The Woodlands, TX March 2023

HOME ISSUE

A HAPPY HOUR TOAST TO THE TEXAS COAST

Inspired by family fishing trips to the Gulf, our Woodlands watering hole is big on fresh flavor and friendly vibes—an easy spot to dock and catch up with friends over a dirty martini, an ice-cold beer, or one of our legendary ranch waters. We suggest sharing a few of our fan-favorite happy hour bites with your crew. Savor, share, and stay awhile. Join us for happy hour Monday through Friday.

Make a reservation at goodecompanyfishcamp.com or follow us @goodecofishcamp.

“Home Style”

Welcome to our Home issue!

March is bringing us to the beginning of Spring and we can start looking forward to exciting fresh inside and outdoor renovations and home edits. It will soon be a time for renewal, a warming of the earth and our homes, planting, gardening and a new refresh after the cooler months of winter.

In this issue, we look back in time to the earlier days of The Woodlands, the initial development and concepts of where it all began including George Mitchell's vision and also his home. We delve into the housing market and ask our experts their opinions on home buying and selling in our community. We feature an Open House Spotlight from Realtors Mike and Ally Seder and Somer Padilla.  In the Redecorate, Restyle and Reinvigorate story, we read how to freshen up your interior with new trending fixtures and outside landscape features.

Uncover the talent of Gary Sealy, a local artisan with a passion for salvaging time-worn treasures and discover the amazing authentic tapas experience at Plane and Level in Old Town Spring. If you are a home-body, Taverns To-Go is a new custom bar venture bringing the libation vibration to your own backyard!

So, I hope you enjoy our March Home issue whether you are settled in your current home or about to embark upon major renovations, maybe making a move, an empty nester, or a seasoned home buyer, there is something inside for everyone.

They say, "home is where the heart is." My motto has always been "home is where your favorite people are!"

March on dear readers!

JO HAMMON, EDITORIAL COORDINATOR @THEWOODLANDSCITYLIFESTYLE

March 2023

PUBLISHER

Tonya Butler | tonya.butler@citylifestyle.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Jo Hammon | Jo.Hammon@citylifestyle.com

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

Arielle Alston | arielle.alston@citylifestyle.com

ACCOUNT MANAGER

Nathaly Iglesias | tonya.butler@citylifestyle.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Teresa Otto, Annette Palmer, Jean Ciampi, Melanie Saxton

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Dennis Chernov, Vic Cherubini, Presley Daniel, Bex Wood, Chris Spicks, Katie Parks

Corporate Team

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt

CHIEF SALES OFFICER Matthew Perry

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DeLand Shore

DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA Mindy Hargesheimer

ART DIRECTOR Sara Minor

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Janeane Thompson

WEB APPLICATIONS Michael O’Connell

AD DESIGNER Hunter Richie

LAYOUT DESIGNER Kirstan Lanier

Photography: Dennis Chernov

Mr. Mitchell and his team envisioned a community that incorporated the natural habitat. This photograph represents an original door to one of the first homes designed by Scott Mitchell  here in The Woodlands. The front doors were known for their special touches such as handcrafted unique details.

city scene

Where neighbors can see and be seen.

Want to be seen in the magazine? Tag your Instagram photos with @TheWoodlandsCityLifestyle

1: A preview media hard hat tour of Sixty Vines in The Woodlands. 2: Kristopher Johnson, (right) Director of New Restaurant Openings

3: The upper level is available for special events and has a great view. 4: Sixty Vines team welcoming their hard hat guests. 5: Beautiful interior decor on the white brick walls of the lower level of the restaurant. 6: Rae Phillips-Luther, Chief Brand Officer of Front Burner Society. 7: Jo Hammon, (right) Editor, The Woodlands City Lifestyle and friend Lisa O’Neill enjoy a sample.

LISA O’NEILL

SIXTYVINES

LISA O’NEILL

SIXTYVINES

LISA O’NEILL

THERE’S A BETTER APPROACH TO CANCER CARE in The Woodlands

At Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center, we treat every aspect of your cancer. Leading oncologists work with our specialists across disciplines to minimize cancer’s effects on major organs. One comprehensive team — dedicated to your individual care — uses the latest research, treatments and technology to stop your cancer. From infusion and clinical trials to surgery and reconstruction, our innovative care is available in The Woodlands.

That’s the difference between practicing medicine and leading it.

936.270.3333

houstonmethodist.org/cancer-woodlands

The 2023 Women Empowering Women Luncheon

Raises Over $140,000 To Benefit Interfaith Community Clinic.

The eighth annual Women Empowering Women Luncheon event raised over $140,000 for the Interfaith Community Clinic. The mission of the Community Clinic is to provide medical, dental, and mental health services to the uninsured in Montgomery County. The event also launched its first ever Philanthropy Market which hosted local vendors from around Montgomery County. A portion of the proceeds of the market were donated back to the Clinic.

