Inside Houston Station, the building’s industrial past still lingers in the worn hardwood floors, exposed timber beams and sprawling factory-style corridors now occupied by a growing mix of creative businesses. Fine dining destination Bastion sits alongside custom boot and hat retailer Planet Cowboy, while vintage streetwear shop Red Rose Hype Retail and the forthcoming Gannons restaurant continue adding new energy to the evolving Wedgewood-Houston landmark.
Even as rapid development reshapes the surrounding neighborhood, Houston Station has retained much of the character that first drew artists, designers and makers to the area. The building feels less curated than accumulated over time — a blend of hospitality, retail, art and creative studios connected by the kind of authenticity that cannot be manufactured from scratch.
For interior design studio and gallery Of Origin, that balance is exactly what made Houston Station feel like home.
Founded by Justin Orton, Of Origin approaches interiors through the lens of authenticity — embracing natural materials, visible craftsmanship and collected pieces that feel layered with history rather than trend-driven. The name itself reflects that philosophy, referencing both the origin of materials and the stories connected to where things come from.
“The common thread is that each piece feels authentic and carries a sense of its own history, texture, and presence that gives it some additional depth beyond just being decorative,” Justin said.
Along with design director Kierstin Casella, Orton has evolved the business through multiple spaces within Houston Station over the past eight years, now serves as both a full-service interior design firm and a carefully curated gallery of objects, art and furnishings. Clients engage with the team through everything from large-scale new construction and renovations to sourcing artwork, vintage finds and sculptural objects that bring warmth and individuality into a home.
Rather than filling the showroom with mass-produced inventory, the pair treat the space as an evolving collection. Weekends are often spent hunting through antique markets, estate sales and forgotten corners of nearby towns searching for pieces with patina, texture and personality. Handmade ceramics, weathered woods, art glass, rustic vessels and sculptural objects fit right in with the building’s raw architecture — softened by textiles, lighting and collected artwork that make the space feel personal rather than staged.
“We love the openness of the space, the timber beams, the aged floors,” Justin said. “We intentionally kept a lot of the original character exposed and allowed the pieces within the showroom to feel collected into the architecture rather than staged against it.”
That balance between refined and rough is intentional. Both designers describe themselves as drawn to contrast: polished marble paired with acid-etched steel, vintage objects layered beside contemporary forms, luxury materials grounded by imperfections and age.
“We want our clients to have that same kind of experience in their homes,” Kierstin said. “We’re always aiming to let the materials be what they want to be, and finding unexpected ways to highlight them.”
As Houston Station continues evolving alongside the neighborhood around it, spaces like Of Origin reflect what has long made the building compelling in the first place: an appreciation for craftsmanship, individuality and the kind of character that cannot be replicated from scratch.
