My Houzz: Humor and Kitsch Meet Midcentury Modern
Candy-colored accents set off clean lines and mod furnishings in this playful, approachable home for a Texas family
Clean lines, good bones and a quintessential midcentury flat roof attracted James and Cindy Stolp to their Dallas home, despite its poor condition. "The house was in terrible shape, but we knew we wanted it the moment we stepped inside," Cindy says. "We definitely had on our 'potential' glasses when we bought this house," James adds.
James, a designer and cofounder of smart-home-technology company Smart Things, and Cindy, a freelance interior designer and stylist, each possess a strong personal aesthetic. Their love of retro style, pop art, kitsch, graphic and typographic design, architecture and midcentury style informs every inch of their home. "We have a sense of humor," says Cindy. "Modern style can be so uptight, but we wanted our home to be warm and approachable — a place where our kids would enjoy living."
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: James and Cindy Stolp and their sons, Jack (age 5) and Mike (3)
Size: 2,000 square feet: 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms
Location: Highland Meadows neighborhood of Dallas
James, a designer and cofounder of smart-home-technology company Smart Things, and Cindy, a freelance interior designer and stylist, each possess a strong personal aesthetic. Their love of retro style, pop art, kitsch, graphic and typographic design, architecture and midcentury style informs every inch of their home. "We have a sense of humor," says Cindy. "Modern style can be so uptight, but we wanted our home to be warm and approachable — a place where our kids would enjoy living."
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: James and Cindy Stolp and their sons, Jack (age 5) and Mike (3)
Size: 2,000 square feet: 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms
Location: Highland Meadows neighborhood of Dallas
The Stolps bought many of the furnishings online. "Cindy is not afraid of having furniture shipped," James says. Some of her favorite websites are Furnish Me Vintage, Etsy, eBay and Fab. When shopping locally, the couple looks to We Are 1976 for artwork and Lula B's for furniture and home accessories.
Paint: Iced Cube Silver, Benjamin Moore
Paint: Iced Cube Silver, Benjamin Moore
A poorly designed remodel in the 1980s divided the house up into small spaces. The first thing the Stolps did was remove the walls and open the main living area into one fluid space.
They also installed a bank of windows on the back side of the house. The rectangular window motif repeats throughout the house.
Club chairs: Fab
They also installed a bank of windows on the back side of the house. The rectangular window motif repeats throughout the house.
Club chairs: Fab
"One of the major design challenges in this house was furniture placement," says Cindy. "I wanted to keep the home from feeling like a giant bowling alley." So the Stolps created separate seating areas while still maintaining ample room for traffic flow.
Bookcase: Ikea
Bookcase: Ikea
A blue-gray tile fireplace, circular shag rug and midcentury sofa create another cozy seating area at the far end of the main living space.
"The bear art is titled 'A Mother's Love.' It's by Oklahoma artist Matt Goad and was a gift from James to me for our 15th anniversary," Cindy says. "The baby bears are such accurate representations of our boys. It's difficult to surprise me, but I was shocked by this piece, and it remains the most thoughtful gift James has ever given me."
"The bear art is titled 'A Mother's Love.' It's by Oklahoma artist Matt Goad and was a gift from James to me for our 15th anniversary," Cindy says. "The baby bears are such accurate representations of our boys. It's difficult to surprise me, but I was shocked by this piece, and it remains the most thoughtful gift James has ever given me."
Before moving into their home, the Stolps lived in a loft apartment in the Deep Ellum neighborhood of downtown Dallas. "We were so accustomed to loft living that we re-created the loft feel in our home," says James. Wide-open spaces, light walls and lots of natural light are hallmarks of this home.
Sofa: Lula B's
Sofa: Lula B's
A small half bath near the front door pops with dark gray walls, a wall-mounted sink and thematic travel art.