Photography: Interfaith

Want

Children’s Safe Harbor Announces A New Board President/ Board Leadership Team

Children’s Safe Harbor has announced that Matt Rodrigue has been appointed as the incoming board president, spearheading a leadership team that includes Rey Saludares as board vice president, Ryan Hutson as board treasurer, and Paul Purcell as board secretary. For the past 24 years, the mission of Children’s Safe Harbor is to engage the community and achieve justice and healing for every abused child. The team has helped over 21,000 children ages 2 - 17.

Gucci Opens Woodlands Boutique

Gucci will open its first store at The Woodlands Mall in The Woodlands, Texas in January 2023. This marks the ninth Gucci boutique in Texas. The boutique spans over 6,500 square feet and showcases a wide collection of men’s and women’s shoes, handbags, luggage, small leather goods, jewelry, watches and eyewear. Guests can explore the Blondie line and House’s Cosmogonie collection, first presented in May 2022 in Puglia, Italy.

Photography: Liz Grimm

Photography: Droese Public Relations

ARTICLE BY TERESA OTTO | PHOTOGRAPHY BY DENNIS CHERNOV

GEORGE MITCHELL’S VISION FOR LIVING AMONG TREES BECOMES A REALITY IN GROGAN’S MILL VILLAGE

GROGAN’S MILL FROM SAWMILL TO VILLAGE

The George Mitchell Home

Loblolly pines tower over the Grogan’s Mill intersection of Timberjack Place and East Timberwagon Circle. The names pay tribute to the area’s history.

Pines and hardwoods of the East Texas timber belt covered Montgomery County. When railroads arrived in the 1800s, transporting lumber got easier and timber companies boomed. By 1927, The Grogan-Cochran Lumber Company was one of the county’s largest lumber companies with hundreds of employees and about 25 sawmills.

Mill towns grew around sawmills. The original Grogan’s Mill town had houses, stores, schools, and churches for the workers and their families.

Except for a millpond in Tamarac Park, all evidence from logging is gone, including a sawmill that stood where Lamar Elementary School is now. The countless trees that were too small to harvest during the Grogan-Cochran Lumber Company days, however, blanket The Woodlands.

Expanding his interests beyond oil and gas, George Mitchell set his sights on the Grogan-Cochran timberland. Mitchell purchased nearly 50,000 acres from the company in 1964 for $125 an acre. Part of this land would become Grogan’s Mill Village 10 years later.

Mr. Mitchell and his team envisioned a community that incorporated the natural habitat. Robert Heineman spent his 48-year career planning The Woodlands, retiring from his

Original Custom Life Forms Home Door

Ducks on Grogan’s Mill Pond

Handcrafted Door on The Mitchell’s home

TO SEE THE FIRST HOMES SCOTT MITCHELL BUILT, VISIT SLASH PINE PLACE. YOU’LL NOTICE THESE UNIQUE HOMES HAVE SPECIAL TOUCHES — A STAINED GLASS WINDOW HERE AND A HANDCRAFTED DOOR THERE . . .

final position as VP of Planning and Design at the Howard Hughes Corporation. “Many developments in Houston are named after the trees that used to be there,” Mr. Heineman said. “Mr. Mitchell wanted to retain the natural environment after development.” Specifically, Mr. Mitchell wanted to see trees rather than buildings when entering The Woodlands.

Mr. Mitchell spoke, and his planners listened. “Most developers creating something like The Woodlands would have set all the streets on a grid, squashed the homes together for greater yield, and cut back on greenspace,” architect Paul Schuyler said. The Woodlands is unique. More than a quarter of the land is open space — undeveloped land and preserved forest in flood plains, and along the trails, streets, and thoroughfares.

When Grogan’s Mill opened in 1974, residents, including the Mitchells, began to reap the benefit of this vision.

Sam Ashe School, a Grogan-Cochran Lumber Company school from 1917 to 1927 near Tamina Sawmill Courtesy of Jim Cochran

Grogan-Cochran Lumber Company Timber Train Circa 1925 Courtesy of Jim Cochran

The Mitchells lived in a home their architect son, Scott, designed. Mr. Mitchell wanted to enjoy the natural surroundings even when he was indoors. He favored an office that looked through the trees rather than over the trees, Mr. Heineman said. He preferred this view at home, too.

Scott Mitchell designed his parents’ and the Life Forms Homes he built to take full advantage of the wooded landscape. Mr. Schuyler lives in a Life Forms Home. “These homes are pretty much screaming, “let’s build in the forest, and live in the trees!”,” he said.

Rich in details, these multistory homes feature high windows that allow natural light and a glimpse of the forest, unusual spaces, unique rooflines, and outdoor living spaces that mingle with the trees.

“The idea was to bring people closer to nature,” Mr. Schuyler said. “George Mitchell’s exceptional commitment to that vision makes The Woodlands still special today, even after all these years.”

Pine tree crowns

Entrance to Grogan’s Mill Village

Tamarac Park at dusk

Invisible Building with sunset's reflection

Open House SpotlightLuxury in The Woodlands

Mike and Ally Seder and Somer Padilla

ARTICLE BY JO HAMMON | PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

The Woodlands is home to several Realtor® legends - experts in their fields, with class personified and who have a history of successful relationships and businesses in our community!

