Houzz Tours
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Houzz Tour: A Colourful and Eclectic Texas Family Home
A Houston house full of personality incorporates the homeowners’ art collection and favourite colours
Just because a family home is relaxed and comfortable doesn’t mean it can’t be chic and stylish. This Texas family wanted to make sure their new home had a fresh and eclectic feel and represented their personalities, showcased their art collection and functioned for the fuss-free way they like to live. When the design team at Laura U saw their art collection, they knew crisp, gallery-white walls were the way to go, while the furnishings and accessories would drench the home in dynamic colour. The homeowners are Rice University alumni, and their favourite colour is blue, no matter the shade. ‘Red made the perfect pop of colour in the sea of deep blues and crisp white. It’s all-American!’ says designer Laura Umansky, adding that the home is ‘casual, comfortable and a place for family’. They’ve dubbed the style ‘Southern Americana’.
Photos by Julie Soefer
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here A young family with 2 boys and 2 dogs
Location Houston, Texas
Size 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms
Photos by Julie Soefer
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here A young family with 2 boys and 2 dogs
Location Houston, Texas
Size 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms
The furniture and accessories are a mix of old and new. ‘The clients loved their existing table and chairs, so we upped the ante with this bespoke light fixture,’ Laura says. ‘We liked its unexpected presence and industrial vibe.’
The accessories help create cohesion between the modern, retro and traditional pieces. Because the clients love to read, shelves made their way into almost every room. In the dining room, tomes were traded for colourful glassware, vases and artwork, with lots of white space keeping a balanced look.
The accessories help create cohesion between the modern, retro and traditional pieces. Because the clients love to read, shelves made their way into almost every room. In the dining room, tomes were traded for colourful glassware, vases and artwork, with lots of white space keeping a balanced look.
The architecture is Spanish colonial, as seen in some of the details, such as the ceiling beams. They add a warmth that works well with pops of bright colour. ‘The clients’ favourite colour is blue, in any and all shades, so we made sure to incorporate it in every room,’ Laura says. In this bright living room, a deep blue rug with a Greek key border grounds the space; the blue, white and fiery orange-red are a fresh take on the all-American colour palette.
The sofa’s strong base got the design brew going. ‘The client fell in love with the oak base with the natural finish – it’s such a statement piece,’ Laura says. From there the Laura U team – led by Laura and senior designer Letecia Ellis – selected pieces that complemented the sofa’s strong lines without competing with it. Wood in varying species and finishes, along with metals, adds to the textural mix.
Sofa, Vanguard.
The sofa’s strong base got the design brew going. ‘The client fell in love with the oak base with the natural finish – it’s such a statement piece,’ Laura says. From there the Laura U team – led by Laura and senior designer Letecia Ellis – selected pieces that complemented the sofa’s strong lines without competing with it. Wood in varying species and finishes, along with metals, adds to the textural mix.
Sofa, Vanguard.
The family room is an even more casual space. ‘This is truly a family room – everyone in the family uses it equally,’ Laura says. To keep things comfortable, light and playful, the team chose USM storage in a vibrant orange. It adds loads of storage for books, games and toys, and also infuses the room with colour. The woven grey fabric on the sofa can withstand a lot of abuse, and so can the carpet tiles that compose the area rug.
TV is not a huge part of this family’s lifestyle, but this is the cosy spot where they snuggle up to watch films together.
Modular sofa, Della Robbia. Storage, USM Modular Furniture. Carpet tiles, Flor.
TV is not a huge part of this family’s lifestyle, but this is the cosy spot where they snuggle up to watch films together.
Modular sofa, Della Robbia. Storage, USM Modular Furniture. Carpet tiles, Flor.
A barn door is another nod to Southern Americana, with its reclaimed wood lending some worn patina to the room. It leads to a hallway to the kitchen.
Custom hexagonal tables add strong colour and geometry to the room, and give the kids a spot to play with their toys and do other activities. The tables can be moved around and can serve as ottomans.
Roman blind fabric, Duralee. Cushions, Surya.
Custom hexagonal tables add strong colour and geometry to the room, and give the kids a spot to play with their toys and do other activities. The tables can be moved around and can serve as ottomans.
Roman blind fabric, Duralee. Cushions, Surya.
In the kitchen, red window frames play off a red range (not shown). Vintage lights and a fresh farmhouse feel are nods to Southern Americana, while 3cm-thick Carrara marble worktops add elegance.
The team designed this dazzling cloakroom around the custom industrial basin. They designed the rest of the vanity unit around it, adding a bold wallpaper and an industrial-style mirror.
Wallpaper, Chochin from Grow House Grow. Mirror, Arteriors.
Explore 10 ways to give your cloakroom character
Wallpaper, Chochin from Grow House Grow. Mirror, Arteriors.
