Houzz Tour: A Fresh Take on Traditional in Texas
An updated interior design keeps a 1926 home charming yet crisp
Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More »
When the owner of this home toured a condominium with interiors designed by Dona Rosene, she made sure to pick up her card and clung to it for more than two years. When she bought her dream house, she pulled out Rosene's card and gave her a call. "My client had seen how I'd used a lot of color and wanted to do that herself," explains Rosene. "She had bought a traditional home but wanted to keep things fresh; she was afraid that 'traditional' would equal 'granny.'"
The house is located in a historic district in Fort Worth, Texas, and was built in 1926. One big plus was that it had not gone through any major renovations and retained its original character. "The house had been well taken care of and was in good shape, including the floors, original light fixtures, bathrooms, wood moldings and drapery rods," says Rosene.
The clients, who had a new baby at the time, needed Rosene to guide them in terms of paint colors, furniture, fabrics, finishes, flow, arrangement and artwork, and it was a wonderful pairing. "Clients who know what they like are the best kinds of clients," she says. "We never actually went shopping together...we wrapped up the entire project in about four months. We just hit it and did it!"
Houzz at a Glance:
Who lives here: A couple with two children
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Size: 3,340 square feet; 2 storys, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths
Year Built: 1926
The house is located in a historic district in Fort Worth, Texas, and was built in 1926. One big plus was that it had not gone through any major renovations and retained its original character. "The house had been well taken care of and was in good shape, including the floors, original light fixtures, bathrooms, wood moldings and drapery rods," says Rosene.
The clients, who had a new baby at the time, needed Rosene to guide them in terms of paint colors, furniture, fabrics, finishes, flow, arrangement and artwork, and it was a wonderful pairing. "Clients who know what they like are the best kinds of clients," she says. "We never actually went shopping together...we wrapped up the entire project in about four months. We just hit it and did it!"
Houzz at a Glance:
Who lives here: A couple with two children
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Size: 3,340 square feet; 2 storys, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths
Year Built: 1926
The color in the entryway was already there; Rosene and her client loved it, so they left it. "My client was resistant to the stair runner at first because of her fear of the grandma look, but it cuts so much noise and is good when one has babies around," says Rosene. "Now she tells me she gets lots of compliments on it!"
The client also has a thing for circles. The cut velvet drapes have a circle pattern on them. Warm gold tones and finishes are another theme that runs throughout the home. The picture to the right of the window is a personal touch; it's of the client's father when he was a boy. Rosene had it put in a frame with a subtle inlay of gold so client can see her father as she comes and goes.
Light fixture: Original to the home
Color: Original, but Sherwin-Williams 6660 Honey Blush is very similar
Curtain fabric: Kravet
Private Comment
The client also has a thing for circles. The cut velvet drapes have a circle pattern on them. Warm gold tones and finishes are another theme that runs throughout the home. The picture to the right of the window is a personal touch; it's of the client's father when he was a boy. Rosene had it put in a frame with a subtle inlay of gold so client can see her father as she comes and goes.
Light fixture: Original to the home
Color: Original, but Sherwin-Williams 6660 Honey Blush is very similar
Curtain fabric: Kravet
The living room is painted in a vibrant Chinese red (it is coming across a bit more pink in these photos than in it does in person). The client already had the sofa, a matching chair/ottoman (seen in the bottom left corner) and the rug. Rosene kept the spectacular chandeliers original to the house, raised the drapery rods, added window treatments, the pair of chairs, lamps, the coffee table, pillows and other accessories.
Wall color: Benjamin Moore Burnt Peanut Red 2081-10#
Private Comment
Wall color: Benjamin Moore Burnt Peanut Red 2081-10#
"I love a round table; they are so conducive to conversation, they feel homey, and this one was a perfect fit in this dining room, which isn't very large," says Rosene. The circular theme is also repeated in the mirror over the buffet.
The red is the same shade used in the living room, as the rooms are adjacent and separated by French doors. The khaki color was original, and they decided to leave it so as not to overwhelm the relatively small room with red, and to take advantage of the existing horizontal molding.
"I raised the drapery rod to counterbalance the horizontal band of molding, and to draw eye up, making the ceiling seem higher and to visually expand the size of the windows," she explains.
Chair fabric: Cowtan and Tout
Dining table: Woodbridge Furniture
Mirror: La Barge
Light fixture: Original to the house
Wall color: Red: Benjamin Moore Burnt Peanut Red 2081-10#
Private Comment
The red is the same shade used in the living room, as the rooms are adjacent and separated by French doors. The khaki color was original, and they decided to leave it so as not to overwhelm the relatively small room with red, and to take advantage of the existing horizontal molding.
"I raised the drapery rod to counterbalance the horizontal band of molding, and to draw eye up, making the ceiling seem higher and to visually expand the size of the windows," she explains.
Chair fabric: Cowtan and Tout
Dining table: Woodbridge Furniture
Mirror: La Barge
Light fixture: Original to the house
Wall color: Red: Benjamin Moore Burnt Peanut Red 2081-10#
While the client mulls over a kitchen renovation, the kitchen currently offers a lot of vintage charm, if not a lot of storage space. The salvaged sink that the client professes "an irrational love for" is original to the house, as are the cabinets. An adjacent breakfast room provides a large seating area and more storage.
