A century ago, a father built his newlywed daughter a house where she could settle down and raise a family. Set atop a hill and spread over several acres, the abode overlooked a small but bustling oil town and surrounding Texas landscape. Aside from a minor update around the 1960s, the home became outdated before being passed down to her granddaughter. Upon inheriting the property, the new owner had a thought: Why not update and restore it to a state that would honor, or even surpass, its original splendor?
Enter designer Paloma Contreras. “The client really wanted to give this house new life,” she recalls. While keeping the historical façade intact, the interiors were taken down to the studs. “I tried to imagine who her grandmother would be and how she would want her home designed if she were a young woman today,” Contreras says. The designer and her team started by reworking the layout. In the entry, they expanded and widened the foyer and stair hall, then added a white-and-blue leafy scrolling wallpaper that climbs the walls to the second level. The entry’s wood floors were laid in a herringbone pattern to contrast the adjoining rooms while still making it feel like its own space.
Home Details
Architecture:
David Stocker, SHM Architects
Interior Design:
Paloma Contreras, Paloma Contreras Design
Styling:
Benjamin Reynaert
In keeping with 1920s sensibilities, the original dwelling already boasted expansive living and dining rooms, where guests would traditionally congregate. For the latter, Contreras brought in a new candelabra-esque chandelier and selected a garden-inspired wallpaper that has a faded quality. “I liked that it had a patina, because we could pretend it had been part of the home for a long time,” she shares. Its blues and greens continue throughout each floor in celebration of the verdant surroundings, which are visible from nearly every room in the house. “We wanted there to be a common thread, a curated palette, but for each space to have its own distinct point of view,” Contreras describes.
The kitchen underwent the most drastic of changes, notes architect David Stocker, who collaborated on the project. “We had to update it because so much more entertaining happens in the kitchen these days,” he says of the formerly small and dim area. New windows were added, and the room was expanded to include a sunny dining space. “It was envisioned like a conservatory, with a lot of glass to bring light in,” he adds. Daintily gold-veined marble on the counters amplifies the natural illumination, continuing as a backsplash all the way to the rich wood ceiling. Vintage-inspired pendants over the island further nod to the property’s history, offset by a long and linear pendant above the table.
New windows and doors let sunlight spill into the kitchen, also illuminated by Eddystone pendants from The Urban Electric Co. Lining the marble-topped island are Serena & Lily’s Portside counter stools with hand-wrapped sea-grass seats and backs.
Denise McGaha’s Etienne fireplace in the living room offers mantel space for a painting by Chris Brandell. Carlos Moreno fabricated the custom skirted sofa, which wears a Kravet velvet. A Paloma Contreras chandelier hangs above the Montpelier cocktail table by Suzanne Kasler.
In the entry, walls are clad in an azure scrolling fern wallpaper by Soane Britain. An antique Louis XV-style commode with a marble top nods to the home’s history, while Aerin’s Rosehill semi-flush light fixture provides an elegant update overhead.
New windows and doors let sunlight spill into the kitchen, also illuminated by Eddystone pendants from The Urban Electric Co. Lining the marble-topped island are Serena & Lily’s Portside counter stools with hand-wrapped sea-grass seats and backs.
The previously dim kitchen underwent the most changes in the home, refreshed with custom cabinetry and a Wolf range. Modern Calacatta Gold Borghini Diamond marble countertops from Aria Stone Gallery stretch to the ceiling for a clean and bright aesthetic.
Warm elements from the kitchen are carried into the bar, where glamour abounds in Ann Sacks’ antiqued mirrored backsplash and a gleaming sink and faucet from Fixtures & Fittings. Affixed to the custom white oak cabinetry, horn hardware honors the family’s Texas roots.
De Gournay’s Nordic Garden wallpaper creates an elegant backdrop for the dining room, embellished with Paloma Contreras’ Brigitte chandelier from Visual Comfort & Co. Custom leather chairs by House + Town surround the bespoke table from Neal & Co.
The family room’s faux bois wallpaper by Nobilis and woven rug from Fibreworks add a grounding tone. Green Kravet velvet covering Hickory Chair seats provides a punch of color, positioned next to an ottoman by the same brand and beneath a Brindille chandelier.
To inject a sense of grandeur to the primary bedroom, a custom canopied bed in Venetian velvet is swathed in Matouk bedding. Lee Jofa’s Aurora fabric by Paolo Moschino forms the cornice, pillows and draperies, accompanied by two tufted armchairs by Mr. and Mrs. Howard for Sherrill Furniture.
The primary bathroom’s nickel tub from Fixtures & Fittings sits next to a wall separating it from the shower, adorned in the clients’ existing artwork. In order to keep the room’s abundant windows, the designer suspended Bunny Williams’ Venezia mirror from the ceiling.
In the guest bedroom, draperies made from Leah O’Connell’s Isla indigo and white fabric matches the adjacent wallpaper. Carrier and Company’s Port Bench rests in front of the Serena & Lily Harbour cane woven rattan bed, wrapped in Soho Home linens by the same company.
In the former porte cochere, a new sun room features the original brick with a crisp coat of Benjamin Moore’s White Dove. Serena & Lily’s Springwood hanging daybed faces Thomas O’Brien’s outdoor chairs, complemented by wicker urns and pedestals from Paloma & Co.
Nearby, the team also transformed a former porte cochere into a bright sun room. The original arched doorways were filled with windows, and an ivory paint was applied to the original brick. The space was filled with natural materials, as in the jute rug, wicker chairs and a swinging sofa.
While the homeowner’s suite annexed space from other rooms to create a separate seating area, the bedroom itself kept a small footprint. Because square footage was limited, drama was added with a beautiful canopy bed. Its green-velvet headboard, designed by Contreras, and chintzy floral cornice draw the eyes up and make the space feel grander. The primary bathroom, meanwhile, is airy and bright, dressed in marble floors and crisp white paint. Since it had an awkwardly open layout, the designer sequestered moments of privacy, such as a new floating wall that separates the nickel tub from the shower. The room also presented a rare dilemma—too many windows—but rather than closing any off to create a mirrored vanity, a mirror was simply suspended from the ceiling.
Because the client often uses the property to gather for special occasions, guest quarters take on the vibe of a boutique hotel, each with its own personality and descriptive name. The Blue Room, for instance, is covered in a cerulean-and-white pattern that repeats in the wallpaper and drapes, adding levity to an otherwise cozy area. Just like the rest of the home, these rooms hold wisdom from eras past. “There’s a duality to the spirit of the design,” Contreras muses. “There’s this reflection on generations before but also an optimism of looking toward the future.”
To inject a sense of grandeur to the primary bedroom, a custom canopied bed in Venetian velvet is swathed in Matouk bedding. Lee Jofa’s Aurora fabric by Paolo Moschino forms the cornice, pillows and draperies, accompanied by two tufted armchairs by Mr. and Mrs. Howard for Sherrill Furniture.