This magnificent home -- owned by Brian and Kat Thompson -- graces the current cover of
Decor, a bookazine published by Meredith Corporation, now available on newsstands. Brian owns Thompson Custom Homes in Houston. You may recognize this gorgeous "new look" from a past cover of
Traditional Home. It's today's classic. But you nearly didn't get to peek inside....
First a pitch to you. I hope you'll pick up your own copy of
Decor. Your purchase translates into support of an industry we all love.
Decor comprises, more or less, previously featured homes. Editors' favorites, if you will. They are all now showcased in a collector's issue of what editors have dubbed this fall and winter "... the most gorgeous rooms ever...." Ok, back to a little behind-the-scenes action: Yep,
the Thompson home almost didn't get published at all! Timing is sometimes everything. The moral of this story is: If a home doesn't fit the needs of editors today, it might be a great feature the next year. (So, I often wait or re-submit. Patience pays.) Anyway, that's about what happened in this case. When
Traditional Home first previewed it, the consensus among those who decide was that it was a bit too spare. Then one day out of the blue I get a call saying they want it -- and they want to shoot asap. (Of course, I'm pleased. And the homeowners and designers are as well!) The magazine changed its tune thanks to you new, young traditionalists. My fellow field editors, it so happened, also had been sending in suggested streamlined looks. A
Trad Home editor, who later later spoke at a designer gathering in Houston, said they began noticing a trend, especially among the "younger" set. And they felt they needed to take heed, to respond to what these stylish sophisticates were doing in their homes. For example, some opted to showcase outside views rather than to drape their windows. (Previously, the magazine wouldn't have considered a home without window treatments.) Others -- like the Thompsons -- chose a less is more strategy. Less layering with more focus on textures and quality pieces that deserved stand-out attention, that is. Good magazines know when to shift gears a bit. I'm pleased to show some more photos here of the Thompson house. Most are my initial scout shots, showing you new and different angles of some rooms.
This proud Dalmatian sits in front of Galveston's central fire station -- in tribute to both the city's firefighters and the island's lost oaks. Thousand and thousands of grand old oaks died when Hurricane Ike pushed salt water inland just over a year ago. Retired photojournalist Carlos Antonio Rios shot these images, which give us a glimpse as to how the island's Tree Committee is nurturing a sense of optimism during a difficult time. As you can imagine, cutting down the trees has proven both difficult and controversial. Area artist Jim Phillips did the expert sculpting shown here. Some residents are so taken with the creative and sentimental artwork that many are considering commissioning similar pieces for their front yards, where their own oaks once stood. Carlos, who is also a member of the Tree Committee, is a dear friend, and I appreciate him sharing some of his photographs. 
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