Light Meets Texture In A Dreamy Monochromatic Houston House

"A space should look beautiful even if there’s not one piece of furniture in it,” interior designer Nina Magon reflects. When approached by a homeowner to work on her and her husband’s monochromatic abode in Houston, Magon’s savvy in playing with light, texture and scale had the chance to shine, resulting in a dwelling that’s all at once sophisticated, modern and warm. The two women had met at social events and through mutual friends over the years, but their collaboration sparked when the client visited the Nina Magon Lounge in Zadok Jewelers, where she got an immersive sense of the designer’s luxury global aesthetic. “The room is bold and striking, and that’s what I like,” the wife notes.

When Magon came to the house for a visit, she was greeted by a double-height entry with a majestic, curved stairway envisioned by the client. “I was amazed when I saw the grand staircases at the Four Seasons in Shanghai,” the owner reminisces. “Their dramatic shape was my ultimate goal.” Clad in a Venetian plaster, the staircase was also inspired by Old Jaffa, a neighborhood in Tel Aviv, where she was raised. The international influence resonated with Magon, who was born in Canada, has Indian roots and has collaborated with famed global brands such as Balmain and Cosentino. “As soon as we walked in the home, we both agreed on emphasizing that neutral, European-style palette,” Magon recalls.

A chandelier immediately came to the interior designer’s mind in order to balance the expansive entryway, but the client was already having one commissioned. As it turns out, they were both thinking of the same glassmaker based in Prague. “We have very similar tastes,” Magon says with a laugh. “We even drive the same car.” In the process of completing the fixture, the duo took two trips to the Czech Republic together. The voluminous pendant that now adorns the foyer features varying sizes of opaque white and transparent spheres, which appear to hover in midair. “All of the different aspects add a little bit of interest, so it doesn’t look boring,” the designer describes. That sentiment carries throughout the home, which is a feast for the eyes despite a minimal color palette. The soft lines of the formal living room’s velvet-covered sofa, for instance, offset the weight of rectangular marble coffee tables of differing heights.

The homeowner brought a similar sensibility to the art collection, wanting the house to have an avant-garde feel. To help curate pieces, Magon enlisted Mimi Sperber, founding partner of Off The Wall Gallery. A Craig Alan piece in the formal living room portrays a white dress set upon an inky canvas, a bold but feminine backdrop for the seating area where the owner often welcomes friends for tea. In the dining room, Squeak Carnwath’s abstract Book of Days anchors a space otherwise defined by ethereal ivories and buoyant curves, as in the rounded chairs, arched doorway and swooping chandelier sourced by Magon. “I like to find extremely unique lighting that is both purposeful and a jewelry piece in the room,” she muses. “The lighting acts as art.”

Also treated as a showpiece is the natural light that flows into the abode. “Having grown up at the beach on the Mediterranean, I need sunlight from morning to sunset,” the client shares. It dapples through sheer drapes onto her channeled bed and the entryway’s creamy pumpkin chairs, its shadows creating an extra layer of depth. In the kitchen, the sheen off the stone tile flooring sets an immaculate tone, reflecting the wife’s desire to keep it pristine. “I love to cook, but I want the kitchen to look like a model in a showroom,” she notes. Durable materials ensure an easy clean, such as the contract-grade fabric covering a custom banquette in the breakfast nook. “We made the bench to soften the wall’s linearity, introducing organic curvatures that complement the home’s furniture,” the designer explains.

The client wanted the primary suite to be a continuation of the rest of the house, but with an extra hint of glam. “Everything has curves in this space. There’s nothing that’s really a straight line,” Magon observes. A natural feel permeates the furnishings, from the plush velvet sofa to a free-form coffee table and an undulating custom rug designed by Magon. “At the end of the day, that’s where you want to end up, in a soft and quiet atmosphere,” the homeowner muses.