New Tanglewood High-Rise Turns Its Luxury Sales Center Into Party World — 1661 Tanglewood Draws Heavy Hitters

The excitement was palpable as more than 100 enthusiastic guests swanned into the luxe sales center for 1661 Tanglewood, the uber luxury Houston high-rise that has residential real estate circles and prospective buyers buzzing. Welcoming the throng for an early look at the family legacy project was developer Kendall Miller, whose grandfather William G. Farrington developed the neighborhood of Tanglewood in 1946.

The Tanglewood Corporation president was joined by his brothers Bill and Jim, his sister Michelle Miller Shedd, and their spouses for the cocktail-infused evening that showcased the $300 million tower, which is expected to break ground in 2023.

“Our family’s initial inspiration to redevelop our cornerstone site at 1661 Tanglewood was not only to expand upon the foundation of the neighborhood conceived and cultivated by previous generations,” Kendall Miller tells PaperCity, “but also to reach new heights in the quality and character of the city we love.”

Among the 1661 Tanglewood team that assembled for the cocktail party were architect Guy Jackson of Jackson & Ryan Architects, Tellepsen construction CEO Tadd Tellepsen and Waterworks global vice president Steven Toia, who made a rare trip in from his base in Connecticut for the event.

“Every once in a while you have a handful of projects that are just perfect in association with the brand,” Toia says, “and I think 1661 Tanglewood is that type of a project . . . Luxury is the pinnacle of who we are and this project, the association with the design firm, with the marketing firm, all speak to that level of luxury.

“When you walk through the sales center, the attention to detail is so meticulous, so elevated and so special. These are the type of words that we use as we design our bath and kitchen fittings.

“When you look at the very few projects that we (Waterworks) really live in a whole space like we do in this project, they’re far and few between and this one was special enough for me to travel here.”

Representing designer J. Randall Powers, whose talent is observed throughout the design, was his business partner Christopher Alexander, who soaked up the many compliments on the surrounding rich tableau.

Servers from Swift + Company negotiated through the packed sales center with trays of champagne and other libations, while the luxe kitchen harbored trays of delectable hors d’oeuvres.

Not only is the project a family affair but it is also one of multi-generational friendships as Tellepsen noted in chatting with PaperCity.

“The Miller family and the Tellepsen families have been friends for four generations and my grandmother was very close with Mary Catherine Miller, Kendall’s mother,” he says. “They shared a pew together at St. Martin’s for several decades. And so we’ve known them a long time. It’s really special to do something with people who you’ve grown up with.”

Founded in 1909 Tellepsen is one of the city’s primary and largest general contractors with various landmark projects under its belt including St. Martin’s Episcopal Church sanctuary and Texas Children’s Hospital’s Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute.

“We have done things this luxe but not residential and these residences will be luxe,” Tellepsen adds. “There’ll be nothing like them in the sky. They’re the largest, most luxurious, most well thought-out units and homes that we’ve ever seen in the Houston market.”

Also welcoming visitors were the Martha Turner Sotheby’s International Realty team — Ruthie Porterfield, Mary Elizabeth Hahnfeld and Robin Conner.

PC Seen: Cindy Miller, Amy Miller, Debbie Day, Cliff Shedd, Helene and Dror Zadok, Lorri and George Lugrin, Sheridan Williams, Dan and Dr. Patti Steiner, Jay Monroe, Pam Goss, Dancie Ware, Neal Hamil, Tricia Hamilton Blalock and Michael Blalock, Kathy Masterson, Paul Silverman, Sallie Bell Rutherford, Barbara Tartt, and Raquel and Glenn Lewis.