Houzz Tour: A Spacious New Home Marries Classic and Contemporary Design
In Houston, large rooms with high ceilings are decorated with custom furnishings in a neutral palette
Karen Egly-Thompson
October 4, 2016
Houzz Contributor
Few places offer space to spread out like Texas. This Houston couple took full advantage of that with a spacious new home built in the city’s famed Museum District. Gorgeous classic-meets-contemporary materials and furnishings fill large rooms, giving the stately home an intimate feel. Meanwhile, large windows and an inset porch off the kitchen offer deep connections to the outdoors.
Photos by Peter Mollick
Houzz at a Glance
Location: Houston
Size: Four bedrooms, four bathrooms and two half baths, plus a workshop and guest apartment
The exterior walls are a mix of painted brick, stucco and bleached mahogany, topped by a Vermont slate tile roof. “The whole house was designed to let the outdoors in,” says designer Shannon Mann of Mann Designs. Where possible, windows and doors were designed to run the full height of the wall. Like vertical ribbons, mahogany planking fills in space between the windows.
Exterior paint: Creamy SW 7012, Sherwin-Williams; roof tile: Vermont black slate, Tile Roofs of Texas
Houzz at a Glance
Location: Houston
Size: Four bedrooms, four bathrooms and two half baths, plus a workshop and guest apartment
The exterior walls are a mix of painted brick, stucco and bleached mahogany, topped by a Vermont slate tile roof. “The whole house was designed to let the outdoors in,” says designer Shannon Mann of Mann Designs. Where possible, windows and doors were designed to run the full height of the wall. Like vertical ribbons, mahogany planking fills in space between the windows.
Exterior paint: Creamy SW 7012, Sherwin-Williams; roof tile: Vermont black slate, Tile Roofs of Texas
An inset porch off the kitchen provides a shady retreat in which to sit — or swing — and leads to a saltwater pool. The windows connecting the porch to the main house retract to open the space to the breakfast room and kitchen.
An automated retractable screen provides more sun protection when needed. Mann designed the hanging rope sofa. A pair of sculptural white armchairs are crafted of woven all-weather wicker.
Amari high-back lounge chair: Janus et Cie; retractable doors: Fleetwood
An automated retractable screen provides more sun protection when needed. Mann designed the hanging rope sofa. A pair of sculptural white armchairs are crafted of woven all-weather wicker.
Amari high-back lounge chair: Janus et Cie; retractable doors: Fleetwood
Two Kettal Maia Egg Swing chairs hang at the far end of the pool just off the living room.
Pennsylvania bluestone surrounds the French Gray pool tile, which renders the typical bright turquoise pool color a dreamier hue.
Invisible features include a built-in floor cleaning system for the pool and a below-ground 15,000-gallon rainwater collection tank for irrigation.
Pennsylvania bluestone surrounds the French Gray pool tile, which renders the typical bright turquoise pool color a dreamier hue.
Invisible features include a built-in floor cleaning system for the pool and a below-ground 15,000-gallon rainwater collection tank for irrigation.
The kitchen-dining area opens to the porch, shown here on the right with the windows retracted. Stone flooring has been carried throughout the spaces for continuity.
There’s an oval breakfast table with a zinc top and a steel base, as well as custom curvy armchairs covered in a metallic leather. A fun asymmetrical island light fixture breaks up the geometry a bit.
Flooring: Primavera Venetian stone, 16 by 24 inches, Materials Marketing; countertop: quartzite in Sea Pearl; island: custom, studio Lifestyle; light fixture: Lindsey Adelman; appliances: Sub-Zero and Wolf
There’s an oval breakfast table with a zinc top and a steel base, as well as custom curvy armchairs covered in a metallic leather. A fun asymmetrical island light fixture breaks up the geometry a bit.
Flooring: Primavera Venetian stone, 16 by 24 inches, Materials Marketing; countertop: quartzite in Sea Pearl; island: custom, studio Lifestyle; light fixture: Lindsey Adelman; appliances: Sub-Zero and Wolf
Mann designed the island with an integral single sink, a dishwasher, a food warming drawer, drawer storage and hidden storage for sponges. Flush-mount appliance panels blend into the surrounding wenge wood veneer base.
Mann found four antique hickory beams, had them milled down and combined them to create the raised breakfast bar surface. Quartzite on the main countertop has touches of brown and gray and pulls the scheme together.
