Modern elegance displayed in arts district home

Mandell Street House is located in the Museum District of Houston, Texas, designed by Allen Bianchi Architects. This two-storey contemporary home features a unique floor plan spanning 5,920 square feet (550 square meters) of living space. The house is situated on a busy street so it had to be protected from noise and designed for privacy. The architect designed for light, space and comfort, opening the home towards the interior, with large windows that connects the room with the pool and created a few sculptural concrete walls. Materials were selected to be simple and natural, cement, walnut, marble and masonry with the objective of unifying the space and further enhancing the light.

On the ground floor, a large clear area hosts the living room and the dining room, which opens through two openings towards the kitchen and office area, and a corner to watch TV. A pantry, a wine cellar and a toilet complete this flat, paved entirely with a floor of microcemento giving homogeneity. On the first floor are the private spaces, four bedrooms all with dressing rooms and bathroom, as well as a study.

Interior designer Barbara Hill infused her contemporary style into the home, combining modern design furniture with 20th century classics and pieces of vintage furnishings which reinforces the contemporary character of the house. Some spaces, the furniture was commissioned to measure. The location of the house in the Museum District inspired the owners to gather a small set of works of art to scatter throughout the home. One of their favorite pieces is a chair sculpture made with old suitcases by an artist from Minneapolis, which can be seen on the stairs of the entrance.

Visit the website of Allen Bianchi Architects here.

The L-shaped house leaves a central space occupied by the pool. In the background, the curved wall encloses the shower.