USA Houzz : 'Yeah Baby' Meets 'Yeehaw' in a Texas Home
From Austin Powers to Austin, Texas (well, Houston actually), this home makes two very different senses of style work seamlessly
This is what happens when a woman from London and a man from Texas meet, get married and move into a mid-century ranch house on the bayou in Houston. “They wanted a fun, relaxed and unique interior that married his contemporary style with her whimsical style,” says interior designer Laura Umansky. The redesign was a complete renovation that paid homage to the 1950s home’s roots, with layers of shagadelic 1960s London style and Texas spirit too.
“The living room floats between the den and the dining room, making it a perfect space for entertaining,” Umansky says. She was able to preserve the original fireplace surround, which keeps the spirit of the original architecture alive. White paint gives it a clean update.
A tufted leather console, furry bench, wood side table and brass accents keep the texture mix interesting. Red, white and blue hints at the flags of both the UK and Texas. Brass statement pieces like the light fixture are repeated throughout the house.
A tufted leather console, furry bench, wood side table and brass accents keep the texture mix interesting. Red, white and blue hints at the flags of both the UK and Texas. Brass statement pieces like the light fixture are repeated throughout the house.
Aged-brass knobs take on a groovy look on this console, paired with a curvaceous glass lamp.
Gaston console: Arteriors; white lacquer and navy fabric chair: Jonathan Adler
Gaston console: Arteriors; white lacquer and navy fabric chair: Jonathan Adler
Large windows look out at the backyard, which is lush and green. The end of the yard drops down and meets the bayou. “It’s very quiet and secluded, right in the middle of Houston – you almost feel like you are not in the city,” Umansky says.
Thls bathroom has a limited colour palette, but the three-dimensional tile adds an eclectic and playful touch. A banded accent of glass mosaic tile gives the eye a place to rest. The benchtop is recycled quartz, and the vanity is alder with a walnut stain.
Benchtop: Cosentino; vanity stained in ‘Bistro Walnut’: Sherwin-Williams; wall tile: Porcelanosa; Lucien accent tile: Ann Sacks
Benchtop: Cosentino; vanity stained in ‘Bistro Walnut’: Sherwin-Williams; wall tile: Porcelanosa; Lucien accent tile: Ann Sacks
A mudroom-utility room is open to the kitchen, and its prominent Smeg refrigerator inspired the colour palette for the entire space. “Because one of the homeowners is from London, this Union Jack refrigerator was a must for her,” Umansky says.
The cabinets are quarter-sawn zebrawood, also known as zebrano.
The cabinets are quarter-sawn zebrawood, also known as zebrano.
The kitchen received a complete overhaul; only the original windows remain. A large central island serves as a workstation and gathering hub, complete with a walnut butcher’s-block top they can use as a cutting surface. The red from the UK flag found its way into the kitchen via lacquered cabinets in the island. Yellow bench stools add another fun primary colour.
A Miele coffee system and a drawer microwave are integrated into the cabinetry tower.
A Miele coffee system and a drawer microwave are integrated into the cabinetry tower.
The kitchen offers vast backyard views thanks to the large windows. An Aga stove gives the English homeowner another touch from home.
Refrigerator: SubZero
The dining room sits between the kitchen and the living room. The luxe Lee Jofa fabric on the back of the custom host and hostess chairs inspired the palette of deep blue-greys, browns and caramel.
The owners already had the large china cabinet, which Umansky customised with new hardware, interior lighting and a new finish of Sherwin-Williams’ ‘Iron Ore’ paint.
The walnut dining table seats 8 to 10 people, while the Thayer Coggin side chairs feature black powder-coated frames and caramel leather upholstery. A rug brings in a luxe texture and quartz colours, and a pair of antique-brass sculptural lights composed of palm leaf shapes provide the finishing touch. It takes two to match the nearly 3-metre-long table.
Cabinet hardware: Anthropologie and Etsy
The walnut dining table seats 8 to 10 people, while the Thayer Coggin side chairs feature black powder-coated frames and caramel leather upholstery. A rug brings in a luxe texture and quartz colours, and a pair of antique-brass sculptural lights composed of palm leaf shapes provide the finishing touch. It takes two to match the nearly 3-metre-long table.
Cabinet hardware: Anthropologie and Etsy
“The fun and pop-py colour palette from the rest of the interior continues into the master, but becomes deeper in tone and much moodier,” Umansky says. The focus in here is on texture: a mix of leather, antiqued mirror, crystal and textiles.
Chandelier and sconces: Arteriors
Chandelier and sconces: Arteriors
Mirrored chests used as bedside tables add a glitzy touch.
Shantou chests: Century Furniture
Shantou chests: Century Furniture
Three book-matched slabs of a stone called Sea Pearl extend from tub through shower in the fully renovated main bathroom, and a heated towel rack adds one more luxurious touch.
TELL US
What do you like best about this collaboration of styles? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
TELL US
What do you like best about this collaboration of styles? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple, their young daughter and a feisty puppy
Location: Houston, Texas, USA
Size: 325 square metres; 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
Designer: Laura Umansky of Laura U
This den is a comfortable yet stylish space, where the family can hang out together, watch TV (out of view here; the furniture faces it) and relax. Large-scale items, including an oval light fixture overhead and a large metallic coffee table, make design statements and fit the room’s proportions.
“The aged-brass cocktail table consists of two parts that speak to each other,” Umansky says. The large piece adds shine, heft and artful geometry. A cowhide rug brings in some Texas in an updated zigzag pattern, while the pendant lights add a playful ’60s vibe.
Coffee table: Mr. Brown; pendant light: Jonathan Adler