WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS

JAY SHINN, AN ARTIST AND SECOND-GENERATION HOTELIER, LOVINGLY RESTORED A HISTORIC HOTEL WITH INTERIOR DESIGNER DAVID CADWALLADER, REPLETE WITH WORKS BY MANY LAUDED TEXAS ARTIST FRIENDS.

BY PEGGY LEVINSON

When the oldest hotel in Houston, needed a face-lift, it took two prominent Dallas denizens, artist Jay Shinn and designer David Cadwallader, to make it into the premier hot spot in Houston, adding it to the canon of the world’s art hotels.

The Lancaster was built in the Regency style in 1926 by the DeGeorge family and remained in the ownership of the family until Shinn’s recent purchase. Its storied history includes visits by prominent actors Clark Gable and Gene Autry, businessmen, circus performers, and even a horse, Speedy Boy, who won a race in Galveston in 1927.

Jay Shinn, a notable Dallas artist represented by Barry Whistler Gallery and CEO of his family’s Magnolia Lodging, heard the hotel was on the market and felt it would be a good fit for his company. “As an artist, collector, and second-generation hotelier, I am thrilled to be able to combine my passion for art and hospitality into this remarkable venue,” he says.

Shinn purchased the hotel in 2017, one month before Hurricane Harvey decimated most of the city of Houston, and enlisted his friend David Cadwallader to oversee the interior design. What began as modest updating of a beautiful and elegant old hotel turned into a full-scale reconstruction, and a welcome addition to Houston’s famed theatre district, alongside Jones Hall and the Alley Theatre.

Because the scale of the project had changed from a gradual update to a fast-track renovation, Cadwallader and team worked on design while demolition and new construction was underway. “I worked with a great team—skilled craftsmen from Magnolia Lodging were able to build and make furniture at the same time. Dallas designer Dan Nelson helped with the guest rooms and provided color and added flair, and Steven Byrd designed lighting that was adequate for a hotel and subtle enough to create a residential atmosphere,” says Cadwallader.

Shinn curates the art in the hotel, many pieces culled from the work of friends; all artwork is from the private collection he assembled with his partner, Tim Hurst. Over 200 pieces of art adorn the hotel’s lobby, Tea Lounge, Cultivated F+B restaurant (where one of Shinn’s own works hangs), and Speedy Boy coffee bar.

The 93 guest rooms each feature one central artist, from emerging artist to mid-career, all Texas based or with significant Texas ties. “Every time a guest checks in they have a different experience with different art. We have works by over 50 artists in the rooms and suites and represent no more than three or four individual works by each artist,” says Shinn.

“The opportunity to curate the art collection at the Lancaster

Image caption.

In the lobby area: James Surls, Stairway to Heaven-Maquette, 2002, painted steel, 20.75 x 17.75 x 20 in.; behind: Mark Flood, Outcrop, 2004, acrylic on canvas, 90 x 60 in. On right and below: Donald Moffett, Lot 021417 (the hard spore, aubergine), 2017, pigmented epoxy resin on wood panel support with steel tubing. 24 x 24 x 4.5 in.

has been a rewarding experience. Learning about each of these artists, who have lived in Texas at some point in their career or who currently make Texas and our vibrant art community their home, has been most enlightening and personal,” he enthuses. “Many of the artists in the collection are at the pinnacles of their career, producing their best work. Many are strong and promising younger artists giving proof to the vibrant and relevant art currently being made in this state.”

The clean lines and architectural ethos of Cadwallader’s interior are the perfect backdrop to the collection, making guests feel like they are entering the elegance and comfort of a fine home. The original Regency style is modernized with enlarged picture windows in front and contemporary ironwork and fixtures. “Shinn wanted loyal hotel clients to have the familiarity of the old hotel, but with a new, fresh, and playful approach,” says Cadwallader.

In the entry, a custom reception desk is flanked by columns with

Tommy Fitzpatrick, Campanile, 2017, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 20 in. installed in the dining room. Photograph by Julie Soefer.

In the dining room: Jay Shinn, Cameo I, 2018, painted neon, enamel, mirror, Plexiglas, and frosted Plexiglas. Marcelyn McNeil, Smooth Talker #18, 2016, oil on layered paper, 28 x 25 in.; Trenton Doyle Hancock, New Marily, 2002, graphite, acrylic, and ink on paper, 11.25 x 9.75 in. Photograph by Julie Soefer.

Aaron Parazette, Solid, 2008, acrylic on canvas, 36 x 36 in. Photograph by Julie Soefer.

In the Mezzanine Lobby hangs Robert Rauschenberg, Samarkand Stitches #VII, 1998, screen print with mixed media, 48 x 53 in.

