Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1180194
22 OBSESSIONS. DECORATION. SALIENT FACTS. A fter 67 years, the final Theta Charity Antiques Show is F r i d a y t h r o u g h Sunday, November 22 through 24. In 1952, the Houston Alumnae Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta set up shop at the Shamrock Hotel in Houston to host the first Theta Charity Antiques Show. Inspired by New York socialites' antiques shows, the ladies sought to up their fundraising game — peddling crocheted coat hangers and magazine subscriptions just wasn't cutting it. Little did they know the show would run for seven decades, morphing into one of the biggest and most important antique shows in Houston. Co- chairs Courtney Hill Fertitta, Jennifer Donovan O'Donnell, and Giggy Martin Thanheiser have created a finale to pay homage to the thousands of people who have made the show a longstanding tradition, from the participating dealers and the hundreds of volunteers to the generations of Houstonians who have attended. More than $8 million has been raised for local organizations and charities since its inception. This year, the general admission price of $25 includes all speaker talks, programming, and entrance to three days of the show, with a preview-night party Thursday, November 21, $250. In addition to more than 30 world- class exhibitors showcasing estate jewelry, antique silver, hand-woven rugs, and period furniture, programing includes talks and book signings by design greats Alexa Hampton, Thomas Jayne, Charlotte Moss, and Thomas O'Brien, moderated by Margot Shaw, on Friday, November 22, 11 am, sponsored by Flower magazine. On Saturday, Brooke and Steve Giannetti speak and sign books at 11 am, sponsored by PaperCity. Local designers Cindy Witmer, Jennifer Barron, and Ashton Taylor have designed vignettes, and a young collector's booth features items at a lower price point. Proceeds from the show benefit 11 local charities: Amazing Place, Bo's Place, Camp For All, Holly Hall, Nick Finnegan Counseling Center, The Rise School, The Rose, Bayou Bend Collection and Gardents/MFAH, Child Advocates, Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation, and Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Centers. Preview party $250 Thursday, November 21, 7 pm; general admission $25 (including speaker events and readmission throughout the show) Friday – Saturday, November 22 – 23, 10 am – 6 pm, and Sunday, November 24, noon – 6 pm; thetacharityantiquesshow.org. Anne Lee Phillips THETA'S FAREWELL THE GRAND FINALE: WISTERIA IN BLOOM A favorite source among interior designers and those who love design, Wisteria opens its first Houston store Friday, November 1. Wisteria, which began as a Dallas-based catalog in 2000, then opened a Dallas retail store, has a team that travels the world in search of artisans to collaborate on exclusive designs. It's known for furnishings and accessories ranging from a modern velvet tub chair to hand-painted Chinese blue-and-white vases and sunburst mirrors crafted from reclaimed wood. The Rare Birds collection includes artisan creations and rare vintage items found during the team's travels, such as a hand- painted Tibetan trunk and a wood table hand-carved by Naga tribe members. Wisteria's new 9,000-square-foot Houston store, in the former Antiques of River Oaks space on West Alabama, was designed by Houston's Murphy Mears Architects and has a European feel with clean lines, natural materials, and a central skylit greenhouse, which functions as a space for highlighting collections, designer showcases, trunk shows, and presentations by visiting design celebrities. Kathy Frietsch, who grew up in River Oaks and managed the Thompson Hanson store for 10 years, was recently in charge of retail stores for Wisteria's headquarters near Dallas and has returned to Houston as the store's general manager. On Thursday, December 5, the celebrated Alex Hitz — event designer, author and speaker — will be in store signing his newest book, The Art of the Host: Recipes and Rules for Flawless Entertaining (Rizzoli). Wisteria, 3461 W. Alabama, wisteria.com. Rebecca Sherman Pleated club chair from Wisteria's Fall 2019 collection Thomas O'Brien Brooke and Steve Giannetti Alexa Hampton Thomas Jayne Charlotte Moss Margot Shaw