X Marks the Spot: A Mysterious New Houston Store Showcases Rare Bohemian Masterpieces

When designer Garrett Hunter and architect Michael Landrum decide to pool their extraordinary wares and open a shop, stand back. Hunter is known for the exquisite placement of unusual and amazing furnishings and objects with fascinating backstories; Landrum designs enchanting projects with art and furnishings as focal point. Together they’ve opened Tienda X in Houston and it’s filled with the rare bohemian masterpieces both men are drawn to.

We saw fiberglass-and-resin chairs made from a gingko-leaf-pattern mold that are being produced in-house ($7,000); an exceptionally brilliant and angular Joe D’Urso gold-colored velvet chaise longue designed for a house in the Hamptons in the ’70s ($12,000); a Tobia Scarpa prototype for a desk, early ’60s Italian ($25,000); and a pair of amazing and rare Victor Delfi n leather-and-metal chairs ($20,000 for pair). Delfin was one of the most important contemporary artists in Peru and made only a handful of chairs. We also saw a fantastic Orientalist sofa and two chairs made from Oriental rugs — very Hearst Castle; a steel chaise prototype, Italian ’70s; and a modular Shaker long table that can be taken apart for traveling.

When you enter the dark charcoal bricked building, take a look at the door hardware, inside and out — black metal masks fashioned by a Vermont artist who will be making these and more hardware for Tienda X. Need we go on.

Tienda X, 1420 W. Alabama, 713.534.1257; open Wednesday – Saturday, noon – 5 pm, gentleman hours.