Jill Brown and Her Lighting Store: brown

  brown, the lighting and antique emporium

After approaching Jill Brown for an interview, she graciously suggested that we talk over lunch at her house.  Jill is the owner of brown, Houston’s most distinctive lighting and antiques store.  She is an extremely interesting woman and someone I have longed admired.  A true visionary, ahead of the trends, Jill has created a brand that is uniquely her own.   To be sure, there no other place quite like brown.

Jill Brown’s house.  Instead of a concrete sidewalk, slate chips make up the path that leads to the house.  

                                      

As soon as I pulled onto her street, I knew immediately which house was hers.  In a neighborhood filled with 50’s ranches, Jill’s facade quietly announces someone with style lives within its walls.   After a wonderful lunch of homemade soup and baked pie, we got down to business:   her childhood was spent in the Ohio farming country, where her love of Americana began.   She says she born with a gift for merchandising and her early work was in that field.  Along the way, she married and had two sons who are now both in college.   At one point, the family transferred to Houston.    Soon after settling here,  Foster, her husband, announced one day that they were all moving to Belgium.  At this point, Jill had become a “picker” – someone who, before the days of the internet, would scout out antiques in attics and basements and sell them to the design trade.   Could an antique picker be happy in Belgium, of all places?    Once there, Jill at first felt quite lost, until that is, she discovered the country was filled with antiques.  She quickly began buying - stashing her loot in the basement and in every available inch of space.  To her husband, she said only, “trust me” – which he did.   Jill found she was especially drawn to lighting fixtures and industrial goods – little did she realize at that time, that she was at the forefront, nay, even before the forefront, of several major design trends.  

 “Welcome Joni” was written on the chalkboard.    As Jill’s sons grew older, she decided to sell the family home and move to this slightly smaller house in a nearby neighborhood.  The house was totally remodeled to suit Jill’s aesthetic, but a few parts were left untouched, such as the original metal casement windows with their hand cranked hardware. 

The Browns spent four happy years abroad and Jill’s business took off.   Tragedy struck unexpectedly when her beloved Foster suddenly passed away.   It’s been five years since, and Jill is only just now beginning to feel ready to get back to the business of life.   She has since raised her sons alone, and used her store to escape from  sadness.   Through lots of very hard physical work and mental stress, her business has grown beyond her dreams.   Where she once rented space in an antique store, Jill now has her own prominent location on a tree-lined street filled with other specialty shops.  

brown is stocked with all the things that Jill loves.  Indeed being in shop is almost like being in her home  – there are her lighting fixtures, both old and new, some designed by others, and many designed by Jill herself.   Old mirrors and new brass cooking pots share space with metals – iron, pewter, and zinc.  Large industrial pieces fashioned into useful furniture are juxtaposed against charming, vintage teaching charts.  Though Jill has never been one to follow trends, brown finds itself at the epicenter of two major design styles that has swept the country:  the Belgian and Industrial looks.  Perhaps, Jill was just lucky to be in Belgium before it was hot, or perhaps she is a genius at merchandising.    Either way, there is no denying  that the lanterns she has been selling for years is now THE one  fixture to own, or that the teaching charts she has collected for decades are now being massed reproduced, or that the Industrial look she has lived with in her home is now favored by the younger, hipper crowd.  And certainly, Belgium, the country where she once bought and hoarded everything in sight, could not be any hotter today.   Amazing foresight, Jill!

The first things you see when entering Jill’s house are these two charming folk art paintings.   Old?  Actually, no – these were commissioned by Jill’s mother.  The one on the right commemorates Jill and Foster’s wedding.  These two paintings set the tone of the house:  a mixture of Americana and Belgian,  antique and industrial.  The tones are muted, there is nothing bright nor shiny here.  The colors throughout are a blend of khaki, taupe, sage, mustard, and of course, brown.   There is a masculine feel to the collections – Jill certainly doesn’t go in for frou-frou.  The interiors are as unique as she is and are a direct reflection of her style.

In the family room – open to the kitchen and eating area – a large, file cabinet brought back from Belgium is typical of the industrial pieces found at brown.

