PaperCity Magazine

September 2018- Houston

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88 "There are no 'products' in this house. It's highly curated — that's an overused term, but it really applies here," says Hunter, who has curated gallery and museum shows, including the Con- temporary Arts Museum Houston's Texas Design Now. "It's the ultimate expression of what I would do for a dream client. It's an examination of things that are modern, but vintage with patina." Landrum and Hunter also designed some soulful new pieces for the house, including a pair of resin Ginkgo chairs that incorporate the ancient leaf motif with a technologically advanced material. "That juxtaposition pushes the design into the future and is what makes it so special," Hunter says. Unique finds can come from any era, he says, and it's a fusion of cultures that helps create sophistication and timelessness. "If something is rare and superlative, it will endure the test of time." He and Landrum are voracious bibliophiles, constantly scouring auctions for treasures and new and old surveys of art and design for examples of the best. He has sage advice for anyone just starting to collect: "In order to develop a critical, discerning eye, start by educating yourself on rarified things. Look at what was happening 20, 60, 100 years ago." He also recommends expanding your horizons with travel. "It's exciting to see what's happening now on the other side of the world. The biggest mistake people make is to look only at what's around them." Landrum and Hunter admit this house is just as much a dream installation as it is a future home for someone. Even its hazy colors impart an otherworldly feel, as if one were gazing through a scrim. "This house could be thought of as a commissioned art piece, but with an added bonus," Landrum says. "For all its aesthetic attrib- utes, it is eminently useable and comfortable, and this is perhaps our most important accomplishment." The point, after all, was to orchestrate perfection for the perfect client. And they have done just that. "I could move right in," Hunter says. IN THIS HOUSE, HUNTER HAS PAID HOMAGE TO THE MASTERS OF DESIGN WHO HAVE GREATLY INFLUENCED HIS OWN WORK. In the family room, a limited-edition Fiberglas-and-resin Ginko chair designed by Michael Landrum and Garrett Hunter. Right: Painting, circa 1950, by Robert di Niro Sr. Persian luster vase, 17th century. Antique Japanese tansu. Opposite page, clockwise from top: Brass rhinoceros by Sergio Bustamante; Chinese Ming Dynasty table and metal garden chairs, circa 1950. Antique Venetian tête-à-tête. In the second-floor gallery, pair of 17th-century Italian chairs; rug from Hearst Castle Collection. Syrian 19th-century tabourets; silk Kirman rug, late-19th-century Persia.

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