Profiles in Design: Meet Jennifer!

Design Profile: Meet Jennifer

Who are you, where are you from, etc.:
My name is Jennifer and I am a design intern at Laura U! While I am currently living in Houston, during the school year I go to Stephen F. Austin in Nacodoches. Next year I will graduate with a degree in interior design and art.

Who shares your address (dogs, babies, significant others):
My fiancée Kris and I have a house in Nacogdoches, we live there with our roommate KC and our 3 dogs.

Our dog Jake (the one wearing the tuxedo) is a lab mixed with an Australian cattle dog (we think). Kris picked him out at the shelter as a puppy.

Viewing Charlie sideways, is way more fun..... our oldest Charlie is a little Pomeranian. He is proof you can find bred dogs at the shelter! He is scared of thunder, lighting, and water bottles. He is very sweet and extremely loyal.

This is when we first got him; the poor little guy was naked.

He turned out to be quite handsome!

Our newest dog Petey (full name Peter Cottontail) was also a rescue. The shelter told us that he was wrapped in a trash bag and in a dumpster when they found him with a broken arm (who could do something like this??) He is the happiest of all our dogs, he jumps like a rabbit (hence the name) and can be a little terror at times, but he loves to cuddle and give kisses.

Prison Petey…just begging to be freed........ and yes! I do realize I am a crazy pet owner.

Favorite Restaurant:
This could be quite a long list I dare say. I love eating, I love going out to eat, I love eating and watching TV…you just can’t go wrong with it. No matter what you are doing if you add food it’s going to be fun. When it comes to Mexican food Casa Ole’ is numero uno. Then there is Chinese food, P.F. Changs wins this one and there is also a little hole in the wall place in Nacogdoches called Peking, which I just can’t get enough of.

Outside the office, you can find me:
Playing with my dogs, skyping the love of my life (who is currently in Wisconsin), planning my wedding, swimming at the pool (my number one favorite summer activity), or working on a nursery for my friend Ashley’s soon to be born baby!

Designer I'd like to meet:
Frank Lloyd Wright. He was an architect, an interior designer, a writer, and an educator. He did it all! He designed everything in his houses right down to the flatware. He was completely meticulous and super creative. Falling water is my all time favorite house. It’s contemporary, but still manages to fit in seamlessly with its natural surroundings.

Wish I had designed:
The Yellow Tree house restaurant in New Zealand, designed by Pacific Environments Architects Ltd. This is magnificent! I love trees and nature. I love bringing the outside inside. This structure encompasses all of that.

Even more beautiful at night.

I can always watch:
Friends or The Office - these shows will never stop making me laugh. No matter how many times I’ve seen an episode.

In the movie about my life, _______________ would play me because:
Kate Hudson, I just want to be her..... Kris also tells me I look like her and I pretend it’s true.

I own "WAY" too many:

SHOES: But I am with the school of thought that says I girl can't ever really have "too many" enough shoes.

My Guilty Pleasures:

I love to dress up. Halloween may have just beat out Sir Christmas as my very favorite holiday.

Lucky for me I found an amazing guy that loves to dress up with me!

Sometimes, we don’t even need Halloween as an excuse. This was for New Years.

And then sometimes I make my own costumes. This is me channeling Lady Gaga.

                                           My Motto: Life is just better in Costume.

If I wasn't A Designer, I'd:

Love to be a street performer in Honolulu. I would love to play all day at the beach and then go paint for people at night.  I also used to daydream about becoming a cake artist…I can’t get enough of those addicting cake shows. Ace of Cakes anyone?

Now if I could also find a job where I get to play with dogs all day…this would be ideal.

My perfect Day:

I wake up in a tree house in Australia. Kris and I have a delicious breakfast of biscuits and gravy. We then go swimming with dolphins and parasailing in the ocean. We eat a huge lunch of chicken sandwiches and pineapple. We spend the afternoon jumping into & off of waterfalls. That night, we get all dressed up and go shopping (with a million dollars that I find in the street) and then we eat the most delicious Chinese food I have ever had (Mexican food could also be supplemented here.......) The night will end with us falling asleep in a hammock swinging above the ocean gazing at the stars. now, that's what I call a Perfect Day!

That's it from Jennifer, stay tuned for our next Design Profile!

Profiles in Design: Meet Kellye

Next in our Profiles in Design series is Kellye, Junior Designer!

Profiles in Design: Meet Kellye......!