Paint: Rocky Coast, Benjamin Moore
Paint: Rocky Coast, Benjamin Moore
A small anteroom is the perfect place for a TV, sofa and vintage movie posters. "We had such a hard time finding a sofa that would fit in the space that we ended up having one custom made," James says.
Sofa: custom, Cantoni
Sofa: custom, Cantoni
Space tends to be lacking in most midcentury homes, so the couple use an oversize German kitchen unit called a schränke to hold items in the eat-in kitchen. "No attic, no garage and terrible storage means that we have to get creative," says Cindy.
Pendant light: FL/Y Suspension Lamp by Kartel
Pendant light: FL/Y Suspension Lamp by Kartel
The kitchen has a bright smattering of orange, blue, gray and wood accents.
Fiberglass bar stools and a trio of pendant lights bridge the space between the kitchen and the dining space.
Bar stool bases: Modernica
Fiberglass bar stools and a trio of pendant lights bridge the space between the kitchen and the dining space.
Bar stool bases: Modernica
The Stolps kept the original wood cabinets but updated the space with stainless steel appliances.
Backsplash tile: ModWalls
Backsplash tile: ModWalls
They created a little play area just off the kitchen for their sons, Mike and Jack. "I wanted them to have their own play space where I could keep an eye on them," Cindy says. The carpet floor tiles define the area and create the feeling of a room within a room.
The conical pendant light in the corner of the room is original to the house. Cindy rewired many of the original fixtures with help from Royal Touch Lamp & Fixture Service.
Table, chairs: Neighborhood; storage unit: Stuva, Ikea; area rug: Flor
The conical pendant light in the corner of the room is original to the house. Cindy rewired many of the original fixtures with help from Royal Touch Lamp & Fixture Service.
Table, chairs: Neighborhood; storage unit: Stuva, Ikea; area rug: Flor
Wall-mounted shelves and a Herman Miller desk chair keep the home office neat and stylish.
Shelving: Lula B's
Shelving: Lula B's
Mike's room comes alive with bright green with blue accents. "Kids deserve good design, and our boys are really happy with their bedrooms," Cindy says.
Paint: Fresh Grass, Benjamin Moore; storage: Stuva, Ikea
Paint: Fresh Grass, Benjamin Moore; storage: Stuva, Ikea
Sugar cube tile in aqua and a double sink from Kohler make the boys' bathroom a showstopper.
Simple furnishings and ice blue walls make for a calm main bedroom. Each of the home's three bedroom doors has a small rectangular window at the top. "We were going to put frosted glass in the doors, but then I decided against it when I realized I could peek in at the boys while they were sleeping," Cindy says.
Paint: Hazy Blue, Benjamin Moore; bed frame: Russel Wright Studios; bedding: Draper Stripe, DwellStudio
Paint: Hazy Blue, Benjamin Moore; bed frame: Russel Wright Studios; bedding: Draper Stripe, DwellStudio
"When we first saw the house, we fell in love with the flat roof. But flat roofs are high maintenance," says Cindy. "Every time it rained, I'd start pacing through the house looking for leaks."
"The roof was also poorly insulated," James says, "and the Texas heat would beat down on it. We could not keep the house cool."
A new roof with proper insulation, venting, drainage and chimney work ran the Stolps $17,000. "It was worth every penny," says James.
Roof: Tillery Roofing Service
"The roof was also poorly insulated," James says, "and the Texas heat would beat down on it. We could not keep the house cool."
A new roof with proper insulation, venting, drainage and chimney work ran the Stolps $17,000. "It was worth every penny," says James.
Roof: Tillery Roofing Service
James and Jack high-five in the kitchen. "When we first moved in, nine years ago, the neighborhood was in transition," James says. "Our friends thought we were crazy, because the area was economically depressed and kind of beat up. But Cindy and I had faith in it, and now it feels like the sun is shining on Highland Meadows."
See more photos of this home
See more photos of this home
Table, chairs: Strictly Hey-Wake; pendant lights: West Elm; art: We Are 1976