Frederic Magazine
Visit a Houston House That Marries Sentiment and Sophistication
October 2023 | Written by Margaret Zainey Roux | View Article
Famous French philosopher Albert Schweitzer once said, “If you love something, let it go.” It’s doubtful that the 1952 Nobel Prize–winner was referring to a house when he shared this bit of wisdom with the world, but, like most things, it’s a matter of interpretation.
“We had just finalized plans for a full renovation when they decided to sell,” says designer Lindsey Herod of her clients’ home in Houston’s Memorial area. “They loved the house, the large lot and gardens, and the decades of memories they created there, so the decision was not one they took lightly. But they had already undergone one dramatic renovation and their daughter was away at college, so it seemed to be the right time to move on.”
After a thorough, year-long house hunt, Herod’s clients found the perfect prospect on a highly sought after street in the city’s tony River Oaks enclave. It was “less house on less land,” but it was flooded with natural light and had a copious amount of character—both of which their beloved 1950s rancher lacked.
Designed by architect Michael D. Landrum in 2018, its tumbled travertine floors and hand-plastered walls and ceilings expressed warmth, texture, and depth that often gets lost in an open concept layout. Its Old World elan also balanced the style and stature of the more contemporary steel-clad windows and sliding doors. “The house references classic Spanish colonial architecture in a very current way,” says the homeowner. “It’s the perfect example of how to walk that line—subtly and artfully.”
It was also “a total departure from what they’d previously known, and that was part of the allure,” says Herod, a former protégé of Celerie Kemble. “At the same time, they could see themselves at home there, so they entrusted me with their cherished collections and tasked me with making them feel at home there as well.”
Over the past 30 years, Herod’s clients had thoughtfully procured a treasure trove of centuries-old oil portraits, hand-knotted carpets, and tables and chairs ranging in provenance and period from the elaborate Louis XV to the more austere Directoire. Combined with the architectural backdrop of their new home, the framework was set—an exquisite puzzle just waiting to be completed.
