The 2020 Milieu Designer Showhouse

{The Family Room Designed by Darryl Carter}

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the first-ever Milieu Designer Showhouse here in Houston. It was so nice to get out of my house and attend a design-focused event, especially one that benefits a cause as worthy as the “Clayton Dabney for Kids with Cancer” Foundation. Originally slated to open in April, like everything else, the showhouse had to pivot and change their timeline in accordance with safety guidelines due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. It opened last weekend and will be open again this Saturday and Sunday, June 13th and 14th (purchase your tickets here). Milieu Editor-in-Chief called upon designers from the United States, Canada and Europe to design spaces in this newly-built, Edwin Lutyens-style home in River Oaks constructed by Mirador Builders. Every room was beautiful and elegant. I read somewhere that the designers were assigned color palettes for their rooms, which if true, must be part of why the house feels so cohesive as a whole. That rarely happens in a showhouse where designers usually do their own thing! I must say the organizer did a wonderful job of making everyone feel safe. The house was not crowded and everyone was asked to wear a mask while touring the home. I came away feeling rather inspired! I shared many of these photos on my Instagram stories last week and given how many of you sent in comments, I thought it would be nice to share a recap of the showhouse here on LDV for those of you who cannot travel to Houston to see it in person. A big congratulations to the designers on their beautiful rooms and to the organizers and Milieu team for executing their first showhouse with such aplomb!

{Living Room by Pamela Pierce: Pierce’s goal was to establish the mood of the home and reflect the personality of the imaginary homeowners as world and sophisticated, taking cues from English, Anglo-Indian, and Moroccan pieces.}

{Living Room by Pamela Pierce}

{A Stylish Corner in the Dining Room by Glasser Cooper}

{The Family Room by Darryl Carter features his signature mix of antiques with modern, clean-lined pieces, executed in a warm, neutral palette. The room is at once comfortable and chic.}

{The Family Room by Darryl Carter}

{Kitchen by Shannon Bowers: The cabinetry is painted a warm olive hue (I don’t know the color, sorry!) and the walls are executed in a plaster finish. The result is a warm and inviting space I would want to spend a lot of time in.}

{The beautiful patio executed by McKinnon and Harris features beautiful furnishings from their collection and flooring by Peacock Pavers.}

{Inspired by nature, the Master Bedroom by Colette van den Thillart and Nicky Haslam centering around a Tree of Life motif including a divine custom fabric by D’Ascoli on a cantilevered canopy bed paired with antiques from Casa Gusto in Palm Beach.}

{Above the fireplace, there is a plaster relief with a Tree of Life motif. The rugs throughout the home from Carol Piper Rugs and Matt Camron Rugs in Houston were fabulous!}

{“His” Master Closet”}

{“His” Master Bathroom”

{“Her” Master Bathroom}

{“Her” Dressing Room}

{“Her” Master Bathroom}

{A Serene Guest Bedroom by Kathryn Ireland}

{Bedroom by Jennifer Vaughan Miller}

{Bedroom by Lisa Fine}

{Lisa Fine’s bedroom is an escapist fantasy featuring a fabulous toile that envelops the room and canopy bed.}

{Bedroom by Eleanor Cummings: This guest bedroom felt so serene and was a space I would want to spend a lot of time in. Cummings says the graphic, painted wood floor is based off of an old design by Mario Buatta from twenty-five years ago. She had it replicated in shades of olive and blush. }