“It all started with the American Girl doll, Felicity. I fell in love with her clothing and furniture. I loved the history and design. As a little girl, I was determined to grow up and create beautiful clothing and rooms. I too, like many designers, grew up with parents who remodeled every home. It was my mother’s passion! Most of the homes were gutted to the studs to start over, while some were just in need of cosmetic work. I learned the importance and practicalities of design from a young age.

As a child, I wanted to be a costume designer so I could re-create the clothing of the past. In addition, I wanted to become a costume historian to study the extant garments, and an interior designer to create rooms worthy of such exquisite clothes. Whew, haha what ambition! But I did it! These childhood dreams came to fruition in so many ways. When I led the curation of the fashion archives project at Houston Community College, the University of Houston-Downtown, where I lectured in theatre and costume design and at The University of Texas where I am currently an Advisory Council member for the school of Human Ecology, focusing on the Historic garment collection as well as the interiors of the Gearing building. A highpoint in my career came when I was selected to assist in the restoration of the burgundy ball gown from the classic film, Gone With the Wind. This was all possible only after my studies at the University of Texas at Austin and NYU. Volunteering as a Docent at Bayou Bend is such fun and goes along with my passion for historic design, back to Felicity, back to my love of history. It inspires me to create timeless spaces that I hope my clients will love for generations.

I’m blessed to live with my expanding family in the city where I grew up. I see inspiration in the eclectic fusion of Houston living. The sights, sounds, and flavors of this vibrant city remind me of our time living overseas. Living in different cultures provided a distinct perspective where international design mixed with my traditional southern roots.

And now an explanation of my logo: In the South, we love our family trees more than the family silver! Where we come from is extremely important. I love my family and wanted to honor our legacy by using our symbol which is a tree stump. The stump indicates that the American Winslow’s were cut off from the Winslow family in England. The motto is, “Although cut off, I flourish.” Ours has little branches coming off the stump indicating that we are flourishing!”