Nobody knows The Woodlands Real Estate like The Mike Seder Group. With over a billion dollars in residential and commercial sales, The Mike Seder Group has the experience and knowledge to assist you in every aspect of real estate!  “We have built strong relationships with real estate associates, business professionals and community leaders, and with Mike’s 45+ years of experience, no agent is more knowledgeable about our community’s growth, fast-paced changes and market trends!” said Ally. Mike recalls Lake Woodlands before it became a lake, and attended the “Bottom of the Lake” party!  He initially worked for Ryland and LifeForms

homes, and helped design many of the neighborhood floor plans.  He’s also one of the few people with a street named after him, “Seder’s Walk”.  With an amazing team of realtors behind him, why trust one of the biggest investments you’ll make to anyone else?

Our featured home is 10 S. Gary Glen Circle in The Woodlands - an exquisite custom home overlooking the Gary Player Golf Course in gated Gary Glen! The home has 5-6 Bedrooms, 5 Full and 2 Half Bathrooms, and is 8,711 Square Feet.

This home features a circular drive leading to an oversized 4 car garage + porte-cochere. Some of the highlights of this home include sky high ceiling heights with architectural detail, gorgeous hardwood flooring, 4 fireplaces, and incredible natural light through the many transom windows - no expense has been spared!

The circular drive leads to an oversized 4 car garage and portecochere - The Mike Seder Group

Catering kitchen with marble island and glass front cabinetry

-The Mike Seder Group

Infinity edge pool and spa -The Mike Seder Group

The formal living and dining areas open to one another, which is ideal for entertaining. There’s also a private library with coffered ceiling. The spectacular catering kitchen with 2 drawer dishwashers, sink, wine chiller, oven and 2 warming drawers is perfect for parties!

An open concept chef’s kitchen with marble island and glass front cabinetry overlooks the breakfast room and den with doors to the patio and pool.

The palatial owner’s retreat and 2nd bedroom suite are located downstairs. The game room with balcony and kitchenette, golf simulator room (or media room), and three bedrooms with en-suite baths are located upstairs. One room features an attached dance studio/ video gaming room/art studio. A secluded 3rd floor home office means you can work from the comfort of home in total privacy.

The backyard oasis with putting green, infinity edge pool & spa, outdoor kitchen and fireplace, all overlooking the serene golf course.

Our next home is from Realtor Somer Padilla of the Somerlyn Group. Somer has received over 145+ 5-star reviews on HAR, was selected as the cover story featured agent by Top Agent Magazine for January 2021, and twice Voted as Living Magazine’s “Best Realtor®” for Spring & Champions Area. The Somerlyn Group has over 100 years of combined experience in real estate excellence and exceeding expectations, serving all of Houston and its beautiful suburbs and acreage.

As a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist™ (CLHMS) GUILD™ Awardee, Somer delivers impeccable service and results no matter what the price point.

Previously listed by Somer, this beautifully renovated custom estate pool home, overlooking the 9th fairway of Oaks Golf Course in Grogans Mill, was featured in Luxe Magazine. A French country masterpiece with a modern flare was brilliantly designed by renowned downtown interior designer, Meg Lonergan.  The 2 story entry wood tread staircase, extensive woodwork, and hand-cut walnut wood flooring will leave you breathless. The chef’s kitchen renovation was nothing short of perfection featuring custom cabinetry, marble counters, double Urban Electric light globes handmade in Charleston, faucet by Rohl Perrin Rowe, Subzero fridge, wine fridge, and Fivestar 6 burner Pro-style duel-fuel double oven gas range. Excellent presentation and strategic marketing matched this beauty to the perfect buyers.

Chef's perfection kitchen - Somerlyn Group

Interior designer, Meg Lonergan, designed this extension of the living room as a piano sitting room that featured the owners artwork - Somerlyn Group

Meet Zach Neil

Texas Country Music's Male Artist of the Year

ARTICLE BY AMY BARNETT

PHOTOGRAPHY BY VICTORIA ROTH & KURT OLSEN

As a kid, Zach Neil’s future was lined with rows of rutabagas, beans and wheat. His plan was to become a third-generation farmer. Farming is what he knew and loved, but one day, he realized his dream wasn’t to build a life on a tractor – instead, he wanted to be front and center on a stage.

Growing up, he started listening to Mark Chesnutt, Joe Diffie, and all the guys who created the genre we all know as “90s Country.” By the time he was a young teenager, he picked up a guitar, started learning to play the songs he loved, and in high school started a band.

“I was a huge Randy Travis fan, and my first band could have been a Randy Travis tribute band –we played so many of his songs,” said Neil. “I started out learning how to play songs, and then I really started diving into where that kind of music came from. I’d hear Mark Chesnutt talk about Waylon, and I’d hear guys talk about Haggard. So, I started digging into that. That was really part of my growth in music. And I’ve got a lot of influences outside of country music. I love all kinds of music for different reasons.”

