Last week we introduced our Dumbarton project, a family-friendly home located in Houston’s Braeswood Place. We wanted to design a home that tied all these influences together: modern functionality that works for an active family and old classics that hearken back to European style.

The home is a new build, with a contemporary Mediterranean exterior. Inside, however, are many Old World touches that connect the homeowners to another time and place. Our lead designer, Shenay, created a series of bespoke interior design details inspired by classic patterns. The result? One-of-a-kind pieces that can be found in no other place but Dumbarton.

Building a Legacy with a Custom Build

Each one of our clients has a singular story to tell. The best way to tell that story with a new construction home is to work with a custom home builder. Together, we collaborate on every detail in your home to reflect your authentic style. For the Dumbarton project, our client selected Scott Fraiser Homes.

Making the home building process enjoyable is a top priority for Scott and his team. They believe the construction process is just as important as the final result. The finishes and fixtures you select during the process are a historical record. This record is a heirloom you can share with future generations. These pieces document your time in your home with family and friends.

Classic Architectural Style with a Modern Touch

Dumbarton features the Meditarranean style’s characteristic red tiled roof and stucco finish. Inside the home, you’ll see stone floors, exposed wood beams, and rough-hewn brick. These Old World elements give the home a distinctly European feel. This idea of honoring the past in a modern way, which is carried throughout the home, was the inspiration for some of the home’s most prominent doors.

Benchmade Pub and Entrance Doors

Nothing makes more of an impact on a home’s curb appeal than its doors. Well, maybe fantastic landscaping, but for this home, the doors make such a statement. Lead designer, Shenay Keyes, sketched a door design that reflected the Old Word style the homeowners desired. Traditional Spanish Colonial doors were our inspiration, with a geometric twist: a line of circles.

Bringing the front door design indoors was the part! This home has a secret pub room located off the family room that hides the family’s chill out space. Having the same design eludes to the function, but once you see the final result, the doors appear like artwork flanking the fireplace at both sides.

The home’s builder, Scott Fraiser, facilitated the door’s fabrication with a team of artisans in Mexico. Who the team is, though, remains a complete secret. The team does excellent work and it’s exciting to have this resource be so exclusive! It adds a layer of history and provenance to the doors.

Bespoke Interior Design Details – Creating Cohesion in an Open Space

With four active boys, the homeowners wanted to have plenty of space for togetherness, playfulness, and entertaining. The home’s open plan first floor contributes to the home’s welcoming energy, but designing cohesively for an open plan can be a challenge. The spaces should remain distinct and have their own unique look and feel, while remaining visually connected.

The family room’s emerald and chocolate color palette needed a connecting factor with the kitchen’s shades of blue and white. A large kitchen island separates the two rooms, but without walls, clashing can happen quickly.

We selected chairs from Century Furniture with these gorgeous turned legs to pull the kitchen into the family room. The chairs mimick the stain of the exposed wood beams and reclaimed mantle in the family room, unifying the two areas.

We carried a blue and white color palette throughout the home (in the kitchen, entry, and master suite to name a few). In the main living area, a lighthearted navy and cream mix with wood to connect kitchen to family room. Blue bespoke cookbook shelves in the same color as the upper kitchen cabinets tie the two areas together.

Kitchen Cookbook Shelving

We designed these kitchen bookshelves as a special spot for the homeowners to place their cookbooks and other beloved tomes! The design team found inspiration in a geometric design that embraced triangular holders. We blended a handsome wood grain with navy to create cohesion with the color of the kitchen cabinets. These elevated shelves are the perfect spot for our clients to share little pieces of their life with family and friends.