When relocating back to Houston from London, a young couple expecting their first child reached out to Marie Flanigan Interiors to make their newly purchased house feel like home. As they were just moving back to the US, this home would be a truly fresh start but they wanted it to reflect their shared history. Located in Houston’s prestigious River Oaks neighborhood and designed in the late 1960s by architect George Smart, the home’s original midcentury modern architecture inspired the interior style. Marie and project lead Kristin Amundsen harnessed the couple’s love of world travel and their active lifestyle and to bring custom fine art and a lived-in vibe to this unique and wonderful home.
In the entry, a sculptural, custom, plaster Segreto console table greets visitors. Above hangs a bright art piece by Matt Kleburg commissioned via Hiram Butler Gallery.
To the right of the entry sits the serene formal living room. Rift-cut white oak shelving with dark bronze supports lines one side of the room, adding storage and a central focal point. The unit is held off the wall to ensure it feels more like a furniture element rather than traditional built-ins. The wood brings warmth to the surrounding white walls and terrazzo floor. A commissioned art piece by Ethan Cook draws the eye above the Lee Industries sofa. A custom bench in Dedar fabric is wrapped by a Century Furniture c-table. Across the room from the shelving is an appointed sitting area featuring a pair of high-back Brighton pavilion chairs framing artist Andrew Zimmerman’s piece Midnight Black. Other highlights of the space include a Bruno Mathsson Pernilla leather lounge chair and a carved side table.
The centerpiece of the formal dining room is the custom plaster, concrete, and bronze table created by Segreto. The table alone took six men to move! Surrounding the circular table are six Four Hands oak and linen chairs. Over the vintage French bamboo and osier sideboard hangs an inspiring piece by artist Landon Metz. On the opposite wall hangs an oversized 19th Century French LXVI mirror, adding a contrasting layer to the modern space. The chandelier handmade chandelier by Pinch was created from soft, sculptural woven fabric.
On the opposite side of the entry from the formal living room, sits the globally inspired family room. The highlight of the room is Agostino Lacurci’s stunning artwork, Sunflowers no˚1. The opening of the original gas fireplace is now clad with a custom Breccia Marone honed mantel. Cozy furnishings, layered rugs, and a custom white oak coffee table bring warmth to the space. Two midcentury Danish Illum Wikkelsø Brazilian Rosewood Wiki lounge chairs were recovered and grouped with a linear antique Pierre Jeanneret chair.
Adjoining the family room is the open kitchen, featuring perimeter cabinetry painted in Pratt & Lambert’s Shaded Spruce and a rift cut white oak island. A pair of Arteriors Quentin pendants hang above and Serena & Lily’s Avalon counter stools line the island.
The calming, neutral color palette in the primary bedroom is complemented by a multicolored Pawel Dutkiewicz painting. The custom canopy bed and nightstands sit atop layered natural fiber and vintage oushak rugs. The second of a pair of Bruno Mathsson Pernilla lounge chairs provides a place to sit and read.
The primary bathroom’s existing finishes were updated with sconces by Urban Electric at the vanity and custom mirrors. Antique brass hardware, a vintage oushak runner, and an antique milking stool bring warmth to the space.
One of the home’s standout spaces, the nursery, features a Susan Harter landscape mural and a France & Son daybed that set the soothing tone for the rest of the room. Photographs of baby animals captured by the homeowners hang above the DucDuc NYC crib and are flanked by Ro Sham Beaux woven shade sconces.
The bright guest room is a mix of Southern charm and California cool, featuring a wood bed from Anthropologie and oversized Serena & Lily table lamps.
Small updates were incorporated into the library and office space. A Phillip Jeffries grasscloth wallcovering was added to the interior of the cabinets to create visual softness and texture.
The upstairs game and media room has a built-in bar and opens to a large, covered lanai. An oversized sectional sits atop layered rugs, and a game table overlooks the beautiful street below.
Like what you see? Take a peek at the talent behind the story… Interior Design & Photography: Marie Flanigan Interiors
