Houzz Tour: Citrus and Teal Energize a Midcentury Ranch
A wall of glass accordion doors and a modern outdoor kitchen encourage casual resort-style living for a retired couple
World travelers and recently retired, this Houston couple donated nearly all their belongings and moved from a former horse farm into the city to be closer to their kids. They chose a midcentury ranch house on a corner lot for its open plan and potential, which was realized through a renovation that introduced light, customization and brilliant pops of color. The remodel was completed before Hurricane Harvey, and the grounds experienced minor flooding from the storm, but there was no lasting damage.
The front entry includes new custom steel doors from Cantera and a recirculating water feature with fountain that’s demarcated by concrete pavers. The house also has a new roof.
A new second-floor apartment above the garage is used by one of the couple’s sons. The addition features the garage’s original board-and-batten siding to help it blend in with the original house.
The backyard features a pool and a mix of covered and uncovered outdoor living areas. A large patch of grass between the stone pavers keeps the space from feeling sterile.
The outdoor kitchen features a built-in grill and a dining area with color-changing LED lights hidden in the ceiling coffer. The clients found midcentury furnishings that complement the home’s architecture and add a splash of color to the backyard.
Find midcentury-inspired outdoor furniture
Find midcentury-inspired outdoor furniture
Living, kitchen and dining areas open up to one another inside. The interior color palette is similar to that of the exterior: “The citrus colors are fresh, fun and vibrant, while the teal throws in a sophisticated modern jewel tone,” Devine says. “I like to start with white walls and ceiling — it’s so clean and tidy — which I treat as a canvas on which we create the clients’ unique style.”
A large wall of glass accordion doors opens the dining area to the outside, optimizing the options for indoor-outdoor living. The dining room chairs are from Houston’s Ladco design center and are covered with Mermaid Teal fabric from High Fashion Home. The chandelier is Rockne, the earthy Arroyo dining table is from Taracea and the John-Richard serving cabinet provides storage for dinnerware.
More color pops in the piano lounge, which features custom wine storage below clerestory windows. Vertical tape lighting in the cabinetry sets the walls and wine aglow in the evening. The lounge opens to the backyard as well as the main living space.
The artful chandelier was part of an original brass room divider that came with the house. The brass is powder-coated an iridescent pearl white to create a “cloud,” which is a “conversation piece and an artwork,” Devine says.
The artful chandelier was part of an original brass room divider that came with the house. The brass is powder-coated an iridescent pearl white to create a “cloud,” which is a “conversation piece and an artwork,” Devine says.
Before: A closeup of the original brass room divider, repurposed into the piano room’s chandelier.
In the kitchen, the custom-made cabinets are rip-sawn white oak. The island features a white quartz countertop that waterfalls on both ends. The orange pendant lights are Urchins from Varaluz. The backsplash — Waveline in the color Breeze from Horizon Tile — adds a definitive midcentury look in a tone lighter than the bold teal used elsewhere in the house.
At the other end of the kitchen, a glass tabletop placed against the island serves as a breakfast table. A supporting beam is covered in stainless steel, making it more of a feature than an obstacle.
Browse modern red desk chairs
Browse modern red desk chairs
In the master bath, floor tile in a herringbone pattern, bamboo cabinets with a horizontal grain, white quartz countertops and a full-slab stone shower create the wow factor. The shower also includes a floating bench of quartz and a linear drain. A low-profile recessed light channel in the shower ceiling is ideal for wet spaces.
A wall of ceramic 3D panels in a wave pattern provides texture in the minimalist master bedroom, which opens to the outdoor living areas. The headboard and floating side cabinets are from Design Within Reach. The tray ceiling hides cove lights and is painted in a gray that matches the drapes.
“Orange chairs at the breakfast table? Teal upholstery? Gray drapes? When you put it all together and really look at how the spaces are dressed, there are surprising and beautiful things at every turn,” Devine says. “The style is definitely their own. I just helped them realize it.”
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“Orange chairs at the breakfast table? Teal upholstery? Gray drapes? When you put it all together and really look at how the spaces are dressed, there are surprising and beautiful things at every turn,” Devine says. “The style is definitely their own. I just helped them realize it.”
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A retired couple, with a son in an apartment on the second level
Size: 2,600 square feet (241.5 square meters)
Location: Houston
Designer: Susannah Devine, RD Architecture
He had been a deep-water drilling engineer and consultant in the oil and gas business; she had started a nursery and flower business on the former horse farm where they used to live. When they retired, they wanted to seriously downsize, so they purchased a midcentury ranch house that now serves as a “perpetual vacation home,” says Susannah Devine, the project’s designer.