Mann also custom-designed the kitchen cabinets. A flat-edge beaded detail on the cabinet doors adds a traditional touch while maintaining a clean look. A TV sits in a niche above the refrigerator. Gray grout provides contrast to the 2-by-8-inch glazed brick backsplash.
The pair of white doors to the right hide pullout shelves for dish and spice storage. The doorway to the left leads to a butler’s pantry with a wine cooler.
Cabinet paint: Kendall Charcoal HC-166, Benjamin Moore; cabinet hardware: Rocky Mountain Hardware; tile: Materials Marketing
Mann found four antique hickory beams, had them milled down and combined them to create the raised breakfast bar surface. Quartzite on the main countertop has touches of brown and gray and pulls the scheme together.
Mann also custom-designed the kitchen cabinets. A flat-edge beaded detail on the cabinet doors adds a traditional touch while maintaining a clean look. A TV sits in a niche above the refrigerator. Gray grout provides contrast to the 2-by-8-inch glazed brick backsplash.
The pair of white doors to the right hide pullout shelves for dish and spice storage. The doorway to the left leads to a butler’s pantry with a wine cooler.
Cabinet paint: Kendall Charcoal HC-166, Benjamin Moore; cabinet hardware: Rocky Mountain Hardware; tile: Materials Marketing
A walnut plank wall opposite the front entry forms part of the nucleus of the house and delineates the respective spaces. This wall creates an entry and a gallery hallway and separates the living room, shown here in the background, from the entrance and kitchen. The other side of the wall houses the powder room and home automation systems.
Ample natural light brings out the textures in the living room, like the velvet sofa upholstery and walls finished with Diamond plaster, which is color-tinted plaster hand-troweled onto drywall a quarter-inch thick. It creates a softness and depth not achievable with regular paint.
A large coffee table made of walnut, rosewood and brass creates a focal point of visual warmth. Mann designed the table with Studio Lifestyle. She also had the sofas custom-made. In the corner, an antique Jacobean-style armchair easily blends with the contemporary furnishings. “The mixing of styles and periods always feels a bit more collected and interesting,” Mann says.
Automated drapery extends to the 11-foot-high ceilings. HVAC vents and speakers are recessed into the ceiling and all are integrated with the home automation system.
Diamond plaster: Anything But Plain; sofa: custom-made by Neal & Co.; sofa fabric: velvet in Orbit truffle, Romo Group; sofa pillow fabric: Origami velvet in beige, Pierre Frey; bench fabric: Ombre in Natural, Pierre Frey; drapery fabric: Calvin Fabrics; drapery fabrication: D&D Drapery Co.; abstract artwork: Nicola Parente, from Gremillion & Co.
A large coffee table made of walnut, rosewood and brass creates a focal point of visual warmth. Mann designed the table with Studio Lifestyle. She also had the sofas custom-made. In the corner, an antique Jacobean-style armchair easily blends with the contemporary furnishings. “The mixing of styles and periods always feels a bit more collected and interesting,” Mann says.
Automated drapery extends to the 11-foot-high ceilings. HVAC vents and speakers are recessed into the ceiling and all are integrated with the home automation system.
Diamond plaster: Anything But Plain; sofa: custom-made by Neal & Co.; sofa fabric: velvet in Orbit truffle, Romo Group; sofa pillow fabric: Origami velvet in beige, Pierre Frey; bench fabric: Ombre in Natural, Pierre Frey; drapery fabric: Calvin Fabrics; drapery fabrication: D&D Drapery Co.; abstract artwork: Nicola Parente, from Gremillion & Co.
To contrast the light walls and tie into other walnut components in the home, Mann chose wide-planked walnut wood flooring for most of the space.
Walnut flooring: Schenck & Co.
Walnut flooring: Schenck & Co.
Like elsewhere in the home, the dining room furniture is a mix of genres: A traditional dining table joins contemporary leather chairs. The chandelier, a vintage French find, nods to the living room’s origami-patterned sofa pillows.
Light-colored linen draperies provide contrast to the dark trim and bespoke plaster walls. Although subtle, the drapery fabric features a jacquard-woven ikat pattern and adds an extra scoop of opulence.
