Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1508059
W e've been tracking Kathy Frietsch's career since her retail days at Thompson + Hanson and Wisteria, and through recent design ventures in Round Top. Now Frietsch returns to her Houston roots, opening in the heart of West U. Fritch & Co is more than a stylish design shop. The 1,500-square- foot aerie, tucked behind store fronts on Bissonnet, is reminiscent of a carriage house while doubling as an oasis showcasing Frietsch's longstanding relationships with pals in the antiques, textile, and art worlds — respectively, Bill Gardner of W. Gardner, Ltd.; Franny Koelsch's Koelsch Gallery and Ears of Buddha; as well as New Orleans purveyor of exquisite antique fabrics B. Viz Design, led by Rebecca Vizard. Fritch & Co is the antithesis of big-box shopping with its pedigreed stock of furnishings, objets, and home decor; convivial vibe; and Frietsch's astute eye for presenting singular antiques alongside contemporary art, small-batch fashion, tabletop treasures, jewelry, and other unique local-to-global finds. Fritch & Co is also home base for her design services, which includes the upcoming Whitetail Court, a boutique hotel and ice cream shop in Fredericksburg, and residential projects in Round Top and Houston. "I plan regular events bringing together old friends and sourcing new artisan products in small quantities, pursuing a fresh mix and new points of view in design." Grand opening Thursday, October 5, 4 to 8 pm; Friday, October 6, 11 am to 5 pm; regular hours Tuesday – Friday, 11 am – 4 pm; Monday and Saturday by appointment. Fritch & Co, 2308- B Bissonnet St. (entrance off Greenbriar). @FritchCo, @kfrietsch. Catherine D. Anspon Fritch & Co Alights in West U This Just In JENNY ANTILL CLIFTON J umping design shops: Renea Abbott moves her Shabby Slips store from Bissonnet to 3465 West Alabama in the former Nancy Littlejohn Fine Art space, with plans to open around November 1. Taking over Shabby Slips at about the same time is Mecox, who is exiting their Rice Village store after a fire in the neighboring Beautique building. Owners Mac Hoak and Fred Perkins plan to open around January 1. In the meantime, Mecox is popping up at 2025 West Alabama. T he 163-year-old British textiles manufacturer Sanderson has a veritable treasure trove of archive designs from its early collaborations with Walt Disney Studios, many dating to the '20s and '30s. To mark Disney's 100th anniversary, Sanderson has partnered with Disney Home to produce a charming new collection of 14 wallpapers and 12 fabrics, including designs produced in the same colorways and scale as the original hand- block printed archive documents. Others are inspired by classic Disney cartoons and movies and combined with Sanderson stripes or toile. One of the most delightful interpretations places archival drawings of Bambi and Thumper amid a springtime scene of archival Sanderson florals, which was created especially for the collection and hand-painted in gouache. Disney Home X Sanderson, to the trade at Culp Associates, culpassociates.com. Rebecca Sherman WE'RE CHARMED Kathy Frietsch Disney Home x Sanderson's Hundred Acre Wood wallpaper Fritch & Co 54