It was a Classic Example of a Great Night at the PaperCity Designer Dinner

The design world flocked to the PaperCity Designer Dinner at The Halles, where Vitruvian Man graced the invitation and classical architecture was the theme of the night. Honored guests were designer Ray Booth with McAlpine, architect Bill Curtis with Curtis & Windham Architects, and the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art Texas Chapter for advancing the appreciation and practice of the principles of traditional architecture and its allied arts. 

Booth is an architecturally trained designer and partner at McAlpine and has collections with Hickory Chair and Visual Comfort. Curtis and partner Russell Windham have projects around the country, and the firm has won multiple coveted ICAA John Staub Awards and Palladio Awards as well as the Arthur Ross Award for excellence in classical architecture. Both signed their new books earlier in the day. 

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Table settings by AFE, MAXIT Flower Design and Pooky. (Photo by Heather Robards.)

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Table settings by AFE, MAXIT Flower Design and Pooky. (Photo by Heather Robards.)

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Table settings by AFE, MAXIT Flower Design and Pooky. (Photo by Heather Robards.)

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Social House provided welcome cocktails at the Fall 2025 PaperCity Designer Dinner. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Social House provided welcome cocktails at the Fall 2025 PaperCity Designer Dinner including espresso martinis with Mr. Black coffee liqueur. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Social House provided welcome cocktails at the Fall 2025 PaperCity Designer Dinner including a hibiscus margarita with LALO Tequila. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Life of the party: Damon Pampolina of PRP Entertainment brought the good vibes, spinning the playlist for the evening. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Passed appetizer by A Fare Extraordinaire. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Entree by AFE. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Honoree Bill Curtis of Curtis & Windham Architects.

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Honoree Ray Booth. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Winner of the giveaway painting by Aileen Fitzgerald. Sponsored by Four Hands. (Photo by Heather Robards)

For the tables, A Fare Extraordinaire kept color to a minimum and followed the canon of architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe: Less is more. MAXIT Flower Design also worked the theme with subtle waves of color. Pooky lighting lit the tables and gifted guests with an architecturally defined marble tabletop lamp with choose-your-own patterned shade. Perigold, an evening’s sponsor, gifted guests with a set of silver Western-themed cocktail picks. The Pooky team was in from London and NYC: Jodie Sanders, Regan Iglesia and Lucy Brunsden. The Perigold posse was in from NYC: Tyla Bucher, Nancy Soriano andNicole Lorden. 

            A Fare Extraordinaire whipped up the perfect fall menu from The Halles Jenn-Air Food Lab including passed appetizers of marinated beef tenderloin, petite shrimp Louie, and puréed butternut squash crostini. Dinner followed with a composition of roasted beet root, marinated feta, lemon oil, arugula pesto, and dill. An entrée of lamb ragu with campanelle pasta with shaved pecorino, fried Italian parsley, and rainbow carrots was capped off with orange blossom panna cotta with candied pistachios, angostura bitters, and infused orange supremes.

Before taking to the dance floor, guests ordered espresso martinis with Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur and hibiscus margaritas poured by Social House. 

As the dinner wrapped, one lucky guest, Amanda Darnell, was announced as the winner of the painting As Within — an atmospheric landscape piece inspired by the Texas Hill Country, created by Texas artist Aileen Fitzgerald and given by Four Hands, a sponsor for the night. And de rigueur at the biannual Designer Dinner, guests danced until the cows came home to entertainer Damon Pampolina of PRP Entertainment. 

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Jessica Love, Rachael Dickhute. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Matt and Steffanie Ball, En Gold. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Melinda and John James. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Reenie and Kent Collins. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Rebecca Gibbs, Callie Blanks, Bruce and Oscar Banta-Guevara. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Greg Roffino, Danny Ostendorf, Avery Stephens, Kelli Hermes. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Mary Hoang-Do, Katia Popova. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Nicole Lorden, Nancy Soriano. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Catherine D Anspon, Susan Sulcher, Diana Martin. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Mary Jane Gallagher, Susan Sulcher, Julie Taetz, Diana Martin, Brenda Atkins. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Mary Anne Gallagher, Susan Sulcher. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Jessica Zachary, Claire House. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Julie Taetz, Brenda Atkins, Diana Martin. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Lloyd Princeton, Jarrod Oram, Rodger Chieffalo. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Oscar Banta-Guevara, Jessica Love, Bruce Banta-Guevara. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Lloyd Princeton, Zuzana Kastleman. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Danielle Knox, DeAnn Scheppelle. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Natalie Green, Jessica Vessells. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Christina Craemer, Jessica Love, Madeline Grijalva. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Paige Sidhom, Lauren Clyburn, Rebecca Gibbs, Callie Blanks. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Glynis Wood, Michelle Davis, Deborah Kirk. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Jessica Zachary, Ray Booth. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Mary Ladd, Maria Lowrey, Despina Trejos-Joe, Christopher Doyle. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Ginger Hartford, Regan Iglesia. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Jess Jacob, Lori Stephens, Dorie Tucker, Kennedy Riggs. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Jen Taillefumier, Kerrie Hughes. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Jim Kastleman, Ray Booth. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Regan Iglesia, Kara Stiffler. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Zuzi Calk, Jordan Geibel. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Angela Fabbri, Zuzana Kastleman, Brad Oberwager, Zoe Bonnette. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Alana Kay Latiolais, Caitlin Tebo. (Photo by Heather Robards)

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Betsy Austin, Madeleine Hazelbaker. (Photo by Heather Robards)

Spotted: Zoe Bonnette, Brad Oberwager, Lloyd Princeton, Paige Sidhom, Mary Ann Gallagher, Greg Roffinoand Danny Ostendorf representing ICAA, Callie Blanks, Amanda Darnell, Kelli Hermes, Ginger Hartford, Greg Fourticq, John Cone, Jodie Sanders, Regan Iglesia, Tyla Bucher, Betsy Austin, Morgan Robinson, Madeleine Hazelbaker, Susan Solcher, Jordan and Ben Kastleman, Rodger Chieffalo, Natalie Green and Jessica Vessells from Four Hands, sponsor Element Ranch’s Jessica Zachary, En Gold’s Steffani and Matt Ball, Lauren Wills Grover, Bruceand Oscar Banta-Guevara, Jessica Love, Selena Mackay, and Christina Creamer.

As attendees departed for home, or Round Top's spectacular accommodations around town, honoree Ray Booth was perhaps the envy of all as he alighted to The Villa, hosted by Element Ranch. 

Plans are in the works for the spring 2026 PaperCity designer dinner. Stay tuned to our calendar, here for information and tickets as they become available.