This five-bedroom, Tudor-Revival style residence is situated in Houston’s Old Braeswood neighborhood. “The neighborhood has many houses built in the early 1900s that were considered mansions of the time, and this property is one of the prettiest,” designer Mary Patton admits. “We modernized the home and stayed true to its original design, which was done by prominent Texas-based architect Camren D Fairchild.”

Her clients, a family of six, had a goal to make the property feel cohesive from room to room. “The homeowners requested dark floors and that everything be dog-friendly for their two adorable doodles,” Mary says. “The wife liked my previous work and style, which gave me freedom to transform the space while keeping its charm.”

It was crucial that they preserve the historic integrity of the space while adding modern elements. To do this, the designer says keeping everything to scale was of utmost importance. “Modern, low-profile furniture was chosen by design throughout the home,” she explains. “We brightened the interior with white paint by Farrow & Ball and made the home’s original features, like the curved plaster walls and wood details, focal points. The gorgeous marble fireplace in the formal dining room was left untouched, and modern elements were brought in to complement the homeowner’s collection of curated antiques.”

This project began in 2020, so they faced a lot of challenges getting materials. “At one point the city of Houston ran out of paint, and we had to drive an hour to Galveston to source some,” Mary laughs. But, a year later, the clients were absolutely thrilled with the outcome. “In fact, I’m now working on a second project for them, this time in Colorado.”

Take a tour in the slideshow.