Mid Lane, Afton Oaks, Houston, Texas

A house on Mid Lane in the Houston neighborhood of Afton Oaks looks unprepossessing when viewed from the street, but once past the outer wall, it's another story altogether.

A door in a wall that encircles the house opens to a covered stone walkway, which passes through a courtyard, leading to a glass front door that opens to a foyer. The foyer is lit by natural light from the glass door as well as recessed lighting installed in the ceiling and soffit. The walls of the foyer are covered with light gray, textured wallpaper. The ceiling and soffit are white, and the floor has white stone tiles. This first impression of the house is that an interior designer has enhanced the space.

A door off the foyer opens to a half-bathroom. This striking room features half walls of glossy charcoal gray marble with white veining. The upper half of the walls are painted white. The flooring is smaller charcoal gray marble tile with white veining. The vanity is charcoal gray granite with black flecking and holds an ornately embellished black, bowl-shaped vessel sink. The ceiling is painted charcoal gray and has recess lights installed in it. An interior designer might add a small potted plant for a pop of color and some modern art prints on the walls, but this room needs very little enhancement.

The living room and dining room share an open floorplan and a cathedral ceiling. The ceiling is wood plank in rich, warm tones with exposed beams and trusses. Two identical, elegant, multi-tiered, gold crystal waterfall chandeliers are suspended from the ceiling, one in the living area and one in the dining area. Small spotlights are mounted on the ceiling at regular intervals for the length of the room. The walls are white, and the floor is covered with warm, tan stone tiles. One living room wall has a fireplace surrounded by white marble from floor to ceiling. Across from the fireplace, floor-to-ceiling windows and a glass door form a corner overlooking a covered patio and the backyard swimming pool. The combination of the rustic ceiling and the elegant chandeliers allows for many possible interior design styles to be adapted to this space.

The dining room is filled with light from floor to ceiling windows and a glass door overlooking the backyard swimming pool, as well as a glass block wall that allows light to enter the room while allowing for privacy. Across from the glass door to the backyard, a wet bar is separated from the dining room by a pass-through window forming a counter with a white marble countertop and room for two bar stools.

The wet bar is accessed through a cased doorway from the foyer hallway. The counter is L-shaped and has a small stainless steel undermount sink under a wrought iron and glass shelving unit lit from above by recessed lights. Cabinets hold cupboards and drawers for storage, an ice maker, and a beverage refrigerator.

Behind the living area, a wide doorway with pocket doors leads to a home office covered with gray textured wallpaper, white baseboards, and white trim. The ceiling is white with recessed lights installed. The flooring is the same glossy tan stone tile as the living room and dining room. On one end of the room, a soffit lowers the ceiling. The soffit is covered with textured gray wallpaper and holds a row of recessed lights. The long wall across from the living room entrance has floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding glass doors that provide a view and access to a side yard courtyard containing a striking water feature. The neutral color palette, natural light, and connection to the outdoors make this room compatible with many interior design styles. The other end of the office has a wide cased doorway that leads to the family room.

The family room has white walls with white baseboards, white crown molding, and white trim around the doorways. The ceiling is white with recessed lights installed. The flooring is tan stone tile. The focal point of the room is the fireplace. It is surrounded from floor to ceiling by white stone tiles with gray and brown striations. The tiles are set in a basket weave pattern, adding texture and depth to the surrounding. There is no mantel, but ample space above the fireplace for a large screen television to be mounted. On either side of the fireplace are bookcases that extend to the corners of the wall. One side of each bookcase is covered with a reed panel, a natural element that is used in some interior design styles to hide Wi-Fi, audio and gaming equipment. The wall to the left of the fireplace has a floor to ceiling glass sliding door providing access to the water feature in the side yard. The wall to the right of the fireplace has floor to ceiling glass doors providing access to a private courtyard in the other side yard.

The family room flows naturally to the kitchen. The kitchen has white walls with mixed metal and glass mosaic tile backsplash that adds texture and depth to the walls. The mosaic tiles are in various shades of gray and white placed in a random pattern. The kitchen flooring is tan natural stone tile. The ceiling is a white tray ceiling with a mix of lighting sources including recessed lighting, flat LED panel lights, and a suspended pendant light with a frosted glass shade and chrome metallic accents. Cabinetry is light gray with chrome handles, soft closing cupboards and drawers, and under cabinet lighting. Countertops are white granite with dark gray veining. The main kitchen sink is a single basin stainless steel undermount sink with a chrome, high arc faucet with drop down spray attachment and a separate filter faucet for drinking water. A work island in the kitchen has a prep sink that is a double basin, 80/20 split, stainless steel undermount sink with a chrome, high arc faucet with drop down spray attachment. The island has soft closing drawers and cupboards painted light gray, with chrome handles. The countertop is white granite with dark gray veining. Kitchen appliances are stainless steel and consist of a refrigerator, two stacked gas ovens with a warming drawer below them, a six-burner gas cooktop with griddle, a dishwasher, a beverage fridge, and a microwave oven. A built-in desk has a granite countertop that gives it functional flexibility. The natural materials and neutral palette make the kitchen compatible with both elegant and rustic interior design styles.

