Houzz Tours
The Top 10 Houzz Tours of 2015
We invite you to revisit our most popular house tours from this past year
Houzz Tours take us behind the doors of inspiring homes created by architects, designers, builders, remodelers, craftspeople and homeowners from all over the world. These homes are brimming with style, personality, designer tips and remodeling ideas. Here’s a review of the 10 most frequently viewed tours from 2015. Click on the links for a full tour of each house and ideas you might find useful for your own place. Then tell us: Which is your favorite?
They didn’t add any square footage but instead worked to open up the floor plan and repurpose rooms into more useful spaces. In the kitchen they added new appliances and cabinets but left the uppers off, because they felt they made the room claustrophobic. A new eating area has a cushion-topped bench with storage underneath. The art piece on the right is by folk artist Howard Finster; it depicts country musician Hank Williams.
Take the tour: New Love and a Fresh Start in a Midcentury Ranch House
Take the tour: New Love and a Fresh Start in a Midcentury Ranch House
2. 19th-Century Victorian in Newport
Most empty nesters opt for a smaller house, but architect Gale Goff and her husband, Peter, decided to upsize after their children left home. It was a simple case of mathematics: Now that their kids had kids, when everyone gathered for holidays, the tribe was larger than ever before. But the reason was also more abstract. “When we found this house, we knew we had discovered a jewel,” Gale says.
Most empty nesters opt for a smaller house, but architect Gale Goff and her husband, Peter, decided to upsize after their children left home. It was a simple case of mathematics: Now that their kids had kids, when everyone gathered for holidays, the tribe was larger than ever before. But the reason was also more abstract. “When we found this house, we knew we had discovered a jewel,” Gale says.
Gale says that the space where the kitchen is used to be three small rooms. “Before, there was a small room that had a range and not much else,” the architect says. “The first time I left the house, I honestly had the impression there was no kitchen at all.” The three spaces were combined to make one kitchen that allowed Gale to realize her dream of having a large kitchen island. “One of my clients saw it and said, ‘That’s not an island; it’s a continent,’” she says.
Take the tour: Redo Shines Light on 19th-Century Newport Beauty
Take the tour: Redo Shines Light on 19th-Century Newport Beauty
3. Classic Connecticut Charmer
Here’s the truth: This stately New Canaan, Connecticut, home has existed for decades as something of a gentleman’s farm, so to speak. The property probably was started as a dairy farm in the 1700s — but whoever built the Colonial Revival home during the Great Gatsby era was probably not relying on milk sales to fund construction. As the years went by, the grand home fell into disrepair. This story tells how it rose again. This time the gentleman farmer is ready and willing to get his hands dirty.
Here’s the truth: This stately New Canaan, Connecticut, home has existed for decades as something of a gentleman’s farm, so to speak. The property probably was started as a dairy farm in the 1700s — but whoever built the Colonial Revival home during the Great Gatsby era was probably not relying on milk sales to fund construction. As the years went by, the grand home fell into disrepair. This story tells how it rose again. This time the gentleman farmer is ready and willing to get his hands dirty.
With so much to cover, it’s hard to know where to start, but the front door is as good an entry point as any. Make no mistake; this is a grand old house. But the architects worked with interior designer Paul Stuart Rankin to make sure that it was no one-dimensional beauty. Throughout there are nods to the family’s heritage and the home’s past. For example, the son who spearheaded the renovation is in the shipping industry. In honor of that, wallpaper in the entry foyer depicts major shipping harbors around the world.
Take the tour: Connecticut Farm Restored for Generations to Come
Take the tour: Connecticut Farm Restored for Generations to Come
4. Luxurious Looks in Los Angeles
Although this Brentwood, Los Angeles, home is a new build, it’s been done in a very traditional style that’s cut with an enviable amount of hipness. With its column-lined entry, shutters and fieldstone exterior, the home looks almost staid. “This was a spec house,” interior designer Jeff Andrews says. “It was well constructed and appointed, but inside, the rooms were mostly white, plain and uninteresting.”
Although this Brentwood, Los Angeles, home is a new build, it’s been done in a very traditional style that’s cut with an enviable amount of hipness. With its column-lined entry, shutters and fieldstone exterior, the home looks almost staid. “This was a spec house,” interior designer Jeff Andrews says. “It was well constructed and appointed, but inside, the rooms were mostly white, plain and uninteresting.”