In the Gallery Board Room hangs John Pomara, Flower Power, 2018, digitally printed mural, 42.75 x 107.75 in. Photograph by Julie Soefer.

Barovier & Toso sconces specially designed for the Lancaster. The oval window above gives nod to the Regency style. A painting by Otis Jones that hangs behind the desk gives a sense of tranquility to the buzz of activity at the reception area. Above the credenza hangs Outcrop, a lace painting by celebrated Houston artist Mark Flood. A suite of four woodcuts by Donald Judd hangs above the bar cart.

Italian porcelain tile honed to give the impression of subtle wear connects the common areas of the lobby. The cozy tea lounge has intimate seating areas grounded by a Cadwallader-designed area rug. A laser-cut resin work, Lot 021417, the hard spore aubergine by Donald Moffett, a San Antonio–born, New York–based artist, hangs above the canapé sofa. The original staircase, modified and modernized by Cadwallader and team, leads to more art on the mezzanine—a sought-after event space for theatre and art groups. Some artists represented on the mezzanine include Joseph Havel, Linnea Glatt, Luis Jimenez, Lance Letscher, and Tom Orr. The mezzanine also boasts a Robert Rauschenberg textile collage painting, Samarkand Studies #VII, from his Samarkand Stitches series.

An inviting seating area under the staircase has a custom sofa and area rug by Cadwallader. Reveler, over the sofa, is an oil on canvas by Houston artist Terrell James. Represented within the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; the Menil Collection; and the Dallas Museum of Art, James’ paintings are known for a lyrical handling of color, form, and light.

Hanging salon style, an assemblage of artworks leads up the staircase; artists include Dan Rizzie, Andrea Rosenberg, Helen Altman, Ed Blackburn, and Matt Kleberg. “Several pieces have a clear personal connection for me,” says Shinn, such as Rackstraw Downes’ graphite interior of one of Judd’s Marfa army barracks. “Downes was a visiting artist and did a studio visit with me in art school at Skowhegan in Maine. Also, Bale Creek Allen’s Beauty—I assisted Bale’s father, the artist Terry Allen, on an installation in Kansas City in the ’60s, before Bale was born.”

Shinn continues, “It is fun to see guests looking at the art. They may own a piece by the artist and have a sense of familiarity. The broad variety of intimate drawings, paintings, and photography in the collection is meant to be accessible and appreciated. It is intended to make them stop and contemplate a question they might not otherwise ever consider. This is what great art can do if you, as our guest, will take the time for the experience.” P

La Vie Style House caftans and kimonos worn by Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts students.

C’est La Vie It’s a cool, cool summer with vintage-inspired caftans and kimonos designed by Lindsey McClain and Jamie Coulter.

BY TERRI PROVENCAL PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANTHONY CHIANG

n 2013, former stylists Lindsey McClain, a Dallas native, and Jamie Coulter, who hails from eternally fashion-forward LA, dreamt up La Vie Style House and introduced an ageless fanciful caftan and kimono collection. Handmade in the US, the universally sized brand takes inspiration from their mutual affinity for vintage clothing and world travels.

Following a successful pop-up in Highland Park Village in December (extended through January), Coulter and McClain are glamping through summer and into fall with their shop-in-shop La Vie Style House concept at MARKET. The brand’s six-month residency is part of the boutique’s tastefully and newly unveiled revamped store design, which includes two temporary in-store shops.

MARKET’s polished owner Elisa Summers and head of fashion Keenan Walker are always discerning when it comes to the brands they carry within the tony shop, cultivating relationships with coveted global fashion houses and of-the-moment emerging artists. With La Vie’s styles designed for everyday life, cofounder McClain says, “MARKET I

is the perfect spot to share our latest collection.” Though, she adds, “Obviously our opening coincided with the pandemic—so, we’ve shared walking through this sensitive time together. We are grateful they’ve reopened and excited to offer them exclusive pieces.”

Hand-plucked for the Highland Park Village shop, La Vie’s assortment includes Elizabeth Taylor-worthy at-home loungingwhile-sipping-margaritas-poolside options such as short caftans in heart-shaped-cut lace. If you do venture out at a safe distance, leopard sequins to full-length metallic brocade kimonos and one-of-a-kind embellished frocks are perfect for anything from a coffee shop tête à tête to an evening soiree. “Our caftans and kimonos can be dressed up or worn casually, so we believe they are a perfect and essential part of the modern woman’s wardrobe,” cofounder Coulter enthuses. “We’ve been delighted with our shop-in-shop at MARKET. It’s been a cool touchstone for local customers to easily access our product.”

We can’t wait to see our Patron readers wearing La Vie at all the fall openings. P