Who are you? and where are you from?

I am Kellye - Junior Designer at Laura U! I graduated from Texas State with a degree in Interior Design and a minor in Technology. I grew up in Houston, but I have also lived in San Antonio, Austin, and San Marcos. The parks in Austin are amazing, but Houston is still by far my favorite city!

Who shares your address? (dogs, cats, significant other)?:

I am currently dating the most amazing guy, Kyle and we have two German Shepherds - Sage and Braver (Braver means "good" in German) Sage is the big boy and Braver is the "little girl", who is really not a girl - go figure!!. We have had a blast designing and landscaping the new house together!

Favorite Restaurant:

My favorite restaurant is Marks; it used to be a church, which is pretty cool - the best American cuisine ever!! I love brunch, so my favorite brunch restaurant is Backstreet Cafe. I also could eat Sushi everyday for the rest of my life! (or Indian food!) - Taiko has the best Sushi!

Outside the office, you can find me:
Working on a new DIY project! Right now, I am repainting some chairs in a metallic color and reupholstering a chair!

                                Designer(s) I'd like to meet:

The set designers for Ligne Roset (furniture design company); they're photo shoots are amazing. I love so many images, it is really hard to pick one!

Wish I had Designed:

The Gardens at Loire Valley in France

Photo by ACM Photography

I Can Always Watch:

Cinderella! because she is able to talk with animals (my secret wish is to someday be like the dog whisperer). Plus, I have been told I can whistle like the birds… :)

In the movie about my life, ___________would play me because:

I think Mandy Moore would play me perfectly in a movie about my life. People have said we act alike, especially in the movie, “Because I Said So”.

I own too many:

Books! I love collecting books, old and new - I am just a book dork, seriously! I want to have a library full of anything I have read! I really wished the books that open up in the beginning of the old Disney movies were real.

Photo by Scott Frances

My Guilty Pleasures:

I love baking and I am always coming up with something new to create in the kitchen. My last experiment was wedding cakes! I loved baking and decorating them! But the only problem is that I tend to eat a ton of cake batter in the process - yummy!!

P.S. I Made This!!

If I wasn't a designer, I'd:

be a Graphic Designer  (I must admit - I would be designing). I think it would be a blast to design invitations!

OR I'd be the Dog Whisperer - I would love to train dogs - police dogs! (that’s why I own German Shepherds)

These are all my family dogs - I told you, The Dog Whisperer!

My Perfect Day!

Going on a walk with Kyle and the dogs through a really pretty neighborhood, eating brunch somewhere like Backstreet, complete with mimosas, hanging out by the pool and finishing the day off by going to dinner. Then out for dessert and cappuccino at another restaurant like Tony’s. (Hhhmmm… souffle is my favorite!!!)

Stay tuned while Kellye hosts our next design discussion.........

Profiles in Design: Meet Kristina

Over the past few months, the design team at Laura U has grown by leaps and bounds. Because we have such a great design team with different design styles, and from such different backgrounds, it would be unfair not to have them involved in giving you a glimpse into our design world. Today, we start a new series: Profiles in Design: The Laura U Design Team. The first profile to be unveiled is our Senior Designer, Kristina!

Profiles in Design: Meet Kristina......!

Who are you and where are you from?:
I am the Senior Interior Designer at Laura U. I've been working in this industry since 2002, working in the Memphis area and in Chicago, prior to settling down in Houston.

Who shares your address (pets, child(ren), significant others)?:
I live with my amazing common-law husband slash fiance, Brad (aka B-Rad, or SugarBear). We are the proud parents of Ginger and Steve, both Chihuahua mixes, and three extremely overweight cats: Judy, Ramona and Annika. We had some hermit crabs for awhile, but our cats thought they were delicious.

Favorite restaurant:
We have so many fabulous restaurants in Houston, so it's tough to pick a favorite. Plus, the hubs is a major foodie (whatever that means), so we spend a lot of time eating out. We have sushi at Soma on Washington at least once a week. Tony Mandola's is a great spot for seafood and local celeb-spotting. I also love Mockingbird Bistro and Mark's for special occasions.

Outside the office, you can find me:
At a Flea Market. Going to concerts. Reading US Weekly. In my Arts-n-Crafts room, making pillows and jewelry.