Andrews set out to correct that with layers of art and accessories. His clients were expecting a baby, and they wanted the house to be finished and move-in ready ASAP. Luckily, they had a style mind-meld with Andrews, and he was able to complete the house within six months. “Although people hire me for my taste, their personal style doesn’t always match mine,” the designer says. “These clients liked the same things I like and have in my own house — our style was so similar that sometimes during this project, I felt like I was designing my own place. I would often arrive with a truckload of items, and they would take 95 percent of it.”
Take the tour: Layered Look Adds a Fresh Sense of Style
Take the tour: Layered Look Adds a Fresh Sense of Style
5. Manor House With Country-Chic Charm
This 11th-century manor house with its very own lake has an amazing history and location, on the edge of a beautiful rural village. But when a family of five living in London bought it, the protected historic property was muddled and neglected. They approached architect Jeremy Lowe of BLA Architects and interior designer Emma Sims Hilditch to transform it into their dream home.
Additions had been tacked on to the house over the centuries, which had led to an eclectic mixture. The designers restored a lot of the original features. They replaced a 1980s-style orangery with a contemporary garden room. And they changed the entire layout and interior of the building, taking great care to bring the home into the 21st century without losing any of its medieval charm. “It was lovely to find all the character and preserve what we could, adding in just to enhance it,” Sims Hilditch says. The result is a light-filled space that retains its traditional roots but has modern comforts.
This 11th-century manor house with its very own lake has an amazing history and location, on the edge of a beautiful rural village. But when a family of five living in London bought it, the protected historic property was muddled and neglected. They approached architect Jeremy Lowe of BLA Architects and interior designer Emma Sims Hilditch to transform it into their dream home.
Additions had been tacked on to the house over the centuries, which had led to an eclectic mixture. The designers restored a lot of the original features. They replaced a 1980s-style orangery with a contemporary garden room. And they changed the entire layout and interior of the building, taking great care to bring the home into the 21st century without losing any of its medieval charm. “It was lovely to find all the character and preserve what we could, adding in just to enhance it,” Sims Hilditch says. The result is a light-filled space that retains its traditional roots but has modern comforts.
The master bedroom underwent quite a drastic change. “It needed a lot of help,” Sims Hilditch says. Due to an unsightly renovation in the 1980s that replaced the windows with unattractive modern ones, a lot of work was needed. Sims Hilditch splayed the openings of the windows, so more light could enter the room. She used shutters instead of curtains or blinds because of their height, adding impact through the wallpaper instead.
Sims Hilditch also opened up the ceiling. “We wanted to make it feel more important as the master bedroom, so we uncovered all the old beams and stripped them of their black stain. It improved the whole room enormously,” she says. The lower beams were painted white to allow them to blend with the wallpaper.
Take the tour: Historic Manor House Regains Its Country Style
Sims Hilditch also opened up the ceiling. “We wanted to make it feel more important as the master bedroom, so we uncovered all the old beams and stripped them of their black stain. It improved the whole room enormously,” she says. The lower beams were painted white to allow them to blend with the wallpaper.
Take the tour: Historic Manor House Regains Its Country Style
6. Sublime Style in Santa Monica
Interior designers Krista Schrock and David Dick of Disc Interiors picked up the design reins last year. To fully understand why they added earthy, touchable elements and nature-based colors to the pure white spaces to this house, you have to know that the woman of the house is a landscape designer and her husband is an avid surfer who works at a nonprofit dedicated to restoring Santa Monica Bay. “They wanted us to bring in more natural elements, to make the spaces warmer and more approachable,” Dick says.
The living room illustrates the strategy — a metal sunburst hangs over furniture done in watery shades of blue and a nubby Moroccan rug. Rustic elements, such as the stone-topped coffee table and pottery accessories on the shelves, turn up the visual temperature several degrees.
Interior designers Krista Schrock and David Dick of Disc Interiors picked up the design reins last year. To fully understand why they added earthy, touchable elements and nature-based colors to the pure white spaces to this house, you have to know that the woman of the house is a landscape designer and her husband is an avid surfer who works at a nonprofit dedicated to restoring Santa Monica Bay. “They wanted us to bring in more natural elements, to make the spaces warmer and more approachable,” Dick says.