Interesting vignettes are at every corner, on every wall – here, a pair of lamps are made from 1950’s l’art populaire.

 

The breakfast table – with our empty lunch dishes - sits in front of a built in banquette.   Hanging on the wall is a fractions teaching chart, one of many found throughout her home and store.  Can you see what I drank with lunch?

Wonderful, oversized linen cloths are used for napkins.   Everything in the house – every item – is handpicked by Jill.  Nothing ends up here by chance.   It is all, down to the smallest detail,  an expression of Jill’s style.

For instance – there are no cooking pots that just “happen” to be here.  Instead – all pots are these gorgeous, glorious copper ones – which she sells in her store.  These are seriously beautiful  - and I have my eye on them!  Too bad I don’t cook!!!!

 

Jill pays her bills at the bar in her kitchen – notice the charming vintage chair and metal bin.  She has an extensive pewter collection – a few pieces of which sit on the windowsill. 

 

The laundry room is separated from the kitchen/breakfast area by a curtain made of linen.  This linen is found in every room – as curtains, as pillows, and on upholstery.  The linen serves as a continuous theme throughout the home.

The main living/dining room is filled with the hand-picked items that Jill collects for her house and store.  The striking rug is American – hand hooked - and sets the color scheme for the house.    The sofa is antique, upholstered in the same linen that hangs at the windows throughout.  Two oversized pieces capture the eye:  the cabinet on the left and the large, custom lantern over the dining table behind the sofa.  

Jill designed the oversized lantern that is the focal point in the room.  She likes the tension that is created by large and small scaled items.  American chairs surround the table. 

In the dining area – a wonderful antique French-Canadian bench sits underneath a beautifully framed, large teaching chart. 

Another interesting vignette features an old folding table  - a piece Jill particularly likes.  Notice that one picture on the left hangs up high on the wall, and on the right, one hangs very low.  Throughout the house – Jill hangs her extensive collection of art both extremely high and low.   Also, notice the lamp cords which sparked an interesting discussion.  As a lighting fixture designer, Jill sees beauty in each part of the fixture, including the cords and prefers not to hide them.    Indeed – many  bloggers have written about the  beauty of vintage lamp parts – i.e. silk cords, etc. – so Jill is not alone in her opinion.

Another shot of the symmetrically laid out dining area with its wonderful lantern.   The two portraits appear to be old, but were painted in the 60s.  The wonderful casement  window is original to the house.

The opposite end of the living/dining room boasts floor to ceiling built in bookcases filled with treasures that caught Jill’s eye.  Sconces from Jill’s own lighting line, Far-Fetched, hang from the shelves.  Between the bookcases, you can see Jill and Foster’s wedding painting, with a charming chest below it. 

 

Another vignette, with yet another vintage iron folding table and oversized teaching chart – this one is about coral!

The hallway leading to the bedrooms is a gallery-like space, filled with the vintage juried art school pieces that Jill collects.

The sink counter in her sons’ bathroom was fashioned from a scrap piece of metal found in the backyard.  Notice the heavy-duty racks, holding the linen towels.

 

This armoire hold bath towels in the boys’ bathroom.  More graded art school pieces and framed work from her sons’ youth line the walls.  There is very little wall space left available anywhere in the house, so extensive is Jill’s collection.

Each son has one of a pair of these very high twin beds  -  painted a chalky, deep red.    This son’s walls are lined with the beautiful vintage diplomas of homing pigeons – another genre of art that Jill collects .  Very rare, she might be the only person who does collect them!  

 

A corner filled with the homing pigeon diplomas and portraits.  Judging homing pigeons is a  popular sport in Belgium.   I must say, I had never before seen this genre of art – yet it is quite beautiful and I can truly understand Jill’s obsession.

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Jill’s bedroom is the most colorful room in the house – I love the fabrics she has chosen to use on her bed!  Again, a very symmetrical arrangement with corner windows identically covered with tortoise shades and the linen curtains found throughout.

Continuing the colorful theme, Jill’s bathroom curtains are made from vintage fabric.  I love the hat box on the old stool.

