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Houzz Tour: New Warmth for a Chic Contemporary Home
A designer found on Houzz adds texture and curves to make a Dallas home more comfortable and family-friendly
After admiring Urbanology Designs’ work on Houzz, these homeowners tasked principal designer Ginger Curtis to “do something amazing” with their home in Dallas. The house had a contemporary style that leaned cold and stark. The homeowners wanted Curtis to warm it up and make it more family-friendly, as well as visually striking. “We looked at ideabook photos together, and I could tell my clients had great taste and were drawn to pieces that were architectural and sculptural,” the designer says. “After we got a sense of what they loved, there was a lot of trust and they really let us run with it. We knew this project was going to be a fun one.”
The living room’s soaring ceilings posed a challenge. Curtis responded by creating a large plaster arch on the wall that gives the illusion of a niche. She also added an architectural chandelier that helps bring the ceiling down to human scale.
The designer delineated a seating area within the large room with an area rug, creating a more intimate feel. Then she designed a round wood coffee table to anchor the space.
The designer delineated a seating area within the large room with an area rug, creating a more intimate feel. Then she designed a round wood coffee table to anchor the space.
Keeping in mind the couple’s two toddlers and the baby they were expecting, Curtis chose furniture that could not only stand up to little ones but also be fun. She custom-designed the sofa. “The dark sofa is so forgiving, and the white chairs are stain-resistant,” she says. “And I could see little kids bouncing from chair to chair or hanging upside-down from them.” The armless chairs add more curves to the space and have the type of sculptural shapes the homeowners love. “But the first priority always was to make sure that everything was comfortable,” Curtis says.
She brought in pattern through accent pillows and the footstools. “Bringing in the Southwestern pattern on the footstools added a touch of warm eclectic flair,” she says.
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She brought in pattern through accent pillows and the footstools. “Bringing in the Southwestern pattern on the footstools added a touch of warm eclectic flair,” she says.
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The living room doors open to this covered patio space. Curtis organized it into two zones: dining and lounging. She defined each with its own outdoor rug. She placed the dining table off the living room and the lounge area next to the outdoor fireplace.
Browse outdoor lounge furniture in the Houzz Shop
Browse outdoor lounge furniture in the Houzz Shop
Curtis sourced plush chaise lounges for the pool. She also worked with her clients’ landscape designer to find large planters that matched the style of the house.
Sculptural furniture meets simple geometry in the dining room, with curvy chairs and large geometric shapes on the rug. Curtis placed two rust-colored chairs at the ends of the table. They stand up to its hefty legs and dark finish, and they inject some earthy color into the room.
Overhead she hung an architectural chandelier with a mobile-like design. The brushed brass finish adds warmth to the space. A large-scale mirror reflects light and adds another arch to the home.
Overhead she hung an architectural chandelier with a mobile-like design. The brushed brass finish adds warmth to the space. A large-scale mirror reflects light and adds another arch to the home.
The kitchen was in great shape and her clients liked it. “There is no need to rip apart a perfectly good kitchen when your clients are fine with it,” Curtis says. She did intervene with a new range hood. “The existing one was stainless steel and it just didn’t look good in here,” she says. She designed a new plaster hood.
She also brought in new counter stools, pendant lights and accessories. The playful wood stools are great for kids, and aesthetically they add more arch shapes and earthy rust tones.
She also brought in new counter stools, pendant lights and accessories. The playful wood stools are great for kids, and aesthetically they add more arch shapes and earthy rust tones.
The couple share an office off the entry. “This was everyone on our team’s favorite space to design and to be in,” Curtis says. “It’s much more bold and eclectic than the calm and neutral spaces in the rest of the house.”
Bordered by walls of glass on two sides, the room is bathed in natural light, so the designer knew dark walls and a dark ceiling wouldn’t turn it into a dungeon. The paint color is a dark blue-green. Another architectural chandelier adds a touch of warm brass.
Bordered by walls of glass on two sides, the room is bathed in natural light, so the designer knew dark walls and a dark ceiling wouldn’t turn it into a dungeon. The paint color is a dark blue-green. Another architectural chandelier adds a touch of warm brass.
“The love seat is the perfect camel color against that wall,” Curtis says of the sculptural piece. She designed a plaster coffee table to go with it. Then she composed an eclectic wall of artwork, framed textiles, a round metal sconce and a stone shelf. Cactuses in funky planters add more personality to the space.
Curtis knew the master bedroom would be dominated by an enormous bed. “My client was super specific about wanting a custom 10-by-10-foot mattress custom-made,” she says. This is because the couple wanted plenty of room for their little ones to come jump in with them and hang out comfortably on lazy weekend mornings. Curtis had the bedding custom-made.
To match the scale of the bed, she designed a 17-foot-wide curved headboard and upholstered it in wool bouclé. “It’s like an extension of the wall,” she says. “There is huge, dramatic scale in here so we kept it simple and not overdone.”
To match the scale of the bed, she designed a 17-foot-wide curved headboard and upholstered it in wool bouclé. “It’s like an extension of the wall,” she says. “There is huge, dramatic scale in here so we kept it simple and not overdone.”
In the children’s playroom, Curtis took “architectural” more literally and playfully — she designed a house-shaped study nook. “It’s a great spot for crafting, coloring and homework,” she says. She scooped up the vintage chairs at a flea market and knew they’d be perfect for this project. “I love that they add real character in here,” she says.
Around the window, she had the walls built out to accommodate recessed bookshelves. Then she built a low window seat that’s just the right height for kids. Each side of the nook has a reading sconce, and there’s enough room for two kids to nestle in at the same time. She defined this cozy area by wrapping it in a graphic wallpaper. A trio of woven pendants adds a natural element overhead.
Warm wood built-ins provide plenty of space for toys, blankets, books and media equipment.
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Curtis set one of the boys’ beds up on a bright blue platform with integrated storage. She layered two rugs on the floor to create a soft play space. And what little boy wouldn’t like a neon shark as a nightlight?
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of five
Location: Dallas
Size: Five bedrooms, 6½ bathrooms
Interior designer: Urbanology Designs
The front entry foreshadows what’s to come in the rest of the house: warm natural textures, geometric play and soft curves.
The moment Curtis saw this asymmetrical whitewashed wood table, she knew it fit her clients well. She centered an arched mirror over it, then played off the table’s charmingly off-kilter design by hanging the light fixture to one side. The soft area rug has a raised geometric pattern. And a grasscloth wallcovering adds texture and an organic feel to the space.
Table: Noir; pendant: Horne; rug: Loloi
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