The living room illustrates the strategy — a metal sunburst hangs over furniture done in watery shades of blue and a nubby Moroccan rug. Rustic elements, such as the stone-topped coffee table and pottery accessories on the shelves, turn up the visual temperature several degrees.
The media room has a dramatic, branch-y sconce (positioned over and behind the sofa so no one walks into it) and a striking collection of framed auction paddles. “You do want every room to have a moment, but you don’t want too many moments,” Dick says. The other elements, done in earthy hues, make a quieter statement.
Take the tour: Earthy Decor Adds Warmth to a Modern Home
Take the tour: Earthy Decor Adds Warmth to a Modern Home
7. Retro Ranch Redo
Designer Ryan Brown has moved 20 times in the past 12 years. As a frequent house flipper (if his name sounds familiar, you may have seen him on Bravo’s show Flipping Out), he’d live in homes that were staged to perfection for a few months until they were sold, then he’d move on, often selling many of the furnishings with the house. But since he put lots of blood, sweat and tears into this house and designed it specifically for his family, it may be the house they stay put in. “I put so much hard work into this one, it’s hard to imagine leaving,” the designer says. It’s easy to see why this is the home that could possibly be their forever home. Or at least their much-much-longer-than-a-few-months home.
“I’ve sold almost every piece of furniture I’ve owned over the years, but the one piece I will never sell is this 13-foot-long table,” he says. “It’s solid teak. Sometimes it’s lived inside; sometimes it’s lived outside because it wouldn’t fit in the house, and it’s beaten up and gorgeous.”
Designer Ryan Brown has moved 20 times in the past 12 years. As a frequent house flipper (if his name sounds familiar, you may have seen him on Bravo’s show Flipping Out), he’d live in homes that were staged to perfection for a few months until they were sold, then he’d move on, often selling many of the furnishings with the house. But since he put lots of blood, sweat and tears into this house and designed it specifically for his family, it may be the house they stay put in. “I put so much hard work into this one, it’s hard to imagine leaving,” the designer says. It’s easy to see why this is the home that could possibly be their forever home. Or at least their much-much-longer-than-a-few-months home.
“I’ve sold almost every piece of furniture I’ve owned over the years, but the one piece I will never sell is this 13-foot-long table,” he says. “It’s solid teak. Sometimes it’s lived inside; sometimes it’s lived outside because it wouldn’t fit in the house, and it’s beaten up and gorgeous.”
The bold graphic backsplash is composed of handmade diamond-shaped concrete pieces with a flat finish. They were made by Arto, a family-owned Los Angeles company that has been in business since 1966. “Each tile is handmade, and the color in every one is a little bit different,” Arto co-owner Armen Alijian says. “The concrete patinas over time, which is part of their beauty.” Alijian recommends sealing the tiles when they are used in a kitchen setting; Brown used a penetrating sealer here.
Take the tour: ’50s Ranch Redo Could Be a Keeper
Take the tour: ’50s Ranch Redo Could Be a Keeper
8. Circular Superstar in Canada
It was something like 25 degrees below zero one February in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, when Holly McNally picked up the National Post newspaper and flipped to the travel section. A full-page story raved about Sidney Island, part of the Gulf Islands off the coast of Victoria and just south of Vancouver. Everything about it — the remoteness, the scenery — seemed to fit with Holly and her husband, Paul. “We got on a plane within days and went to check it out,” Holly says.
It was perfect for them, as well as their two Newfoundland dogs. So they snatched up a building lot and started designing an off-the-grid home with the help of Kim Smith, of Helliwell + Smith / Blue Sky Architecture. The result is a circular layout that captures views of the ocean while creating a sunny courtyard protected from the strong sea winds.
It was something like 25 degrees below zero one February in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, when Holly McNally picked up the National Post newspaper and flipped to the travel section. A full-page story raved about Sidney Island, part of the Gulf Islands off the coast of Victoria and just south of Vancouver. Everything about it — the remoteness, the scenery — seemed to fit with Holly and her husband, Paul. “We got on a plane within days and went to check it out,” Holly says.
It was perfect for them, as well as their two Newfoundland dogs. So they snatched up a building lot and started designing an off-the-grid home with the help of Kim Smith, of Helliwell + Smith / Blue Sky Architecture. The result is a circular layout that captures views of the ocean while creating a sunny courtyard protected from the strong sea winds.