Landscape architect Mark McKinnon designed this area between the house and the garage.   I love the crushed slate and the concrete slabs between the row of shade trees.  McKinnon also landscaped Jill’s store.

At the back of the yard, another seating area, this time with a fountain.

So, what does Jill’s store look like? 

 

brown is located on a busy corner.  It’s distinctive landscaping, again designed by McKinnon, is similar in feel to that found at her home.   Notice the different materials used in front of the shop:  slate chips, Zoysia grass, Bermuda grass, mulch, and Ruellia form a grid, not unlike a Mondorian painting.

Inside the front main room.   The floors are wood and very echoing, adding a pleasant, solid sound to the shop.  The two main rooms have soaring ceilings up to the rafters that are lit by large sky lights.   Besides lighting fixtures of every imaginable kind, brown sells antiques and soon-to-be antiques. 

Of course Jill sells old teaching charts – from the extra large to the small.

The second showroom.

 

Here, a display of bottles.  In her home, Jill’s bedroom lamp is made from one of these. 

Here is just a small selection of the many lanterns for sale. 

  

Sconces – you need sconces?   brown has a huge assortment of sconces.   Also for sale are the beautiful copper pots Jill cooked my soup in  -  I want these!!!

Antique mirrors stack up along one wall. 

One of my favorite fixtures in the store is this antique crystal chandelier.  The crystals, especially the small round ones, are so beautiful.

So what do you do if want to buy something from brown, but you don’t live in Houston?  There is always the web site, of course, but brown is now listed with 1st Dibs.  I love these sconces found on brown’s 1st Dibs site.

 

A great set of chairs, available from 1st Dibs.

One of the many mirrors available from brown on 1st Dibs.

  

And of course – there are all kinds of teaching charts for sale!  This one really caught my eye.

 

A while ago, I decorated a high rise apartment for a woman who loves to play cards.  We turned her dining room into a part-time poker parlor – the table had to be round,  seat eight,  and the lighting had to bright enough to read cards.  I looked for months for a special light fixture for the space – which is open to the apartment.   The colors in the room are a deep grey-green with terracotta accents.  When I walked into brown and saw this fixture – I knew immediately it was the “one.”  The oversized fixture came from Belgium, it’s brass had a very heavy and beautiful patina.    My client was almost as thrilled as I was,  just almost, though.  There is nothing that beats the thrill of the hunt – when successful.  Thanks to Jill Brown – her ability to pick the best – made it a most fortuitous day.

For more information on Jill and brown, go to the web site here.     Also – be sure to visit her store on 1st Dibs, here.  Paloma from La Dolce Vita wrote a fabulous blog about brown, here.

A House for Sale in Illinois

 

 

Angela, a reader from Houston, who is also now a client, emailed me the link to this house for sale in Illinois.  Listed for a cool $9.5 million – the house is 11,000 sq. ft of French styling.  While most Mac Mansions of this size are usually decorated with store bought furniture inspired by Tuscany – this decor is actually more Shabby Chic meets Sweden, an unusual combination for a house with this square footage.  Though the interiors are rather austere, it does have a certain “look” that Cote de Texas readers might enjoy……so, enjoy!

 

 

The charming facade boasts French blue shutters – a hint of things to come.  The exterior is stone, with antique wrought iron accents, copper gutters, and a crowning cupola.    The attached garage has vintage styled carriage doors.  The driveway and paths are crushed gravel – an authentic French detail.   The house is U-shaped and the front area is enclosed behind short stone walls thus creating a courtyard effect. 

 

 

At the front of the property, hidden behind a hedge of evergreen, is the obligatory tennis courts. 

 

 

The entry hall:  a large lantern, an oversized antique mirror,  and a French baker’s table greet visitors.  The walls throughout are stark white,    the trim is painted a light French gray and the floors are radiant heated limestone.    Straight ahead is the dining room with views towards the large backyard.   To the left is the powder room, which has a lounge area for guests.

