Stepping deeper into the home reveals the great room, its rear wall glazed to create an immediate connection with the backyard. Centering the space is the living area, a semiformal environment set off by playful design features. “We did tiered molding on the ceiling to help define the room, and because we didn’t want a wall of built-ins, we incorporated a unique, plastered shelving feature,” Cooley notes. She paired a kinetic chandelier with a fluted fireplace surround for added visual interest but kept the palette white so the wife could change out seasonal accessories.
While the classically inspired Lueders limestone façade of a new dwelling in Houston’s Sandalwood neighborhood hints at the refinement to come, the front door opens to an immediate sense of welcome and delight. “It’s a modern and joyful home that reflects this family’s dynamic lifestyle,” interior designer Talbot Cooley describes.
The couple, who have three young children, had been living in the area but wanted a larger residence that would better accommodate their active and social lifestyle. “This is a wonderful place to grow and an amazing community for families with kids,” Cooley says, noting nearby lakes where the children and their friends can swim, fish and canoe. “This home had to reflect that energy, balancing sleek and contemporary interiors with functionality, so every detail was thoughtfully curated to support both everyday living and spontaneous fun.” The abode, envisioned by architect Travis Mattingly and constructed by builder Brian Thompson with project manager John Niederhofer, is equipped to handle everything from cocktail soirees to messy art projects and sports gear. “Travis really understood the clients and designed the house in a way that maximizes flow while honoring their needs,” the designer observes.
Home Details
Architecture:
Travis Mattingly, Architectural Solutions, Inc.
Interior Design:
Talbot Cooley and Cleo Epley, Talbot Cooley Interiors
Home Builder:
Brian Thompson and John Niederhofer, Thompson Custom Homes
Landscape Architecture:
Jeffrey Halper, Exterior Worlds
Interior designer Talbot Cooley worked with builder Brian Thompson to create an illuminated-stone wine bar as part of the home’s entryway. Mia Puerta fabricated the steel-and-brass doors of the wine cellar.
Awash in Benjamin Moore’s Decorator’s White, the grand stairway was devised to showcase the family’s Steinway piano. The Matthew McCormick Studio pendant light was found at Cam Studio.
Texas Custom Granite Co. crafted the kitchen’s countertops and backsplash of Cristallo quartzite from Pomogranit-ADR. Pendants from LightSpek glint above the Acero Bella faucet and bespoke barstools by Muniz.
A watercolor-like design by artist Michelle Kesselman for Wallpaper Projects wraps the dining room, bedazzled with a chandelier from Terzani. The table and chairs, covered with Métaphores velvet, are custom.
The living area’s Thayer Coggin bronze drum tables, cowhide rug from Yerra and custom seating upholstered in Perennials fabric compose a sophisticated yet functional space. The John Pomp chandelier is from The Bright Group, and the mantel’s marble is from Alamo Stone.
In the couple’s bathroom, floor tile from Walker Zanger sets the stage for a tub from Acero Bella and a playful side table from Global Views. The vanity chair wears Kravet fabric.
The primary bedroom is defined by a custom brass-inset headboard and Kravet velvet-upholstered bed. An Isabel Moncada-designed pendant from Garde shines alongside a rug from Southern Star Finishes.
For the cocktail bar, Cooley paired Lee Broom pendants from Cam Studio with bar shelving by James Dawson Design, Inc. The cabinetry, painted Sherwin-Williams’ Iron Ore, melds with stone found at Pomogranit-ADR and fabricated by Texas Custom Granite Co.
A bespoke desk made by CDZ Stone anchors the husband’s office, crowned by a Phillip Jeffries wallcovering on the ceiling and an alabaster ring light. Kelly Wearstler fabric from Kravet dons the armchairs, and the carpet is from Madison Lily Rugs.
Outside, the lounge features rope-style seating from Real Patio Living, a Made Goods concrete coffee table and a rug from Southern Star Finishes. The mantel was constructed by Alamo Stone.
In the game room, a Eurø Style high table and barstools from Interlude Home sit near a GH Leather-topped billiard table from Pool Table Portfolio. The ceiling light is from Visual Comfort & Co.
Complete with inlaid grass, the terrace forms a dialogue with the outdoor entertaining areas. The pool’s chaise lounges, as well as the chairs near the game room’s door, are from RH.
At the front of the home are more traditional reception rooms, while modern family spaces nest toward the back. The entryway, anchored by a piano and a wine bar, is flanked by the metallic, rose quartz-hued dining room and the husband’s paneled office, where Cooley and senior designer Cleo Epley clad the ceiling with a wood-patterned wallpaper that suggests 18th-century marquetry. “Because the dining room and office are across from each other, they had to flow together, so we kept them both warm and rich in color,” Cooley explains.
The adjacent kitchen and breakfast room continue the white palette but with the addition of natural wood and stone. The designer also incorporated these materials into a statement backsplash, its frame disguising LED lighting. At the opposite end of the great room is a passageway that leads to a cocktail bar crafted from iridescent stone (“I have a passion for minerals,” Cooley admits) and the game room, which was designed as much for the adults as for the kids. “That space was one of the clients’ most important must-haves,” the designer shares, explaining that it serves as overflow for large parties. It also opens to the pool terrace and covered entertaining zones. “Everyone talks about bringing the outdoors in, but we wanted to extend the indoors outside,” she says. With the vision of landscape designer Jeffrey Halper, special features like a glass-walled swimming pool and sunken fire pit make being outdoors even more fun.
Entertaining areas abound, but the primary suite upstairs serves as the homeowners’ ultimate destination and perhaps the best expression of the wife’s aesthetic. “She’s very polished,” Cooley remarks. “She had an inspiration picture of a bedroom that was helpful in keeping the space more organic, which we did with a brass-and-fluted-wood accent wall that creates a glowing backdrop for the velvet bed.” Their bathroom, clad in a mix of subtly veined marbles, was designed to be equally restorative.
All in all, the house gently and beautifully guides the owners through each day. “I’d describe this home as soft modern,” Cooley reflects. “It’s sophisticated but organic, and figuring out how to marry those two elements is what makes these rooms so interesting.”
For the cocktail bar, Cooley paired Lee Broom pendants from Cam Studio with bar shelving by James Dawson Design, Inc. The cabinetry, painted Sherwin-Williams’ Iron Ore, melds with stone found at Pomogranit-ADR and fabricated by Texas Custom Granite Co.