Great Design Blooms — Meet Five Greats in Design in Houston

The annual Design in Bloom presented by Flower magazine takes place at The Houston Design Center and The Houston Design District this Tuesday, May 18, in coordination with Texas Design Week Houston.

The day kicks off with coffee at 9 am in Leisure Collections showroom, followed by a 9:30 am panel discussion, also at Leisure Collections, with architect Bobby McAlpine, designer Ray Booth, floral designer Laura Dowling, and landscape designer Keith Williams, moderated by Margot Shaw, editor in chief of Flower magazine.

Breakout sessions ensue, first with AD100 and Elle Decor A-List architect Bobby McAlpine and designer Ray Booth with the McAlpine firm at 11 am, presented by Lee Industries at James Craig Furnishings Showroom. McAlpine and Booth will discuss their award-winning, much-published work. Book signings of McAlpine’s Poetry of Place and Booth’s Evocative Interiors to follow.

A luncheon is at noon, hosted by MAI + Studio 7026 showrooms. Next up at 1:15 pm, landscape designer Keith Williams of cutting-edge firm Nievera Williams, Palm Beach, will present and sign his book, The Graphic Garden, at Thorntree showroom. At 2:45 pm is a floral presentation by Laura Dowling, Washington, D.C., who served as the White House’s chief floral designer from 2009 to 2015, hosted by Leisure Collections, followed by a book signing. A mixer follows at 4 pm at Scene One Interiors.

From 5 to 8 pm, the day ends with cocktails with Ray Booth and a first peek at the new Hickory Chair Houston and Booth’s stunning collection for Hickory Chair. Booth will discuss his work and sign his best-selling book, Evocative Interiors. By invitation and for Design in Bloom and TXDW VIP ticket holders.

Tickets for Design In Bloom, VIP all day $125. Half-day $75. Individual event pricing available for Keith Williams and Laura Dowling, $25; tickets at designinbloomhouston.eventbrite.com. Tickets purchased last year, which was canceled due to the pandemic, are honored for the new date. VIP ticket to Texas Design Week Houston, $375, includes a VIP Design in Bloom ticket, at texasdesignweek.com.