His high school band tied for first place in a “Battle of the Bands” competition. Neil jokes – not because they were the best, but because they were different. While other kids were playing rock music, Neil and his band were playing traditional country. The big win gave him the confidence to pursue music full-time.  Over the years, Neil fell in love with Texas country – where fiddle and steel guitar are still featured and appreciated by fans. He has had four consecutive Top 40 singles on the Texas charts, and his new song, “All The Pretty Horses,” is his fastest and highest climbing song yet – having passed the Top 20 mark just a few weeks out of the gate. The song has a unique, memorable melody and a hook you don’t see coming.

“When we stop by radio stations, program directors and DJs tell me it’s their favorite song I’ve done yet. That feels great,” added Neil. What also feels great is holding the title, Male Artist of the Year. Neil recently took home the top prize at the Texas Country Music Awards in Fort Worth. Neil hopes to continue building his brand of Texas country music and taking it beyond the Lone Star State. Visit zachneilmusic.com to find out where you can catch a live show.

Sold out show at The Grizzly Rose in Denver, CO

“Winning awards isn’t the reason we do this, but maybe it’s a sign we are doing something right. It’s more motivation to keep striving to get better.

And to know fans voted for this award is pretty cool.”

— Neil

Timeworn Treasures

ARTICLE BY ANNETTE PALMER

BY VIC CHERUBINI & CHRIS SPICKS

EMBRACING THE EXTRAORDINARY, ENHANCING OUR HOMES WITH UNIQUE SAVED AND SALVAGED FINDS

When asked about the benefits of having antique items in your home, Gary Sealy simply responded with “They’re unique!

An avid collector and proclaimed junker since he was 16, this lifelong passion began with the purchase of a spinning wheel, in the early 1960’s.  After acquiring countless treasures over the years, Gary eventually opened his antique business in 2012, when after amassing such a vast personal collection, his wife suggested he let others enjoy it too - by selling it on, and the rest is history – so to speak!

“Antiques At the Barn”, or “Artunkables”, delights and entices as soon as you pull into the driveway. A charming, 1945 cherry red cottage, barn, and a plethora of storage and display spaces nestle on the Spring Stuebner property. Being a bit of a treasure hunter myself, the excitement began at first sight. Windmill blades, cupolas, finials, statues, water fountains, weathervanes, propellors, carousel horses and ornate stained-glass windows grabbed my attention! The treasure trove leads me inside, snake skins and hides are piled high alongside decorative mirrors, corbels, a window from a London pub, larger-than-life-size buddhas and an old safe from 1880. The collection comes from far and wide and long ago.

My adventure continues when I discover a barn, or two, housing a selection of rescued architectural salvage, an assortment of recovered fixtures and fittings

PHOTOGRAPHY

An antique window from a London pub

Hands of the collector The collection comes from near and

which includes antique doors, reclaimed wood and windows. Gary showed me a light fitting he recently made using wood from an old chicken coop, the wood is textured from where the chickens pecked the surface, it’s unique! antiquesatthebarn. boutiquewindow.com

These fabulous finds can greatly enhance our life spaces, salvaged and saved items add character and warmth, acknowledging the past and making it part of today.  The skills required to create these handmade treasures are fast disappearing. As well as adding interest to a space, they can save money, and help our environment by reusing and repurposing. We can beat the supply chain and have terrific fun along the way.

Houston-based partners Merri Pruitt and Jimmy Littleton began their restoration business in New Orleans in the 1980’s. A fine art printmaker and commercial artist respectively, the team established their decorative painting business, Pruitt-Littleton Decorative Artists in 1985. Many years of business followed in the New Orleans vicinity and New York City, where they completed in-situ decorative, and refurbishment work as well as furniture restoration and gilding.

In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina, they relocated their business to The Houston Heights, where they now concentrate on projects for residential clients and interior designers. The studio is a terrific hive of activity, with projects in varying stages of completion, all uniquely individual!

“In 2021, we were honored to be involved with the restoration of The 1874 Guesthouse in Galveston, we painted a checkerboard floor in one of the bedrooms of the beautifully restored mansion,” Merri tells me.

Many projects are inherited sentimental pieces or those that the client has had for a while. Dark wood items are reworked and lovingly restored with creative finishes, including malachite, leopard skin and trompe le’oeil illusionary effects that create remarkable showstopping pieces which work in both traditional and contemporary home design.

When asked about the benefits of having antique items in your home, Gary Sealy simply responded with “They’re unique!

The Pruitt Littleton duo in their Heights studio

A wonderful hive of activity

Merri paints a fern design onto a reworked dresser

During the pandemic when people were forced to stay at home, and our surroundings became paramount, these old pieces of furniture gained our attention. “Clients would bring their projects and set them on our driveway, we would transform them and return in the same way,” said Merri.

Everything is painted with a brush; numerous layers are required to create the finished result. A design is drawn up and samples are made for the client to approve,

seeking INSPIRATION?

