A Modern Redesign
When this couple, who were living in suburbia, imagined moving into Houston, they envisioned a more contemporary, urban lifestyle that would also continue to fulfill the needs of their three children. Their ideal home would have a big yard, a second floor utility room, at least five bedrooms and floor plan to suit a family of five.
They began their search for a new home by driving around neighborhoods they felt would cater to all of those ideals. As well, they didn’t necessarily want to start from scratch by building from the ground up, yet they didn’t want to do much in the way of renovating something others had previously lived in. They found the perfect solution in an incomplete spec home on a large lot with beautiful landscaping in a Memorial neighborhood.
The house they found was framed, with electrical and some sheetrock already in place, but the blueprints and design were for a Mediterranean-style home, which was something they knew they didn’t want.
“Right away,” explained the husband, “we knew we wanted to redesign the style of the home to reflect a modern vibe, so we called on Kathy Anderson at Eklektik Interiors to guide us in the process. We had never built a house before, so it was definitely stressful, but Kathy’s expertise made things much easier.”
“Our home definitely reflects our style,” said the wife, “but we trusted what Kathy recommended and let her do what she does best – which is transform spaces.”
While Mediterranean-style homes feature lots of dramatic millwork, a modern home utilizes much simpler, cleaner architecture. To modernize the home, the designer made some major alterations in the build out. Plans for corbels, coffered ceilings and archways were removed, and beams were simplified. The handrail on the stairs formerly called for curvy, ornate hardware; now it is a straight, flat bar. The color scheme was changed from warm, dark tones to cool white and soft gray. The floors, too, are more contemporary with large format porcelain tiles and hand-hewn hardwood. The fireplace in the living room originally called for large stone and a rough-hewn wooden mantel; now it is clad with large format tile against a clean wall and no mantel. The embellished built-ins from the original plans were also scraped, and those spaces now have more contemporary, floating shelves.
The kitchen and bar areas were entirely transformed. The initial blueprints called for a kitchen with a large, rather obtrusively placed T-shaped island in the middle. The space now features two well-placed islands, allowing for better flow and more defined function. The back island is the prep island with the main sink, and the front island is the serving/seating island. The bar area was modernized by removing the curvy Mediterranean features and cleaning up the lines, and a floating glass shelf was installed on top of the waterfall-edge countertop.
Changing out the light fixtures made a big impact on the redesign. Where a Mediterranean home may have highly embellished fixtures made of burnished bronze or wrought iron, the lights in a modern home design will have strong linear, geometric shapes with little embellishment. For example, the owners chose a clean, rectangular shape to illuminate the entry. In the master bath and her closet, Sputnik-style chandeliers enhance the modern vibe. Another really modern take in the master bath is the use of electric mirrors on top of the mirrors over both his and her sinks and at her makeup mirror, instead of more traditional sconces – a choice that cleans up and simplifies the silhouette of the space. The dining room chandelier, custom-designed by an Israeli designer, features lighted crystal pendants hung at varying lengths to create a stunning work of contemporary art and light.
The home’s master bath is remarkable in its size and design. In fact, with the room’s size and the height of the ceiling, the couple, on the advice of the interior designer, installed a floating fur down to bring the ceiling height to scale. The space features his and her vanities on either end of the room with a big soaking tub in the middle. Adjacent to the tub are two shower options: an extra large walk-in shower with two heads and an outdoor shower just outside a frosted glass door.
The outdoor space is large and inviting with 600 square feet of covered living space divided into distinct areas – a lounge outside the formal living room, a dining area with a 9-foot concrete table, a TV viewing area with a fireplace and an outdoor kitchen. The home’s original drawing had the fireplace in the center of the space with a TV on top. The seating area was on the side closest to the house, and opposite was the outdoor kitchen and eating area. The couple didn’t like the way the space felt fragmented and that the view from the family room was a big fireplace instead of their beautiful yard. To solve the issue, the decided to move the fireplace against the wall and install a floating island next to the outdoor kitchen where they can simultaneously eat, serve and visit.
One of the couple’s favorite spaces includes the wine room, which can be viewed from three angles: two big windows and a glass door allow them to enjoy their growing collection from the dining room, family room and formal living area. Black quartzite on the walls and interesting lighting create a cool, contemporary space.
The wife favors the family room and kitchen area due to its open concept, high ceilings and great energy.
“I know I’m not the only one who enjoys it,” she said, “because it is where everyone comes to congregate. It feels lived-in and comfortable.”
The husband likes his study best. The wood paneling and masculine desk define it as “his” room.
The kids love their new bedrooms “because they are big and have great closets.” Not surprisingly, the Xbox room is their second favorite.
Finishing touches on this home are in the future plans for this family, along with taking time to settle in to their new space, getting to know their neighbors and neighborhood, and enjoying their new proximity to city life.
Photography by Chuck Williams | Interiors by Kathy Anderson, Eklektik Interiors
