water, mucky with decayed leaves – and who knows what else? – brewing in the bottom. It didn’t bubble like some antediluvian swamp, but it was almost that bad. The wiring for the pump was...

Where the Magic Happens: The Roca Brothers

August 26, 2015October 20, 2017Teresa Byrne-Dodge

If you’re a Houston foodie, you are no doubt aware that Spain’s three Roca brothers (photo below), whose restaurant El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain, is widely regarded as the best restaurant in the world, are back in Houston. They have spent the last three days (August 24-26) participating...