NHGTV’s numerous shows include Big Texas Fix, Windy City Rehab, Fixer Upper and At Home with The Fords, present outdated, neglected homes from country ranch to city terrace, which are sympathetically transformed using the ingredients of hard work, imagination and determination. Incorporating thoughtful design for today’s lifestyle using salvaged and repurposed elements wherever necessary bring these overlooked properties back to life in a truly beautiful way.

FURTHER SOURCES AND INSPIRATION

–

galleryoneauctions.com

Conroe based fabulous finds

antiquegalleryhouston.com

A huge selection with 250+ vendors

leanneford.com  Books, magazines, TV show

Round Top, Spring Show March 16th to April 2nd.

an overflowing shelf of hand-painted samples can help with the design process. “Our work is like chemistry, as we have to work with many different paints and solvents to obtain the desired results,” said Jimmy.

These loved items with softened edges all have a story to tell and make our homes a better place to be, they are statement pieces that certainly have their position in our world of today.

Find them at pruitt-littleton.com

Gary shows off one of many of his antique doors from around the world

GET INSPIRED EAT & DRINK SHOP LOCAL

Course Set for Success

ARTICLE BY JEAN CIAMPI | PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATIE PARKS

Good things come out of hard times. No one knows that better than Thomas Perez, co-founder and Culinary Director of Plane and Level in Old Town Spring. Having escaped the brutality of the civil war in his native country of El Salvador and traveling alone at age 13 to fight for a new life in Monterrey, California, he has experienced many hard times. When the CoVid-19 pandemic shut down restaurants – the very heart of his profession – the now highly respected sommelier and degreed Oenologist was unfazed. He simply went back to his roots and back to the kitchen.

As the pandemic increased uncertainty, he told his two young sons they’d eat out of their garden. When the barbecue broke, he dug a hole in the ground and continued to cook. With more than 30 herbs outside his window, he decided to make a chimichurri.

It mattered not that he’d never made it before because he’d tasted it in Argentina and knew he could recreate it from memory. And it was perfect! Or nearly so. What it needed was the perfect empanada!

Just to have something to do during the lockdown, Perez offered six of his homemade empanadas and a bottle of wine delivered for $20 on his neighborhood Facebook page. It quickly went viral throughout Houston, and, in no time, he was starting his prep work before 4am to make 400 empanadas a day!

His business partner, Brian Culwell, was shocked. “He knew me as a winemaker. We had plans to make wine. He didn’t know I could cook,” Perez recalls. “He came to my house and tried them. He said, ‘What? These

are delicious! Let’s open a restaurant!’ Two days later, we found this place in Old Town Spring. It took me two minutes to say yes!”

Plane and Level took flight with four tables inside and special seating at “the wing,” an airplane wing that stands in for the bar. A menu of Spanish tapas capturing the flavors of the Basque region and thoughtfully paired with unique wines that can be found nowhere else create an experience that makes the sometimes-weeklong wait to get in well worth it.

“I want wines that fit our food, so I work with tiny wineries,” said Perez, who will buy the entire production. “I find an importer to bring it straight here. The bottles may have variations, each one an identity. There’s so much that goes into it.”

His goal is always service. Having worked and eaten in the world’s finest restaurants, his expectations and standards are high. “We love good service. If we can’t serve you correctly, we’ll ask you to come back another time. There can be no bad experience,” he said adamantly.

Having already added an intimate event space next door and begun construction on an upstairs private dining room, Perez is considering opportunities to land in The Woodlands and Houston and beyond. For now, he is most often found on the deck giving his popular monthly paella cooking classes, visiting with diners who have become his friends, or behind the wing sharing his endless knowledge of what he loves: wines and food.

“The wing is fun. It’s cozy. It has an energy that grabs you. You’ll feel it,” says Plane and Level’s co-founder and Culinary Director Thomas Perez of his restaurant’s unique focal point.

REDECORATE, RESTYLE, REINVIGORATE

FRESH IDEAS TO REFRESH YOUR INDOOR AND OUTDOOR LIVING SPACES.

ARTICLE BY JEAN CIAMPI PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

Springtime ushers in a season of new beginnings. There’s no better time to breathe new life into familiar spaces – inside and out! From a simple paint palate update to a major renovation, now is the time to shake off the winter gloom and shake up your house and yard.

Chas Daniels, President of Acero Bella Fine Home Fittings, agrees that a fresh coat of paint is the easiest and most affordable way to update a room. Warmer tones reflect the warmer days, with the still-popular grays trending to “greige,” a rich neutral gray with a hint of beige. Replacing fixtures – graphite, gunmetal and darker colors are becoming more popular – is also a simple way to bring a new look.

To make a bigger splash, rethink that kitchen sink. Over-sized, extended sink systems that combine preparation, serving and cleaning are changing everything in the heart of the house. “Kitchen workstations, like The Galley, are a phenomenal tool for people who love to cook. It’s such a cool thing, and we’re all crazy about it,” said Daniels about the customizable sinks that can be up to seven feet long. Curate with The Galley Dresser, an interior

A beautiful space keeps laundry from being a chore

Bathtubs are trendy back to traditional undermounted designs.

storage system combining thoughtful artistic statement with culinary functionality and the kitchen is elevated to a new level of luxury.

