When looking for the perfect place to build her family’s dream home in Houston, designer Ashton Taylor chose Garden Oaks. “It sits right outside of The Heights, one of our favorite neighborhoods in Houston,” she tells us. “The Heights is known for its charming parks, walkability, and some of the best cafés and restaurants in the city.”

The house was built for her family of four—her husband Andy and their two young children. “Andy and I love to entertain, so it was important for us to have a home we could share with family and friends,” she explains. “At the same time, we needed to ensure that it fit for our busy family’s day-to-day. We wanted to ‘dress her up’ when we needed to but also have a home that felt inherently welcoming and functional.”

Ashton wanted the same forward-thinking design her firm is known for, but rooted in comfort and everyday livability. “There’s no way I could choose a set style that this house is built on,” she admits. “It’s a mix of all things ‘us’–warm, relaxed, fashion forward and full of soul.” When choosing finishes and materials, they made a concerted effort to select elements that created a layered and lived-in aesthetic. “We didn’t want any finish to feel too pristine or precious,” she explains.

Upon entry, your eye gravitates toward a painted mural wall in the dining room. “The mural showcases sweeping views of the Low Country at dusk,” Ashton says. “My extended family all lives in Georgia and South Carolina, and Andy and I were married in Savannah. We wanted to bring that part of the country to Houston and hired Segreto Finishes to paint this landscape in detail. In the corner, he even added the church in which we were married. It truly feels like a love letter to my family.” 

The mural has a formality to it, so they custom built a reclaimed French oak dining table and added an outdoor lantern from Urban Electric for a more relaxed tone. “We absolutely love hosting dinner parties here,” she smiles. “It feels ethereal when filled with guests and candlelight.”

In the living room, Ashton flanked the fireplace with aged brick and added a honed travertine background with a beveled seam detail. “The mix of materials adds a contemporary feel to the living room, while maintaining warmth and texture,” she shares. “We used a Dimitry Sofa covered in Loro Piana cashmere alongside a rug from Carol Piper. A vintage floor lamp and a bronze lamp from Elan Atelier add sculptural appeal.”

The home features one of Ashton’s prized heirlooms: a 1950s console record player that belonged to her Aunt Nezi. “I’ve had it in every home I’ve lived in since graduating high school,” she tells us. “I wanted it to have a special place in this home, so we converted the breakfast room into an eat-in record room. We choose a vinyl record to play at dinner each night—and at breakfast on the weekends. Knowing messy fingers would end up on the banquette, we opted for a patterned Pierre Frey jacquard that could easily disguise spaghetti sauce stains.”

A major non-negotiable for the build was moving her interior design studio to the garage apartment. “This has been invaluable for balancing motherhood and my business,” Ashton notes. “I also wanted to have a home I could open up to clients to show design details that we reference during meetings. We can simply walk inside and see an example of a pinch-pleat drapery or let my client have a sit test on our sofa.”

She says the project took about a year, with the move-in date scheduled on the same day as her daughter’s due date. Relying on the support of the Ashton Taylor Interiors team—including Morgan Viers—and trusted vendors, they were able to return to their brand-new house. 

“As a designer, I’m not sure I’ll ever live in a home where I can say it’s ‘done,’” Ashton admits. “I am always looking for ways to improve or even just change it up, whether by arranging furniture or styling bookshelves. Also, a house that is completely ‘done’ would mean I’d have to be finished shopping…And well, that’s just not a commitment I’m willing to make. There is always something new or vintage worth buying!”