Dining chairs: custom design, Mann Designs, covered in leather by GH Leather; baseboard paint: Kendall Charcoal HC-166, Benjamin Moore; door and window trim paint: Anubis, Pratt & Lambert; drapery fabric: Acacia, Jim Thompson Fabrics; area rug: Shiir, through David Sutherland
Light-colored linen draperies provide contrast to the dark trim and bespoke plaster walls. Although subtle, the drapery fabric features a jacquard-woven ikat pattern and adds an extra scoop of opulence.
Dining chairs: custom design, Mann Designs, covered in leather by GH Leather; baseboard paint: Kendall Charcoal HC-166, Benjamin Moore; door and window trim paint: Anubis, Pratt & Lambert; drapery fabric: Acacia, Jim Thompson Fabrics; area rug: Shiir, through David Sutherland
For the powder room finishes, Mann played with scale. Small penny tiles on the sink wall juxtaposed with large, graphic cement tiles on the floor add lots of pattern without overwhelming. A fabric window shade softens the geometry.
Pendant light fixture: Hicks by Thomas O’Brien, Visual Comfort; penny tile: Materials Marketing; cement tile: Ann Sacks; vanity paint: Woodwich, Pratt & Lambert; vanity countertop: Travertino Black stone; window shade fabric: Hartmann&Forbes
Pendant light fixture: Hicks by Thomas O’Brien, Visual Comfort; penny tile: Materials Marketing; cement tile: Ann Sacks; vanity paint: Woodwich, Pratt & Lambert; vanity countertop: Travertino Black stone; window shade fabric: Hartmann&Forbes
Mann embraced contrast for the master bedroom decor. Light bleached oak on the ceiling creates a restful spirit. Jockeying lights and darks, the dark walnut bed frame stands silhouetted against the light plaster walls. Sculptural ebonized walnut nightstands and velvet-upholstered armchairs add luxury and a bit of sheen. For balance, a pair of ceramic table lamps have a flat glaze. Linen-look draperies add a natural, nubby texture. Touches of deep blue appear in artwork and decorative pillows.
Hayden nightstand: Hellman-Chang; bed: Holly Hunt; Turkish area rug: Creative Flooring; bench: custom design, upholstered in Aurelia fabric by Osborne & Little; armchair velvet fabric: Aventino in Metis, Castel; drapery fabric: Davis in Marble, Stout; shades: Hartmann&Forbes; artwork: Jerrold Burchman
Hayden nightstand: Hellman-Chang; bed: Holly Hunt; Turkish area rug: Creative Flooring; bench: custom design, upholstered in Aurelia fabric by Osborne & Little; armchair velvet fabric: Aventino in Metis, Castel; drapery fabric: Davis in Marble, Stout; shades: Hartmann&Forbes; artwork: Jerrold Burchman
The master bathroom features a light palette with a punch of dark from a custom walnut vanity. With inset linear pulls on the vanity front, there’s no protruding hardware to interfere with circulation or someone’s leaning in toward the custom mirrored wall. For continuity of the mirror plane, Mann designed electrical outlets on the inside of the integrated medicine cabinets.
Marble floor tiles laid in a herringbone pattern draw the eye inward and around the soaking tub, which is clad in a massive slab of marble.
Flooring: Haisa Light honed marble; tub surround and countertop: White Rhino marble; tub: BainUltra; sconces: Holly Hunt
Architect: Miller Dahlstrand De Jean Architects
General contractor: Builders West
Lighting and audiovisual designer: Mann Made Systems
Landscape architect: Kainer & Kainer Landscape Architecture
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Marble floor tiles laid in a herringbone pattern draw the eye inward and around the soaking tub, which is clad in a massive slab of marble.
Flooring: Haisa Light honed marble; tub surround and countertop: White Rhino marble; tub: BainUltra; sconces: Holly Hunt
Architect: Miller Dahlstrand De Jean Architects
General contractor: Builders West
Lighting and audiovisual designer: Mann Made Systems
Landscape architect: Kainer & Kainer Landscape Architecture
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
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Some elements I like but overall feels sterile.
what would this "style" of architecture or house be called?
I just spent over 4K to have "hand trowelled" plaster removed from my hallways. That is the sort of thing that can date a house very fast and if you get tired of it is very difficult and very expensive to remove. The textured wall picks up dirt and dust and dog drool, is hard to clean and after a while doesn't look "soft", just shabby. Beware of trowelled finishes!