“Wall steam ovens are the new kitchen essential,” Daniels declares. “Incorporating convection and steam, it’s a healthier way to cook and reheats leftovers like nobody’s business.” Instead of utilizing a heating element like traditional ovens, steam ovens heat water to boiling (212 degrees Fahrenheit), turning it to steam, then introducing the moist air into the oven. Cooking with steam is shown to reduce the need for calorie-dense oils and preserve nutrients.

Steam is finding its way into the bathroom, as well. Steam showers, an elegant and functional upgrade, provide an excellent return on investment. Environmentally friendly, conserving significant amounts of water and electricity over conventional showers, steam showers are also a great selling point for any home.

Bathroom designs, though, are trending back to traditional styles. “The transitional look is waning,” said Daniels. “We’re getting away from the free-standing bathtubs and back to the under-mounted tubs. We need a place to set our wine glass and book!”

Take the wine glass and some friends and head outdoors. Springtime in Texas is irresistible for alfresco entertaining. In preparation for perfect parties, upgrade the outdoor kitchen with a pizza oven. Compact and designed to enhance your current look, most models are simple to use

and sports temperatures upwards of 900 degrees Fahrenheit. Top with fresh herbs and vegetables from a backyard garden (their popularity continues to bloom in the wake of CoVid) and delicious pies are ready in no time.

“Simple elegance and straight lines are giving outdoor spaces a modern, contemporary look,” according to Mirror Lake Designs owner and president. “Less is more. Natural materials; travertines and lighter colored tiles; grays and whites are predominant” in creating the perfect outside living area. Incorporating sound with water elements like fountains and smell with well-chosen flowering plantings, rosemary and basil can make even small spaces feel comfortable and intimate, according to Mirror Lake Designs.

From start to cleanup, the Galley sink system is the perfect kitchen workstation

Steam ovens are the must-have for every busy kitchen

“Adding durable, colorful plants always beautifies the yard,” they point out. “So many plantings are struggling after the winter freeze, it’s important to refresh your mulch. It improves the soil so much.” Mirror Lake Designs strongly recommends prime, organic mulch and avoiding anything that is tinted or colored.

Sustainability is also coming to the porch, patio and poolside. Furniture constructed from reclaimed wood and with landfill- and ocean-bound plastics, solar-powered landscape lighting and biodegradable pots make time spent with Mother Nature better for everyone.

Whether making a small update in one room or tackling a major renovation, the most important trend for 2023 interiors and exteriors is personal expression: finding the style that best reflects you and decorating with your own personal approach and flair.

A tropical oasis blooms in color surrounding the pool

Organic mulch and fresh plantings revive the most winter-worn garden

Inside the Montgomery County Housing Market

Having an experienced Realtor in your corner is more important than ever as we face fluctuations in the housing market. We interviewed two real estate professionals to learn about the home buying and selling landscape.

WHAT TO EXPECT

“As we enter 2023 after a couple of red-hot years for the housing market, indicators point to a correction underway – but it has been slow going,” says Realtor Tracy Halverson of the Tracy Halverson Group | Realty ONE Group. “Mortgage rates continue to hover around double what they were a year ago, and home prices are decreasing with longer days on market.”

According to Halverson, as rates go up, home buyers and sellers need to consider several things. There may be fewer interested buyers. Higher rates mean more buyers could be priced out of the current market. It could take longer for offers to roll in on your home and you may have to wait a while for it to sell.

“The market slowdown in home sales that we saw in the second half of 2022 will continue into 2023,” says Halverson. “Listings may no longer go at a lightning-fast pace, and inventory is expected to tighten in 2023 with fewer homeowners willing to sell.”

Simply put, most sellers don’t want to sell their home only to purchase their next one at a much higher interest rate than what they have currently.

So will buyers be more inclined to lease/rent a home? “Many different variables come into play with this question,” Halverson explains. “If you’ve saved the needed down payment and are able to qualify for a purchase amount that will provide you the home and the location you desire without causing extreme financial stress and anxiety, then buying makes more sense than renting.”

We also asked Halverson if people will continue to invest in rental properties or vacation homes.

Tracy Halverson REALTOR I Team Leader

Tracy Halverson Group

What the experts saying about 2023

ARTICLE BY MELANIE SAXTON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BEX WOOD

VISIT TEXAS REALTORS ® to see market research for buyers, sellers, and renters at t exasrealestate.com/market-research

“There are some areas where home price growth is declining which will provide investors with more affordable investment opportunities,” she explains. “Higher interest rates could eat into cash flow, but less competition for homes makes 2023 a great time to buy.”

A HANDS-ON VIEW

“I’m in the trenches with my clients as we navigate a changing market,” says Carol Knott Tefft, a top-producing Realtor with The Hometown Team at RE/MAX Integrity in Spring. “Both luxury and non-luxury homes are experiencing odd fluctuations right now. We’re seeing above asking price and bidding wars on some properties, while others receive little attention.”