Near the kitchen, a combination butler pantry and laundry room has beautiful glass and metal mosaic tile walls in shades of gray, a white ceiling, and a gray stone tile floor with white grouting. A full-sized washer and dryer set can fit under one end of the “L” shaped quartz countertop which provides a surface for folding clothes. White cupboards above the washer and dryer provide storage for laundry supplies. The other end of the countertop holds a small, rectangular, undermount sink with white cupboards, a dishwasher, and a beverage fridge underneath. Stacked ovens are installed in the wall next to the counter.

The primary suite is located on the first floor of the house. The master bedroom features dark hard wood flooring, white walls with white baseboards, and a white ceiling with recessed lighting installed in it. An accent wall is covered with wallpaper in a repeated, interlocking geometric motif somewhat reminiscent of a lattice design. One wall consists of large windows and a glass door that opens to a seating area on the pool deck in the backyard. A contemporary gold, 3-D ring chandelier is suspended over the center of the room. It holds ten electric candles covered by frosted glass shades set into half of the twenty small rings encircling the chandelier. This bedroom is spacious enough to accommodate a king-sized bed with nightstands, and a seating area. An interior designer may emphasize the connection between indoors and outdoors in this room.

The ensuite bathroom is reached through a wide, cased doorway from the bedroom. This elegant room features marble tile flooring laid in a herringbone pattern, a white ceiling with recessed lighting installed, and a combination of mirrored and white marble walls. The floating vanity, with multiple drawers and cupboards, is white and stretches from wall to wall. The countertop is white marble with gray veining. Twin rectangular, undermount sinks with contemporary, high arc, stainless steel faucet assemblies are installed at the ends of the vanity. The wall behind the vanity consists of one large mirror.

A walk-in shower is lined with white marble walls, clear glass, hinged doors, and gray and white mosaic tile ceiling and floor. Multiple bronze shower heads are installed, including a contemporary, round rain head set into the ceiling. Recessed lights are mounted along the edges of the shower ceiling. Near the shower, an alcove holds a built-in, rectangular, deep soak bathtub. The walls and bathtub surround are white marble with gray veining. The ceiling above the tub is gray and white mosaic tiles in a random pattern. Recessed lighting is installed in the ceiling. A bronze, handheld shower head, bronze handles, and bronze towel hooks provide continuity with the shower enclosure and add warmth to the bathroom. This room can be adapted to many interior design styles with the addition of textiles – towels, rugs and baskets – and plants.

Large walk-in closets may be accessed from the bathroom and contain built-in drawers, shelves and cubbies, hanging rods, mirrors, and recessed lighting.

A spiral staircase with dark hardwood treads, antique bronze metal handrails, and antique bronze metal balusters embellished with geometric shapes, leads to the second floor of the house. The staircase is enclosed by light gray textured walls. A contemporary glam, gold, X-shaped chandelier is suspended over the center of the staircase.

Two secondary bedrooms, each with an ensuite bathroom, are located on the second floor of the house. Secondary bedroom #1 has light gray walls with white baseboards, a white ceiling, and dark-stained hardwood flooring. Ambient light is provided by a vintage, bowl shaped, glass light fixture in the center of the ceiling, and accent lighting is provided by recessed lights around the edges of the ceiling. Natural light enters the room through a large horizontal window with plantation shutters on one wall. The ensuite bathroom has light colored stone tile flooring and baseboards, light gray walls, and a white ceiling. The vanity is a black open frame design with a quartz countertop. There are two rectangular undermount sinks. The accent wall behind the vanity is natural stone tile in light tan tones. Above each sink, a large, black framed mirror in the shape of a Moorish arch is mounted. Lighting is recessed.

Secondary bedroom #2 has light gray walls with white baseboards, a white ceiling, and the flooring is dark stained hardwood. Artificial lighting is provided by a vintage-look, flush mount light fixture over the center of the room, and recessed lighting around the perimeter. Natural light enters the room through a horizontal jalousie window on one wall. The ensuite bathroom has white stone tile flooring, pale gray walls, and a white ceiling. The vanity is a modern, light gray wood with soft close cupboards and drawers, brushed nickel hardware, and a quartz countertop with rectangular shaped undermount sink and brushed nickel faucet and handles. A large mirror is mounted horizontally above vanity. A light bar is installed horizontally above the mirror. Built-in cupboards across from the vanity are painted a medium shade of gray. This bathroom features a walk-in shower with stone tile walls and a clear glass enclosure. A clerestory window with plantation shutters is located high on the wall above the shower.

Both secondary bedrooms and ensuite bathrooms can be easily adapted to a variety of interior design styles.

This house in Houston’s Afton Oaks neighborhood with its textured walls, natural materials, connections to the outdoors, abundant natural light, and high-end lighting make it both an interior designer’s dream assignment, and a homeowner’s dream home.