 

The  stair hall is to the immediate right of the entry hall – lanterns and iron railings make this authentically French looking.   The sunroom shown here, with its black and white flooring, is next to the dining room and leads straight off the front hall.   The furnishings in this vast house are rather sparse.   But, realize, the house is only three years old –  I’m sure it is nearly impossible to furnish a house this size in such a short amount of time.  It’s a shame the owners are selling  – I would love to see the house after the family has lived here for a decade – imagine how lovely it would be, filled with the collections of a lifetime - all the art,  accessories and furnishings that are added to a home over the years!!

 

 

The main living room with its coffered ceiling.  This room leads off to the right of the entry and stair hall and overlooks both the front courtyard and the backyard.   A skirted table placed under a large crystal chandelier divides the space into two areas.       A Gustavian sofa sits next to the fireplace.   Beyond the back arches is the two story library.  If this was my house – I would add area rugs to help warm up the interiors.  Also, I would paint the trim much lighter and I would tone down the wall color a bit to a less bright white.  Additionally – the blue upholstery would go bye-bye.   It’s a little too sweet for my taste.  I adore all the antique, wood chairs and all the lighting fixtures.  Certainly– this decor is a refreshing change from what one usually sees in homes of this size.

 

 

The two story library on the other side of the living area.  This room over looks the front courtyard and is striking with its zebra skin, French desk, sconces, mirror, and lantern.  Elements in the house were collected all over America – from other estates and antiques stores.

 

The dining area – a large wood table sits underneath a crystal chandelier.  An antique settee takes the place of chairs.  Both this room and the adjoining sun room overlook the backyard and swimming pool

 

 

Adjoining the dining room is the step-down sunroom with its distinctive black and white stone floor.  The architecture of the house is gorgeous, with its beamed ceilings and tall French doors.  I like the arches that separate the rooms.  Again, these rooms are lacking rugs and curtains, and all the rooms seem to need just a bit more furniture to fill up the space and create a more homey atmosphere.   I do, though,  like the furniture style that has been chosen – it fits in perfectly with the architectural style.

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The sunroom – with its gorgeous limestone, 12 ft. tall fireplace.   This photograph really highlights how bare some rooms are.  I would love to see this room fully designed – this is such a beautiful space!

 

Right off the sunroom, overlooking the backyard, is this covered porch with its stone arches.  The blue theme from inside is carried out here.

 

 

Past the arches in the dining room, is the butlers pantry which leads to the kitchen and it’s keeping room.  The kitchen is a masterpiece of white, heavily-veined, Carrara marble.  Carrara marble like this is no longer available from the quarries.  Instead, the Carrara marble that is now available is gray, with indistinct veining.   Calcutta marble is a good substitute for Carrara in order to get the distinctive veining, but beware, Calcutta is almost three times the cost of Carrara!!!!    

 

 

The stove – seen here – is a classic French LaCornue unit, with a 60 inch hood.   Is there a more beautiful cooking range?    The wall behind the range is lined with subway tile and the counters are stainless steel.  A professional rotisserie is seen just to the left.  In the butler’s pantry there is a professional coffee bar.  I wish all the pictures were this large and clear – half were, and half weren’t!

 

 

The adjacent breakfast room boasts a table with another Carrara marble top and white slipcovered chairs.  Notice the wonderful storage under the island.  On the right – just barely visible are the built-in “armoires” which house the refrigerator and freezer.  I think this kitchen is beautiful!!

 

 

 

The keeping room has a large limestone fireplace topped by a mirror, and open shelves, backed by bead board, which showcase an extensive collection of ironstone.  A trendy lantern lights this area that is filled with white slipcovered furniture.  The ottoman is from Shabby Chic – the “Ella Bench” and the sofa is their “Elegant Sofa.”   Again – an area rug is needed here – I would use large seagrass matting, or perhaps the thicker apple matting to provide much needed texture.  I would put in curtains to further warm up the room – and books need to be placed in the shelves.   All this would add much needed texture and warmth.  While this room is somewhat more cozy than the rest of the house, the large scale of this room and, truly, all the other rooms, prohibit any real sort of warmness, which is a hazard inherent with such sized room.  This is especially true when light stone floors  and white walls are used.    Also – I do think with rooms this big – there is a need for more furniture just to fill up the empty spaces.    This room could handle two large sofas and two oversized armchairs and ottomans, a game table, side tables, sofa tables, lamps, a screen – the list is endless!   But then again – I’m not a minimalist – and this might be clouding my judgment.