Designer I'd like to meet:
Barbara Barry. What a classy lady. Actually, I have been a Babs Barry fan for a really long time. For starters, she really knows what she's doing RE: Interiors. Two, she was one of the first designers to branch out and start designing a line of EVERYTHING: including furniture, rugs, fabrics, lighting, tile, linens, dinnerware, etc., So, I have always looked up to her as a homegoods visionary. Plus, she always looks impeccable!!

Wish I had designed:
Coralie Bickford-Smith's line of hardback classics for Penguin Books, aka the Clothbound Series 1 & 2.

I can always watch:
Forgetting Sarah Marshall. It NEVER gets old or not funny. Spoiler alert, though: it is not for kids.

In the movie about my life, _______________ would play me because:
Chloe Sevigny, because she looks enough like me to be believable, plus she's a fabulous actress. I like her wack-a-doo style, which is comprised of mainly vintage clothing, and she's got that perfect mix of super-awkward, yet confident. Also, she tends to blurt out whatever comes to mind, appropriate or not, so we have that in common.

I own too many:
Cats.....does anyone want a cat?

Guilty pleasures:
I've started to let our housekeeper do the laundry. Although I feel like the laziest woman alive, you simply cannot beat coming home to a freshly folded stack of underpants.

If I wasn't a designer, I'd:
Spend a whole lot more time in my Craft room, and I'd probably start an animal rescue non-profit. I really, really love dogs.

My perfect day:
Late scrambled-egg breakfast with B-Rad before heading over to Fiori Spa for several hours poolside and mineral baths with my girlfriends. I come home later to watch Love, Actually and open up a giant box containing one of everything from the JCrew catalog.

....and that was your first Profiles in Design.....catch us next week, when we profile another fabulous face from the Laura U design team.....

Our Winter Must Haves!

Now that we are enjoying a lovely mid-February chill, it is abundantly clear that the 2009/2010 Winter furniture and accessories markets have come and gone. From Dallas to NYC to Paris, design houses from around the world have introduced their newest gems! We have gauged the temperature of interior design and it seems that vintage looks and natural materials are what's hot!

Vintage:
We absolutely love the soft, warm glow of a filament bulb on a cold winter's night! These bulbs are made using the same technique and materials used in early Edison bulbs, giving them an authentic, vintage look.



Natural:
Cotton laminated bags are perfect for your upcoming spring shopping! You can feel good about using these tough bags that are manufactured from recylcled materials. Laminated cloth used in India to package bulk fabric is repurposed, becoming your favorite functional tote.



Vintage:
Brighten your cold winter table with these eclectic "Soiree" glasses from Roost. These start as clear glassware that are then dipped in fabulous translucent colors. I love the vintage feel of these glasses: dots, arcs and stripes are etched into the color layer.

Laura U Wins at the 2009 ASID Awards!

The fabulous ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) Awards were held at Hotel ZaZa on Saturday, Septemeber 26th. It was an extraordinarily exciting evening for the Laura U team. We were the winner in 2 categories and received honorable mentions in 5 categories! Take a look at the winning projects...

Winner: Best Residential Interior under 3500 square feet.


Winner: Best Theatre Room


Honorable Mention: Urban Living (Mid-rise & High-rise)


Honorable Mention: Best Residential Interior under 3500 square feet


Honorable Mention: Best Use of Technology


Honorable Mention: Hospitality/Restaurant


Honorable Mention: Special Function (Guest Suite)

Laura U welcomes 2009!

Once again the holidays have flown by and we find ourselves solidly in the middle of January. How this happens year after year I just don't know. But, we at Laura U have so many exciting things in the works for the New Year ... and they just keep coming!

I swept through the Dallas Market this week, shopping for clients and the Collection. Don't tell us we are in a recession because the Market was packed and all shoppers are excited for what 2009 promises.

I found some fantastic new pieces from the designer lines we currently offer and two new lines that I am counting the days to receive! Check out TRINA TURK for a peek at some of the fab pillows we are expecting. I also snapped up the cutest aprons you have ever seen from Peking Handicraft. These can't get here soon enough!



Another thing I absolutely adore about hanging out at Laura U everyday is that I get to spend tons of time with the best local art work in Houston. Allison Hunter's beautiful images are currently on display (you may have seen her work on the cover of 002 Mag last month). But they are not up for much longer! I am sad to see them go but we are sending them off in style with a Champagne Toast on January 22nd (6pm-8pm). Please plan to join us!

Check back for other big announcements like... Our SECOND anniversary and the launch of our NEW streamlined website!