The hallway runs around the courtyard, forming a half circle. “It’s not a large house, but because of the courtyard extension, it feels larger than it is,” Smith says. The timber framing and windows are Douglas fir. The floors are Mexican tile. Rafters and two-by-six fir decking were left exposed on the ceiling.
Take the tour: Off-the-Grid Island Home Circles a Sunny Courtyard
Take the tour: Off-the-Grid Island Home Circles a Sunny Courtyard
9. Winner in California Wine Country
For people who love design and architecture, looking at some homes is something like gazing at rugged Greek isles, a rolling Western mountain range or the point where the white of Hawaiian sand meets the strong blue of the Pacific Ocean — they are just so beautiful, it hurts. Of course, no human-made structure is a real match for the majesty of the natural world, but some of them come pretty close. A prime example is this California wine country home. It’s a new home, but its classic details, rustic materials and perfect siting make it a timeless beauty.
The front door, the one guests use, opens to the formal living room and dining room. In this context, we are talking country formal, not black-tie. “We had long conversations about how they were going to use this space,” interior designer Alison Davin says. “It’s a room where you would have a big meal, like Thanksgiving dinner, then gather on the sofa and chairs.”
For people who love design and architecture, looking at some homes is something like gazing at rugged Greek isles, a rolling Western mountain range or the point where the white of Hawaiian sand meets the strong blue of the Pacific Ocean — they are just so beautiful, it hurts. Of course, no human-made structure is a real match for the majesty of the natural world, but some of them come pretty close. A prime example is this California wine country home. It’s a new home, but its classic details, rustic materials and perfect siting make it a timeless beauty.
The front door, the one guests use, opens to the formal living room and dining room. In this context, we are talking country formal, not black-tie. “We had long conversations about how they were going to use this space,” interior designer Alison Davin says. “It’s a room where you would have a big meal, like Thanksgiving dinner, then gather on the sofa and chairs.”
The other end of the room is dominated by a spectacular view, and Davin didn’t want the decor to get in the way. She selected a long draper’s-style table (a long, narrow table that would have been used for cutting fabric in turn-of-the-century suit factories). Its metal legs are there but not there. Same for the skinny metal chairs with perforated backs that don’t stop the eye on its way out to the hills and the grapevines that snake over them.
Take the tour: A California Country Home With a French Accent
Take the tour: A California Country Home With a French Accent
10. Tantalizing Retreat in Texas
One thing that’s nearly unavoidable in Houston or any big city is traffic noise. And John and Amy Miller really wanted to find a weekend spot that was free from the sound of packed freeways. They traveled about five hours west to a small town, scooping up 3,250 acres for fishing, hunting and exploring. The couple then hired architect Steve Raike and his colleagues at Lake Flato Architects to help tear down an old 1,000-square-foot ranch home and design a modern home consisting of four separate structures situated between the convergence of two creeks, with measures taken to protect and even enhance the waters and nearby ecosystems.
One thing that’s nearly unavoidable in Houston or any big city is traffic noise. And John and Amy Miller really wanted to find a weekend spot that was free from the sound of packed freeways. They traveled about five hours west to a small town, scooping up 3,250 acres for fishing, hunting and exploring. The couple then hired architect Steve Raike and his colleagues at Lake Flato Architects to help tear down an old 1,000-square-foot ranch home and design a modern home consisting of four separate structures situated between the convergence of two creeks, with measures taken to protect and even enhance the waters and nearby ecosystems.
The living room faces southeast down the peninsula between the two creeks. You can see a portion of the dam on the left. The walls of the house that focus toward the view and breezes are mostly glass, with large operable doors. The backside of the house is south Texas rough-back Lueders limestone. “We realized we didn’t have to do a typical Texas Hill Country stone farmhouse; we could do something neat out here,” Amy says.
Take the tour: Texas Family Trades Traffic Noise for Frog Songs
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Take the tour: Texas Family Trades Traffic Noise for Frog Songs
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Hannah Crowell and James Wilson’s friends thought they were crazy. That’s because when the couple showed photos of the home they had just bought to their friends, people couldn’t get past its condition. The house hadn’t been touched since it was built in 1960, and it had urine-soaked floors from previous renters with dogs, asbestos-filled linoleum in the kitchen and wood paneling everywhere. “It was a disaster — disgusting and awful,” Crowell says. But after a complete remodel that includes new floors, all-white walls and plenty of art and knickknacks, the couple doesn’t seem so crazy after all.