The small swatch of fabric over the window packs a nice design punch (it is also used on some windows to the left, not shown in this picture). "I love to use a cotton-linen blend like this one," says Rosene.
Paint color: Benjamin Moore Palladian Blue HC144
Horse statue and vases: Global Views
Fabric: Osborne and Little
Private Comment
The small swatch of fabric over the window packs a nice design punch (it is also used on some windows to the left, not shown in this picture). "I love to use a cotton-linen blend like this one," says Rosene.
Paint color: Benjamin Moore Palladian Blue HC144
Horse statue and vases: Global Views
Fabric: Osborne and Little
The breakfast room is just off the kitchen, and the same wall color carries through. The built-in cabinets are original to the house and the homeowner uses them to store most of her dishes.
"My client loves animals and picked out this horse," says Rosene. "She also picked out the zebra in the dining room." A rustic table base and wooden ladderback dining chairs with rush seats add to the farmhouse warmth of this room.
Breakfast table: Woodbridge
Color: Benjamin Moore Palladian Blue HC144
Light fixture: Original
Private Comment
"My client loves animals and picked out this horse," says Rosene. "She also picked out the zebra in the dining room." A rustic table base and wooden ladderback dining chairs with rush seats add to the farmhouse warmth of this room.
Breakfast table: Woodbridge
Color: Benjamin Moore Palladian Blue HC144
Light fixture: Original
| The client already had her bedding, so Rosene worked the color palette around it, connecting it to the rest of the home, but more importantly to the master bath (which had blue tiles on the floor) and a small sitting area you can see on the left side of this image. She had the headboard custom made in turquoise linen with nailhead trim which aids in the transition between rooms. Private Comment
Color: Benjamin Moore Deer Path 1047 |
| This small sitting room off the master bedroom is located over a covered porch. It provides a cozy area for reading, and lots of built-in storage original to the house. Like most of the other custom window treatments throughout the house, the windows have woven grass shades and drapes to add softness. Private Comment
"I love the clover shape of this ottoman, and I use it a lot," says Rosene. "It's perfect for putting between two chairs for two people to use at once." In addition to the clover's curves, another dotted fabric satisfies the client's penchant for circles. A table skirted in plaid brings another pattern into the room. "When I found this painting, I knew it would be perfect for over the headboard in the master bedroom, but it was even better over the built-ins in here," she says. The client agreed. Chairs and Ottoman: DRNC Paint color: Sherwin-Williams 6478 Watery Painting: found via McGannon Showroom |
Finally, the master bathroom is full of vintage details original to the house, including the tiles, the pedestal sinks, and the door with the built-in mirror.
"I used the shower curtain fabric to tie the colors of this bathroom to the colors in the master bedroom," says Rosene.
"People who can visualize and who know what they like make for wonderful clients," says Rosene. Both parties are very glad that the client held onto that business card for two years.
Paint color: Sherwin-Williams Drizzle 6479
See the original condo where the client picked up Rosene's card
More:
Houzz Tour: A Home Full of History and Surprise
Houzz Tour: Tudor Grove
Houzz Tour: Family-Friendly Coastal Style in Michigan
Private Comment
"I used the shower curtain fabric to tie the colors of this bathroom to the colors in the master bedroom," says Rosene.
"People who can visualize and who know what they like make for wonderful clients," says Rosene. Both parties are very glad that the client held onto that business card for two years.
Paint color: Sherwin-Williams Drizzle 6479
See the original condo where the client picked up Rosene's card
More:
Houzz Tour: A Home Full of History and Surprise
Houzz Tour: Tudor Grove
Houzz Tour: Family-Friendly Coastal Style in Michigan
Comments
storklady says:
Becky...thanks for this..another great post. It's not often you find folks who love color in Texas. I feel like the lone ranger among my beige-loving friends and neighbors. This womsn's house is whole lot grander than mine, but she is a kindred spirit regarding a love for color. It's just beautiful.
3 months ago ·
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Texas Lightsmith says:
Becky! Love it! @Storklady I think we should start a color therapy group for your friends ;)
3 months ago ·
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Lady W says:
I must agree with storklady, Texan decor is on the light side with heavy furnishings. Kudos to this lady for putting color into her life! Its beautiful.
3 months ago ·
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rebkot says:
Those red and cream armchairs in the living room are heavenly! Where did you find them? I am so sick of brown leather!!!!!
3 months ago ·
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vibhawari says:
I like the entryway and Master bedroom colors and interiors and the sitting room of the Master Bed room is very lovely...
3 months ago ·
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smasko says:
Beautiful use of colors, fabrics and prints...living in a Georgian Style home, I really enjoyed the pictures!
3 months ago ·
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Joe Byer says:
Loved everything but those ridiculous looking cheetah print dining chairs... when will Texan's realize that there aren't any cheetahs here?!? lol
3 months ago ·
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meandyou123 says:
thought the living room would have looked better in a soft sage green .. the red makes it feel unrestfull ...
3 months ago ·
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