Part of the challenge is that some sellers still have expectations that their homes will go quickly while getting hit-or-miss results as buyers weigh their options. With interest rates doubling, it’s less of a seller’s market. Tefft observes that homebuyers have grabbed the steering wheel. “They are on a more equal footing in price negotiations. We’re not seeing as many appraisal waivers or no option periods.”

We can look forward to the market stabilizing in 2023 and 2024, and as for today’s interest rates, Tefft believes we will eventually experience a level of “normal.” Some of us are old enough to remember when 7% interest rates were typical back in the 1970s and early ‘80s, and again in 2002.

“Interest rates reduce the ability to afford as much,” says Tefft. “It does factor in as buyers weigh wants vs. needs. But any house, to some degree, is a compromise. The bottom line is that paying a mortgage is still better than paying rent to a landlord, especially for those who work remotely and spend more time at home.”

Learn more about the services that Carol Knott Tefft and her team provide to buyers and sellers at TheHometownTeam.com

Carol Knott Tefft

The Hometown Team

Friday, Saturday & Sunday

200 artists, live music, local food, art activities and more!

BUY

www.TheWoodlandsArtsCouncil.org

What do a pilot, a golfer, an ROTC Hall of Fame recipient and a painter have in common?

Besides being married, Dr. Jim Brandenburg and Nancy Brandenburg are vibrant members of The Village. Whether they are joining the Bible study group, strolling along the waterway, or attending stretchercize classes, this original power couple (married 68 years!) is always on the go.

“We did not expect such a varied program,” says Nancy. “We learned so much on the outing to the winery and the George H W Bush Presidential Library and Museum. We never imagined we’d be doing such things!”

FEATURING THE WORK OF CERAMICIST CATHRA-ANNE BARKER

Learning More About Reverse Mortgage Options

What are the facts vs. myths on leveraging home equity?

ARTICLE

BY MELANIE SAXTON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY NIC

Jason Higham is your go-to expert on reverse mortgages for seniors who are 62 and older.

Today’s reverse mortgages are vastly different from yesteryear’s. Montgomery native Jason Higham, Texas Loan Originator and Branch Manager at Cherry Creek Mortgage, provides an update on how these loans can be game-changers for qualifying seniors.

“Leveraging home equity through a reverse mortgage could play a key role in boosting your financial strategy for a more secure future,” says Higham. “It’s important to clarify how these loans originate today and dispel the myths.”

THE EVOLUTION OF REVERSE MORTGAGES

Congress created Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs) in 1987 to help cash-strapped borrowers, 62 and older, draw interest from their homes to pay for everyday living expenses and critical needs. “Well into the 2000s, these were largely private loans from private banks with few rules, oversight, or qualification standards,” says Higham.

“You probably remember the hard-sell commercials that sounded too good to be true. That’s why the FHA reformed the HECM program in 2010 and added safeguards for seniors.”

Before the reform, there were no income qualifications to check if borrowers could pay for their property taxes, homeowners insurance, and HOA fees. These qualification standards now exist as well as tighter borrowing limits, stricter financial requirements, stronger spousal protections, and required loan counseling as part of applying for a HUDapproved HECM mortgage.

WHAT EXACTLY IS A REVERSE MORTGAGE?

An FHA HECM reverse mortgage loan is for primary homes only. The program allows borrowers over age 62 to access their home equity and turn it into tax-free cash while retaining home ownership and residency — without a mortgage payment. The

downpayment is dependent on age; the older you are, the less you put down.

Flexible ways to receive funds include choosing a full lump sum, a partial lump sum, a line of credit, or a combination through monthly payments. It’s a way to fund longevity by supplementing retirement income, varying by the age of the youngest borrower or eligible non-borrowing spouse, the current interest rate, the lesser of appraised value or the mortgage limit, or the sales price. You can use a HECM loan for refinances and purchases.

THE VALUE OF REVERSE MORTGAGES

It might be difficult to achieve a “smarter retirement” for many reasons — longer lifespans, inflation, medical expenses, shrunken 401(k) balances, fewer traditional pensions, smaller nest eggs, lack of a financial safety net, and the high cost of downsizing or relocating. Higham educates borrowers about loan options and the reverse mortgage process to determine if the program can help overcome these challenges.

Without mortgage payments, borrowers may wonder what happens if they pass away and their home is upside down. “That’s the million-dollar question,” says Higham. “These are nonrecourse loans. If the loan debt is more than what the house is currently worth, the loan balance does not affect the estate. The family can contact the FHA and file a claim. The FHA will take the house back, or the family gets the first right of refusal to buy it at 95% of market value. Because this type of loan protects seniors, as well as their families and their estates, reverse mortgages are often recommended by estate planners.”

LEARN MORE

Visit cherrycreektexas.com and contact Jason Higham at highamteam@ccmclending.com to discover what a loan might achieve for you.

RODEO

MARCH

carnival

MARCH

A curated selection of the most intriguing upcoming events in our area.