 

Outside the kitchen and keeping room is an outdoor kitchen and eating area shaded by a pergola.  The large  limestone table is surrounded by the types of chairs found in French parks. 

 

Upstairs, the master bedroom is quite lovely with its needlepoint rug and downy linens and slipcovers.  The caned bed appears to come from Shabby Chic.   There are even curtains here!   The carved fireplace mantel adds to the warm atmosphere found in this bedroom.  The softly curved ceiling is very soothing.    The upstairs interiors  are a departure in feel from the downstairs – the dark wood floors are the primary reason, along with the rugs and curtains used throughout the upper floor.  This bedroom is very, very nice!

 

The dressing area – the vanity/closet holds the purses for the lady of the house.  I would love to have a dressing room like this!!!  Apparently, there is also a breakfast bar, refrigerator and dishwasher in this room.  The pink rug is the perfect touch in such a feminine space.

 

That was the dressing room – this is the closet!!!!!  OK – I really could use this closet!  This I love!!!!!  What space  - - super dreamy!!!!  The windows are on both sides of the closet, bathing it in natural light.    The French door at the back of the room overlooks the front yard and the tennis courts.  The side windows overlooks the front courtyard. 

 

The front facade:   the master closet is above the garage – the room on the left with the dormer windows.  The French door at the end of the closet is seen here with its balcony which overlooks the tennis courts.

 

 

The master bathroom:  again – a needlepoint, Aubusson-styled rug is used here.  The bath tub is placed in a tiled alcove.  Notice the marble treatments on the vanities – this is a favorite of mine - where the fabricator cuts the stone is a softly, arching shape – simply beautiful.  The faucets are Perrin and Rowe, polished nickel.  Notice too the arched niches above the sink, with their ledges made of the Carrara marble and the small circular window above.  An armoire holds all the towels and a center table holds the soaps.     The floor is wood – which is unusual for a bath - but so beautiful, it really warms up the room!   This bathroom is perfect, to my eye!

 

The upstairs hallway continues the white walls with French gray trim seen downstairs.  Rows of lanterns and arches break up the large expanse of ceiling.

 

The back facade and pool area.  The dining room is right in the middle where the raised, stone terrace is.  To the left is the black and white floored sunroom, while the kitchen and keeping room is at the far right.  The master bedroom with its iron balcony is upstairs on the right, above the kitchen area.   Matching, symmetrical wood pergolas are placed on the very left and very right of the house.

 

Wisteria climbs up the pergola.  And notice that charming pool room – it looks like a doll’s house.

 

This house is located on three acres in the heart of Lake Forest, Illinois.  What isn’t shown here sounds just as impressive:  the basement contains a bar, a wine cellar, a wine tasting room, a movie theatre, a gym with pilates equipment, a spa with sauna, stream and massage equipment, a laundry room, and more.  There are a total of six fireplaces, 14 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, and 3 half baths.   I wish there were pictures of the basement and all those wonderful spaces.  

Must be nice!!!   In fact, it must be very, very nice.

If you are interested in purchasing this house (!) see the realtor’s web site here.   And thanks Angela for the heads-up!!

Katie did – She Really Did

 

 

Most design blogs are written by people who love interior design.  Few, though, are written by actual interior designers themselves – true designers who make a living from the profession.  Those few standout designers who do write blogs bring a unique quality to the world of the design blogosphere.  Instead of posting endless pictures of other people’s work – they are able to show images of their own design, and thus, explain the process to us – help us understand how they came up with the design, what was their inspiration, what were their sources, and how we can emulate their design in our own homes.  

