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92 W e l l s A b b o t t owner Lauren H u d s o n i s having a love a f f a i r w i t h L o n d o n . "I love the British sense of style," she says. "I've always gravitated to London. It's a happy place for me." Thus, she's packed her newly revamped Dallas and Houston design showrooms with a trove of London-based lines, along with American artisan-made collections and coveted historic names from around the world. It was during one of Hudson's trips to London that she met Helen Cormack, owner of the revered showroom Tissus d'Hélène. Cormack became a mentor to Hudson and helped her secure many textile collections for Texas, including Cormack's own floral and geometric cotton prints and delicate chintzes, all based on her private collection of early-19th-century European patterns. Cormack also introduced Hudson to Pukka Print, linen textiles imbued with chintz designs from 16th- and 17th-century India, freshened with a traditional English color palette of soft aqua, dove blue, and walnut brown, all hand-blocked by artisans in India and fully stocked at a warehouse near London for quick availability. It's one of the most sought-after names at London's Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, and Hudson secured the line in America for Wells Abbott. "We've already gotten calls from designers all over the country about it," Hudson says. She also picked up other London favorites for Wells Abbott such as Nicole Fabre Designs, textiles inspired by antique French toiles, Indiennes, and wovens; Vanderhurd carpets, dhurries, flat-weave rugs, and hand- embroidered textiles; Namay Samay woven, printed, and embroidered textiles handmade in the Kingdom of Bhutan in the Himalayas; and furniture and accessories from The Lacquer Company, which collaborates on designs with notables such as Veere Grenney, Steven Gambrel, Flair New York, John Derian, and Christopher Spitzmiller. A REIMAGINED COLLECTIVE LAUREN HUDSON'S WELLS ABBOTT SHOWROOMS MAKE A BOLD RE-ENTRÉE, BY WAY OF A VIBRANT DESIGN MIX. B Y R E B E C C A S H E R M A N . P H O T O G R A P H Y J A C K T H O M P S O N . Mini-Saltbox, Harbour Island Oliver atop an O.Henry House chaise covered in Fortuny fabric. Alicia Adams alpaca throw. Vintage Hermès silk-scarf pillow by Tribute Goods. Wings of Fortuny fabrics. Alfonso Marina table. Stephen Antonson plaster chandelier. Vermilion rug. Fortuny and Luigi Bevilacqua fabrics. (continued on page 94)