MARCH 4TH

Casa Speaks 4 Kids Gala

MARGARITAVILLE LAKE RESORT

600 MARGARITAVILLE PKWY

LAKE CONROE, TX | 6:00 PM

The 2023 CASA Speaks 4 Kids Gala theme is “Pretty in Pink.” Come in Pretty in Pink attire and enjoy an unforgettable after-party that will transport you to the 80’s with live entertainment by The Spazmatics! Casa volunteers serve as advocates and support children going through the court system. casaspeaks4kids.com

MARCH 4TH

The Woodlands Marathon

TOWN GREEN PARK - 2099

LAKE ROBBINS DR. | 6:30 AM

MARCH

The Woodlands Marathon, comprised of the marathon, half marathon, 5k, 10K and 2k Fun Run traverse the streets of Town Center and the community on a pretty flat course, finishing on the scenic The Woodlands Waterway. Register at runsign up.com/RACE/TX/TheWoodlands

MARCH 5TH

Blues Legend Buddy Guy

713 MUSIC HALL - 401 FRANKLIN ST. HOUSTON, TX | 8:00 PM

Blues legend, Buddy Guy announces ‘Damn Right Farewell’ Tour and is making his way to Houston on March 5th, 2023 at 713 Music Hall with special guests Eric Gales and Ally Venable. Google Buddy GuyHouston for ticket information

MARCH 18TH

Greater Conroe Arts Festival

FOUNDER'S PLAZA - 205 METCALF STREET, CONROE, TX | 10:00 AM

Hosted by the members of the Greater Conroe Arts Alliance, this is a FREE and fun event for the whole family featuring a kids art village, live music, art demos, plein air painters, street chalk artists, fine art vendors, food trucks, Main Street market vendors, a Lego build along, and so much more!  10:00 am - 4:00 pm. greaterconroearts.com

MARCH 19TH

Black Tie Casino Night Fundraiser

TOWNHALL TEXAS - 12194 SLEEPY HOLLOW RD, CONROE, TX | 5:00 PM

Fundraiser for Archery Champion Jordan Meiners for her Archery Olympic Trials which will be March-August 2023. Enjoy an evening of Casino games including Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, and three-card poker. Hors d'oeuvres and desserts served with a cash bar. Raffle, silent auction and special Archery demo and Q&A session with Jordan. $50/ticket. Please visit OnPointArcher.com

MARCH 25TH

Love Fosters Hope Gala "Night of Hope"

THE WOODLANDS RESORT 2301 N MILLBEND DR, THE WOODLANDS | 6:00 PM

Join Love Fosters Hope for a memorable evening featuring a special program, dinner, dancing, silent auction, and more. Help fund Transformational Summer Camps designed to make children feel loved, valued, and empowered to reach their full potential. Support Love Fosters Hope’s year-round programming, and The Net, providing resources to young adults who have aged out of foster care.  lovefostershope.ejoinme.org/fosteringmiracles2023gala

A sample of recently sold properties in The Woodlands

CUSTOMIZE THE PERFECT YARD BAR

CREATING THE OUTDOOR PARTY SPACE YOU WANT HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER.

The Irish have a well-earned reputation for their great pubs, rollicking parties and the perfect whiskey or pint of beer. When CoVid-19 closed the bars and restaurants, Paul Convey and Enda Crowley, two Irish friends living in New York, knew they needed to find a solution to this particular pandemic predicament. Combining their shared background in construction with their Irish roots, the two created Taverns-To-Go, customizable bars that fit into any outdoor space quickly and affordably.

“We’ve all learned how important it is to enjoy our own space,” said Paul Convey, Taverns-To-Go’s president. “Being able to customize your own bar the way you want it, you’re able to create a social space that’s perfect for you, whether it’s a real stand-out showpiece or it blends into your current designs.”

Delivered coast-to-coast directly to your backyard, lake or beach house, to any level space where friends

and family gather, Convey explains that Taverns-To-Go can be assembled and ready to decorate in less than 90 minutes. Add a television or incorporate a refrigerator or keg. Pay homage to your favorite sports team, school, or beach band. Design the perfect girls-night-out space that makes all the girls want to stay in! The flexibility for options and designs means the possibilities are limitless.

“While 99-percent are permanent additions, our bars can be put up and taken down if they’re just needed for a special event or party,” Convey pointed out.

In just three years, Taverns-To-Go’s full team of carpenters has created, delivered and constructed over 2,000 bars across the country. With their growing popularity, the two Irishmen are moving forward with plans to expand their operations. And they will certainly drink to that!

LEFT: Design details are only limited by your creativity

RIGHT: Recreate your favorite tropical island vibe

ARTICLE BY JEAN CIAMPI | PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

713.465.4800

Monday–Friday

Advanced care to put cancer behind you.

Fighting cancer starts with having the right team beside you. And at Memorial Hermann, we’re here for you every step of the way. As one of Houston’s leading providers of cancer treatment, we offer advanced care from screening and diagnosis to treatment and survivorship. With locations throughout Houston, you can find care close to you. This is comprehensive cancer care designed for you.

memorialhermann.org/cancer

Advancing health. Personalizing care.