When a Houston couple who had lived in the Tanglewood neighborhood for years approached designer Marie Flanigan about constructing a new residence nearby, they had three primary objectives: accommodate their growing family, create a space suitable for extensive entertaining and showcase a prized art portfolio. “Art is very important to this family, especially the husband, and he really wanted to make sure the pieces in their collection felt right in the space,” explains interior designer Kristin Fitzgerald, who was brought on to handle the furnishings and finishes of the new two-level home alongside Flanigan and designer Kristin Carter.
The clients had first worked with an out-of-state architect, but the resulting design was too conceptual and modern for their tastes and felt out of place in the more traditional neighborhood. So, the couple brought in builder Scott Frankel, who had worked on a number of Tanglewood homes, to refine the original plan. Now, the exterior is clean and transitional with contemporary elements, and the gabled roof and stucco finish bring a sense of softness that helps the dwelling blend in with its neighbors.
This is no museum, so the interior was envisioned as a warm, comfortable backdrop for the art it showcases. “The house is very inviting. They are raising their children there, after all,” Frankel observes. The designers did a comprehensive art walk with the couple, prioritizing the placement of works by artists such as Donald Martiny, Jennifer Gibbs and Martin Coronel Ordiales before deciding on furniture. A lithograph of Picasso’s Buste de Femme au Chapeau Bleu, for instance, oversees daily life from a prominent position above a game table in the salon. “The client wanted the Picasso to be in a primary entertaining space so he could see it every day,” Frankel shares.
Home Details
Architecture and Home Builder
Scott Frankel, Frankel Design Build
Interior Design
Marie Flanigan, Kristin Fitzgerald and Kristin Carter, Marie Flanigan Interiors
Styling
In the entryway, two shades of tumbled limestone from Alamo Stone arranged in a checkerboard pattern sit beneath a custom table by Segreto Finishes. The Ochre chandelier overhead hangs like a work of art, joining the ceramic vessel by Laura Pasquino and bronze sculpture that flank the entry door.
A Pablo Picasso lithograph keeps watch over the salon’s custom wood game table, above which hangs a blown-glass Apparatus chandelier. Custom chairs are upholstered in Otis Textiles’ Loyola Oatmeal, a durable linen-cotton blend.
Throughout the interiors, Flanigan and her team had their hands on every detail, emphasizing a peaceful and welcoming palette. Pale white oak recurs throughout: in the custom wall and ceiling paneling leading from the entry to the living room, in the kitchen cabinetry, and as flooring in the bedrooms. White walls and steel-framed windows skew modern, but the designers also made sure to incorporate “antique pieces and softer moments, such as warm woods, plastered walls, taupe-toned marble and zellige tiles,” Fitzgerald says. “The homeowners like a lot of neutral colors and not a lot of bright pieces— unless it’s in their art collection.”
The lower level holds the primary gathering spaces—a striking entryway with checkerboard stone flooring, the formal living and dining area, a full bar and salon, the kitchen, and the husband’s office. Here, grays and taupes govern the subdued palette, with art once again providing drama. An electric-blue painting by Donald Martiny introduces a touchstone color that repeats—in a spectrum of shades—throughout the house, like in the navy blue wainscoting of the husband’s office and the lounge’s midnight-blue custom sectional.
Pocket doors on each side of the fireplace open the living room of this Houston home to a salon and bar area. Neutrals abound, in the white oak millwork, a custom limestone fireplace surround and gray Baker armchairs. The homeowners’ art collection blends contemporary and traditional works by both famous artists and outsiders. The abstract oil painting over the fireplace is by an unknown artist.
The kitchen’s white oak cabinetry is inset with Wolf double ovens. A trio of leather RH counter stools provides a place for casual meals at the island, which is capped by two Marie Flanigan for Visual Comfort & Co. pendants.
In the kitchen, a custom plaster hood by Frankel Design Build blends seamlessly with the painted lower-level cabinetry. The rangetop is by Wolf.
Family visits often, so guest rooms were a must. In this one, two beds from RH flank a custom nightstand, while a Roman shade opens to provide views of the trees. The artworks are by Josh Yöung Design House.
A dramatic honed Michelangelo Arabescato Dolomite marble takes center stage in the primary bathroom. The hanging double-sided mirror from Peck & Company ensures no one is fighting for counter space, while jewel-like pendants by Visual Comfort & Co. (flanking the mirror) and RH (above the bath) add a refined finish.
Painted Benjamin Moore’s Cloud White, the primary bedroom enjoys serene views of the front-yard trees framed by drapes in a Manuel Canovas textile. The Lee Industries chaise, upholstered in a Rogers & Goffigon fabric, has become a favorite reading spot.
The entertaining areas needed to be flexible in size and function, so the formal living and dining space connects to the salon and bar via two sliding oak doors on either side of the fireplace. “If the clients want to, they can close this room off to make the space more intimate during parties,” Flanigan explains. The bar features moments of quiet glamour: herringbone floors, shelving backed by smoked-glass tiles and a large C-shaped countertop of deep blue marble with black veining. In the kitchen, open brass shelving nods to the brass pot-hanging accent on the custom hood, while detailing underneath the waterfall edge on the large central island introduces organic curves.
Upstairs are the bedrooms and a casual family room where the owners pile onto the sectional to watch TV together. In the primary suite, the clients dreamed of a serene retreat. A seating area and a bed with a custom headboard and built-in floating nightstands make the room feel tranquil and refined. The neutral color scheme encourages occupants to focus on the large windows, framed by linen panels. “They wanted to be able to see out toward the front of the house—the view of the trees was incredibly important to them,” Fitzgerald explains.
In fact, the entire abode is about creating multiple moments of visual surprise and delight. The verdant foliage outdoors, the striking artwork indoors and the design choices throughout foster an inspirational and welcoming environment that invites family and guests alike to enjoy.