Next week I'm off to speak at Jill Brown's wonderful store, Brown, in Houston, Texas, and I can't wait. 

Yesterday, I received the beautiful invitation to the event (below). 

For those of you who haven't visited, her store is a must-see, not just because it's incredibly beautiful and inspiring, but because every item in it has a great story behind it. From the furniture to the custom lighting, the whole place is full of soul and history and style.

When I get back to Charleston, I'll be guest blogging on Jill's blog and on Belle Decor, with photos of the evening and more.

In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite things from her collection:

1) An antique abacus. Amazing.

2) An antique eye chart. I love how graphic this piece is.

3) Jill's classic No. 021 light, which she started making in 2004. It's been copied by a lot of lighting designers since, but her original is what started it all.

Stay tuned for more next week...