 

The beautiful Katie, captured by Gina Silvernale for 1st Dibs

 Katiedid is one such interior designer blogger.  We both started out about the same time and became email buds along the way.   Katie Denham, aka Katiedid, is endlessly talented – a fact her readers have gleaned from the occasional pictures she has shown of her own home’s remodeling.  A few months ago, she took her readers through the process of her c0mplete kitchen make-over and the results were stunning.  The final reveal pictures of  her kitchen and butler’s pantry belong in the best design magazine out there.   There have been other snapshots of  her wonderful turn-of-the-century house in Sacramento that she shares with her husband and two daughters:   pictures of vignettes in her entry way,  her living room, her daughters’ rooms, the landscaping.  All have provoked a feeling of longing to see more of her work.  Up until now though, Katie has been reluctant to let her readers view her professional work – you see, she works for a large interior design firm and there are bosses and privacy issues, etc.  Until now, that is.   Until the  Cosmo Cafe.

Recently, Katie casually revealed a party she attended of a newly opened restaurant in her home town - the  Cosmo Cafe.  She quietly mentioned that she actually was a senior designer on the project.    I was floored.   This project was huge – it was very impressive.   Very.  Katie has been keeping quite a secret from her readers – the secret of her talent.   Katie is too humble to brag about her talent, so I’m going to do it for her.   Let me tell you - if I had designed this restaurant, I’d be bragging about it for months!!!!!    As an interior designer myself, I look at the pictures of the Cosmo Cafe in total awe and admiration.  Interior Design like this is not easy to do, people, trust me!   I am so happy for Katie – I could burst!   So, enjoy these pictures of the Cosmo Cafe, and be sure to check out her blog where she talks about the project in more depth, here and here.

Congratulations Katie!   You deserve it!!!

 

The Cosmo Cafe – with its distinctive black and white mosaic tiled floor and chartreuse upholstery.

 

The front waiting area  - pedigreed contemporary furniture.   I love that banquette!

 

Another shot of the dining room, with its classic white table cloths.

 

The Cosmo Cafe is located in d0wntown Sacramento in a restored building.  The blown up historical pictures in the booths’ niches reflect it’s storied past.

 

A wide shot of the restaurant with its distinctive lighting and floor.  Notice the large C in the entry way’s floor.  Also notice the beautiful wood walls that play against the contemporary feel of the restaurant.   Ying and Yang.  Just beautiful!

 

 

At the opening night party at the Cosmo Cafe, Katie posed with Kevin Johnson, the former NBA player who was just elected Mayor of Sacramento!

 

Another picture from the opening night party – check out the red-soled Louboutin shoes!   Too funny!

 

Katie’s house:  Katie changes the decor of this console with the season.  Here, she styled it for Christmas with a unique, lighted Empire State Building, candles and antique books.

 

 Here, Katie styled the console with branches and shells.

 

And here – for fall, grasses and pumpkins!

 

Katie lives in a beautiful turn-of-the-century home that she has been remodeling.  Here is picture of her living room.  I love her styling skills – notice the coffee table – how perfectly it is arranged.  Underneath, a cowhide rug accents the area.

 

And, again, a perfect vignette, styled for summer with cool colors.

 

Katie’s recently finished kitchen.  Isn’t this stunning?  I love the contemporary chairs juxtaposed against the traditional design of the kitchen.   Notice, too, that the island is stained wood which creates further interest and brings warmth to the design.  The Carrara marble countertops and backsplash is so gorgeous.  Love Conner the dog, too!

 

The Butler’s Pantry is off the kitchen.  Again, the style of it matches the era of the house, yet the contemporary lighting fixtures and mirrors bring it up to today.

 

Lest you question exactly how extensive Katie’s kitchen transformation was – here is how it all started – gutted to the studs, as they say!

And just to show Katie’s not a one kitchen wonder, years and years ago, in her first house, she installed another “new” kitchen, again keeping it original in feel to the age of the house.  Notice how she updated her vintage range with a custom hood – at great expense, no doubt.  The hood is stunning.

And another shot of her earlier kitchen from years ago.  Actually, this looks quite current to me.  I love the black and white color scheme with yellow accents.  Katie was ahead of her time – notice she used subway tile way back then – probably just as it was starting to gain popularity.  Great job Katie, as usual!

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed pictures of Katie’s restaurant design and her house remodel.  Be sure to check out her blog, Katiedid here.  And, Katie was recently honored with a profile on 1st Dibs’ Blogosphere Series.  Read it:  here.