Outgrowing their home but looking to stay in their traditional neighborhood, one Houston couple had something special in mind. The two wanted a new residence that would fit in with the stately houses that populate their street and accommodate their active lifestyle and large family. But rather than the ranch or midcentury styles more typical of the neighborhood’s historic properties, the owners wanted a Tudor look reminiscent of residences they had seen while living in Washington, D.C., the city where the husband grew up and the couple first met.
After assembling what the wife describes as “a fabulous team”—architect André De Jean, his partner Andrea Caicedo and interior designer Elizabeth Garrett DeWitt—she put in a few requests: offices for her and her husband, bedrooms with en suites for the kids and a large backyard with a pool, which is where landscape designer Heath J. Thibodeaux came in. Then, she set the designers loose with a lot of creative freedom. “I’m busy; I don’t have much time to shop,” she explains. “We brought Elizabeth in early and asked her to give us two or three options for things. I would pick one and not change my mind.”
The resulting house, a timeless two-story abode brought to life by builder Austen Potts, is full of warm colors, oak millwork and thoughtful details (custom outdoor lanterns, leaded-glass windows, handcrafted ceiling beams, arched thresholds) that make it feel as though it’s been there forever. The team delved into the Tudor aesthetic and paid homage with niche references to British design—including the study’s inglenook, a cozy alcove complete with a fireplace—while bringing it into the modern day with ample light and large windows.
On the first floor, which holds the public spaces, a high-traffic living room emphasizing attractive but durable materials such as wool and performance fabrics looks out onto a manicured lawn and pool. DeWitt employed an earthy palette of tans and creams as her base to complement the custom-notched beams and other woodwork. “We used heavy timbers around many of the openings between rooms and carried the detailing of those archways throughout the home,” Caicedo notes. “It ties everything together.” Layered furniture and textiles in shades of blue break up the continuity.
Home Details
Architecture
André De Jean and Andrea Caicedo, Reagan & André
Interior Design
Elizabeth Garrett DeWitt, Elizabeth Garrett Interiors
Home Builder
Austen Potts, AP Builders
Landscape Architecture
Heath J. Thibodeaux, HJT Landscape Architects, LLC
Styling
Jessica Holtam
Embracing the clients’ love of blue, designer Elizabeth Garrett DeWitt painted the kitchen cabinetry Sherwin-Williams’ Grays Harbor and installed Italian bluestone flooring from Farmhouse Stone. Pendants by The Urban Electric Co. hang over counter stools by Peck & Company.
In the living room, a Matt Camron Oushak rug rests beneath a custom sofa and armchairs by The Joseph Company, which surround an iron-and-limestone Formations coffee table. Above the stone mantel—which incorporates reclaimed brick in a geometric pattern—hangs a geode-like abstract from the clients’ collection.
Vintage pieces, like the chairs from Joyce Horn Antiques, Ltd. (reupholstered in Jerry Pair and Schumacher fabrics) and buffet from Lolo French Antiques, populate the dining room. Above is an Iatesta Studio chandelier.
Reclaimed wood flooring laid out in a chevron pattern adds rustic warmth to the front hallway. A Formations console and sconce are joined by an antique French mirror from MAI.
Just off the kitchen is the breakfast nook, with its wall of handmade Park Ridge brick by Old Carolina Brick Co. A custom table from Doro’s Unique Flooring, Palecek side chairs and a banquette fabricated by The Joseph Company form an ideal morning coffee spot.
In the pantry, defining kitchen elements are carried over: blue paint, bluestone flooring and Taj Mahal quartzite countertops from Pomogranit + ADR. A Tudor-style leaded-glass window by Marvin lets in natural light, while a brass faucet from Elegant Additions and antique French sink elevate the workhorse room.
With a vaulted ceiling and four-poster bed by The Joseph Company, the primary bedroom feels cozy yet sophisticated. A custom chaise by Hien Lam Upholstery, covered in Lee Jofa fabric from Kravet, nestles into a corner niche near the fireplace.
The primary bathroom incorporates a soft plaster wall treatment and a palette of calming neutrals. Beyond the tub from Elegant Additions, a chair from Joyce Horn Antiques, Ltd. tucks into the built-in vanity. Airy Holly Hunt fabric café curtains enhance privacy without feeling heavy or dark.
The clients prioritized a backyard where their kids would spend hours playing sports and splashing in the pool, which was installed by Water’s Edge Outdoor Living and features bluestone coping. Designed as an extension of the interior scheme, the outdoor dining area is outfitted with a concrete table by Made Goods and woven Palecek chairs.
The kitchen, especially, is a deeper tonal departure, with its bluestone floor tiles, stormy paint and blue pendant lights. Its brick wall, which alludes to the home’s natural brick façade, carries into the adjacent breakfast room. One of the children’s favorite spaces, the room also incorporates bluestone flooring and a custom-washed ceiling intended to blend the seams between indoors and out. “The space feels like it used to be open, but we enclosed it,” DeWitt muses. With its tall, linen-curtained windows, the room is airy in all weather and lets in some of the best light in the house.
Upstairs, the bedrooms are spacious, with the primary suite providing a cozy place of retreat. A vaulted ceiling, large marble fireplace and custom four-poster bed create a sense of romance; soft blue on the walls fosters serenity; and a large glass chandelier injects a moment of glamour. To hide the motorized drapery, De Jean added a shouldered arch that continues the room’s dreamy aesthetic.
The primary bathroom is pale with shades of tan and white, which both brighten the room and provide functionality: “I tend to use lighter colors in main bathrooms so when makeup is being applied the walls aren’t affecting the light bouncing off the mirror,” DeWitt shares. Walls were plastered to highlight the curves of an architectural dropped ceiling element that outlines the bathtub from above. “The tub itself is centered to the bedroom,” De Jean adds, “so if the bedroom door is open, in the distance you see the tub with the window behind.”
It’s these thoughtful details, paired with allusions to architectural history, that make the designers’ work feel so timeless. “Everything the architects did was planned so well, and every design element was intentional,” DeWitt says. “It can be hard to give older charm to newer construction, but when you do it right, it makes such a difference.”
Just off the kitchen is the breakfast nook, with its wall of handmade Park Ridge brick by Old Carolina Brick Co. A custom table from Doro’s Unique Flooring, Palecek side chairs and a banquette fabricated by The Joseph Company form an ideal morning coffee spot.