Now Open: Jill Egan Interiors Finds a Home in Rice Village
Designer Jill Egan, principal of Houston-based Jill Egan Interiors, is bringing her keen sense of space and a focus on relaxed luxury to an approximately 2,000-square-foot showroom and office at 2532 Amherst in the heart of iconic Rice Village. The Jill Egan Interiors storefront is a culmination of the firm’s 12 years in practice and will not only serve as a laboratory for the development and sale of its own custom furnishings and accessories, but also as a showcase for globally sourced selections, fine art and curated objects for the home.
Egan’s spouse, Patrick Egan of Gulf Coast Commercial Group, Inc, an established, Houston-based firm specializing in retail development, management and leasing, represented the designer in the transaction with Rice Management Company.
The longtime business owner was a popular math teacher at West University Elementary and River Oaks Baptist School before pursuing her love of design as a profession. That path began working for a premier upholsterer, where she gained key production skills used regularly to create custom pieces for clients today. Simultaneously, as a design assistant supporting operations for an interior firm’s showroom, she began her journey as an antique buyer, regularly traveling to Europe to acquire pieces.
As Egan’s client base and project sizes grew, she realized just how important keeping up with advancing technologies would be. This led her to the hire of junior designer Katharine Powell, who creates photo realistic renderings and VR presentations to allow clients to fully immerse themselves in their proposed environments. These tools have become increasingly pivotal to new construction endeavors that are a hallmark of the firm.
The Jill Egan Interiors team’s design for Rice Village was envisioned to make the retail space feel more like the interior of one of her residential projects, adopting a timeless and curated, less is more vibe with organic finishes and statement pieces. As such, a number of top local artisans and trades were recruited to help bring her vision to life, including general contractor Kabir Karnani of Deccan Development; Doro Rojas of Doro’s Unique Flooring, who fabricated a table using reclaimed wood that will serve as the centerpiece of the venue; Tony Robles of Iron Accents, who was instrumental in fabricating custom rods and store displays; and AB Flores Custom Masonry, which covered the interior in a favorite shade of Chateau Domingue lime plaster.
The resulting gallery-like ambience sets a minimalist backdrop. Highlights include cast bronze light and sculptural objects by Studio Henry Wilson of Australia, pieces from Parisian fine artist Lauren Collin and an Argentinian textile line exclusive to Jill Egan Interiors.
According to Egan, “I’ve always loved the beauty and imperfection in all things handmade.”
“As I reflect on how the design world started for me, it is a bit surreal to have a showroom of my own now,” she said. “I am a big believer that creating beautiful spaces for others has a positive impact on their well-being. My wish is for this space to have that same impact on everyone that walks through our doors.”