Explore 10 ways to give your cloakroom character
‘An animal print adds unexpected liveliness and the colour grounds the pattern,’ Laura says of this dynamic staircase and runner. Custom metal railings topped with white oak handrails have a Gothic look. ‘We were going for elegance, uniqueness and simplicity,’ the designer says.
Discover ways to make your stairs special
Discover ways to make your stairs special
A dramatic aged metal chandelier stands up to the scale of the two-storey staircase area; its straight lines play off the window frames.
Chandelier, Currey & Company.
Chandelier, Currey & Company.
Another thoughtfully chosen light fixture adds a dynamic sculptural touch above the main entry door in the hall. It’s composed of aged brass wrapped in leather.
Highwire Tandem chandelier, Apparatus.
Highwire Tandem chandelier, Apparatus.
The casual feeling continues into the master bedroom, where the designers were going for an airy and cool yet comfortable feel.
Tip If you have a vaulted ceiling, make sure your furniture choices can stand up to it. ‘Adding visual height becomes important when dealing with voluminous ceilings,’ Laura says. ‘The four-poster bed fills up the space and makes a grand statement.’ The long wall of window treatments also stands up to the scale of the high ceiling.
Tip If you have a vaulted ceiling, make sure your furniture choices can stand up to it. ‘Adding visual height becomes important when dealing with voluminous ceilings,’ Laura says. ‘The four-poster bed fills up the space and makes a grand statement.’ The long wall of window treatments also stands up to the scale of the high ceiling.
The design team loves to mix metals. In this vignette, the antiqued metal lamp and large square drawer pulls complement each other and add depth. ‘We love the eclectic feeling of the pieces,’ Laura says.
In the master bathroom, the designers created details such as long, thin stripes in the tiles, extending them up the wall behind the freestanding bath. ‘This brought together the clients’ favourite colours: blue, white and grey,’ Laura says.
The floor tiles are limestone, with quartzite mosaics serving as the stripe detail. The mosaics tie the floor and tiled wall to the quartzite worktop.
Worktop, Luce de Luna quartzite from Walker Zanger. Tiles, Thorntree. Vanity unit, bespoke, painted in Cyberspace by Sherwin-Williams. Basin, Kohler. Balmoral bath (custom painted), Cheviot.
The floor tiles are limestone, with quartzite mosaics serving as the stripe detail. The mosaics tie the floor and tiled wall to the quartzite worktop.
Worktop, Luce de Luna quartzite from Walker Zanger. Tiles, Thorntree. Vanity unit, bespoke, painted in Cyberspace by Sherwin-Williams. Basin, Kohler. Balmoral bath (custom painted), Cheviot.
For babies and tots, Laura recommends selecting elements such as dressers and built-in units that can grow with them over time. ‘And don’t forget to have fun!’ she adds.
Starting with the homeowners’ favourite colour, blue, they layered in green and a fun wallpaper that depicts architectural icons from around the world, such as Big Ben, the Colosseum, St Basil’s Cathedral, the Great Wall of China, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Eiffel Tower. ‘It added texture and whimsy to the space,’ she says.
‘You can’t have enough toy storage in any child’s room,’ the designer says. Built-in units provide lots of places to tuck things away.
Dresser, ducduc. Wallpaper, Globetrotter Blue by Clarke & Clarke. Rug, Surya.
Starting with the homeowners’ favourite colour, blue, they layered in green and a fun wallpaper that depicts architectural icons from around the world, such as Big Ben, the Colosseum, St Basil’s Cathedral, the Great Wall of China, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Eiffel Tower. ‘It added texture and whimsy to the space,’ she says.
‘You can’t have enough toy storage in any child’s room,’ the designer says. Built-in units provide lots of places to tuck things away.
Dresser, ducduc. Wallpaper, Globetrotter Blue by Clarke & Clarke. Rug, Surya.
Their 7-year-old son loves red and was excited to have a ‘big boy’ room. He gave the iconic Alexander Girard alphabet wallpaper a big thumbs-up when the designers presented it to him.
The upper bunk is known as the Loft Lounge and is for reading only, not sleeping, due to the lack of railings. Built-in shelves provide plenty of room for the son’s growing book collection and other favourite things. It also incorporates a desk for homework.
Paint, Software and Gray Screen from Sherwin-Williams. Wallpaper, Alphabet by Alexander Girard from Maharam.
TELL US…
What do you think of this home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
The upper bunk is known as the Loft Lounge and is for reading only, not sleeping, due to the lack of railings. Built-in shelves provide plenty of room for the son’s growing book collection and other favourite things. It also incorporates a desk for homework.
Paint, Software and Gray Screen from Sherwin-Williams. Wallpaper, Alphabet by Alexander Girard from Maharam.
TELL US…
What do you think of this home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Bespoke encaustic tiles, Granada Tile.