Briargrove, Houston, TX

Ella Lee Lane, Briargrove - Houston Texas

A house in the Houston suburb of Briargrove has been designed with attention to detail in every room. The house, on Ella Lee Lane, features light-filled rooms and top tier fixtures.

The front door is offset from the center of the facade, making the entrance on the left end of the house. A small foyer with hardwood flooring, eggshell-colored walls, and a white ceiling is flooded with light from the four panes of clear glass on the door, the clear glass sidelights, and the clear glass window.

There is only one direction out of the foyer, to the right, which leads to the dining room. The dining room is part of a large, open concept area which also includes the living room, kitchen, and breakfast room. The dining room has hardwood flooring, white walls with white baseboards, and a white, cathedral ceiling with white painted exposed beams. Ambient lighting is provided by a twelve-light ring chandelier suspended from the ceiling. Task lighting is provided by recessed lights. A soffit over the outside wall forms an alcove containing three large, mullioned windows covered with plantation shutters. A fixed, arched window with muntin’s is located over the center window. Opposite the wall of windows, a double-sided, gas log fireplace is the focal point of the room. The white brick fireplace stands in the center of the floor, and the brick surround rises to the ceiling. A black wood mantel is affixed to the brick surround, and two stainless steel sconces are mounted above the mantel. The flush hearth is white marble. The elements of this room are equally compatible with rustic and elegant interior design styles.

The opposite side of the fireplace faces into the living room. This is a spacious room with hard wood flooring, white walls with white baseboards, and a continuation of the white cathedral ceiling with white painted exposed beams. Lighting is recessed, with lights installed on the length and width of the room. A modern, four-blade, brushed aluminum ball ceiling fan is suspended over the room. hearthss log fireplace, its white brick surround, and white marble flush hearth are the same as in the dining room. Two sconces with clear glass shades are mounted on the brick surround above the black wood mantel. A big-screen television set can be mounted on the fireplace surrounding. Natural light pours into the living room from the many large windows in adjoining rooms. Both rustic and formal interior design styles are compatible with the neutral palette, natural materials, and classic design elements in this room.

There are two rooms enclosed by double French doors on one side of the living room. The first room has hardwood flooring, white walls with white baseboards, and a white ceiling with white crown molding. Recessed lights are set into the ceiling. Built-in cupboards that take up one wall, support shelving built above them. Two floor-to-ceiling windows on a wall next to the shelving flank two large French doors that lead to a covered patio on the side of the house.  With the help of an interior designer, this flexible space can be converted into a family room, game room, office, library, formal living room, or whatever best suits the needs of the owner.

The second room is nearly identical to the first, with a few exceptions: it's smaller, it does not have windows flanking the French doors leading to the covered patio, and the wall of built in shelves and cupboards has a seating space with a desktop in the center. A door opposite the built-in desk opens to the primary suite. An interior designer might take advantage of the built-in desk to make this room a home office, study, or homework space.

The opposite side of the living room flows seamlessly to the kitchen through a wide cased doorway. The kitchen has cream-colored stone tile flooring, white walls with white baseboards, and a white ceiling. Recessed lighting is installed at regular intervals along the length of the kitchen ceiling. The cabinetry is white with white marble countertops. Lower cabinets are comprised of several sections of drawers interspersed with an occasional cupboard. Handles and drawer knobs are brushed with stainless steel. The upper cabinets are a combination of traditional Shaker style cupboards, glass front cupboards with lighting installed, and hutch style cupboards affixed to the counters. The hutch style cupboards consist of a base cabinet with four drawers, and an upper cabinet with glass panel doors. Hardware is bronze, with distinctive vertical pull handles. All built-in cabinets are white and have under-cabinet lighting. There is a white tile backsplash between upper and lower cabinets. A pale gray island in the center of the kitchen provides storage space with drawers and cupboards. It has a white marble countertop and abuts a dual fuel range. The range features a five-burner gas cooktop and two electric convection ovens with French side swing, enamel steel doors. A wood-framed exhaust hood is installed above the range. On the other side of the range, a small cabinet with a white marble countertop holds a stainless-steel microwave drawer. A wood butcher block stands at the end of the island. A white, single basin, farmhouse style apron sink with a gantry style, swing arm faucet is installed beneath a window that overlooks the side yard.  Aside from the range, appliances are stainless steel and include a refrigerator, a professional speed oven, a beverage refrigerator, and others. An interior designer may incorporate layered textiles, artwork, and potted herbs or other plants to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

The breakfast room is accessed through wide, cased doorways from both the kitchen and the dining room. It's a square room with cream-colored stone tile flooring, white walls with white baseboards, and a white slanted ceiling. A six-light, clear glass, globe pendant light is suspended over the center of the room, and recessed lighting is installed in the ceiling. Natural light floods the room from a large, front facing, mullioned window covered with plantation shutters, a fixed, arched window with muntin’s above the window, and a very large, mullioned window with plantation shutters on the adjoining wall. With its neutral color palette, abundant natural light, and classic elements, this room is compatible with many interior design styles.

On the opposite end of the kitchen, a white door hides the walk-in pantry. Another white door opens to a half-bathroom with walls covered by Birds on the Town wallpaper, a pattern that features small, stylized birds in blue and white. The ceiling is white with white crown molding. The toilet is in a corner of the room, beneath an octagonal window. The vanity is small and black with stylized chrome handles on the cupboard doors. The thick quartz countertop has a rectangular vanity sink in the center of it. The faucet is a shiny, stainless-steel gooseneck with stainless steel handles. A silver framed mirror is hung above the vanity, and two white, lotus shaped sconces are mounted on the mirror.

A third doorway next to the bathroom leads to a wet bar. The walls are covered by marble tiles with a diamond pattern that gives a 3-D effect. A pass-through window to the living room is above a white cabinet with cupboards and drawers, a white marble countertop, and an undermount, textured metal sink with a stainless steel, high arc faucet. The backsplash and window ledge are white marble. Two pendant lights with fluted, clear glass shades hang over the cabinet. A white, glass front cupboard with glass shelves and under cabinet lighting is mounted on the wall to the right of the marble-topped cabinet.

The bedrooms are located at the back of the house. The three secondary bedrooms are reached via a hallway from the living room. The hallway has two shorter hallways branching off to the right. Two of the secondary bedrooms are located off these two short hallways. The third bedroom is located at the end of the main hallway.

The first branching hallway has two doors on the right; the first door hides a closet, and the second door opens to a bathroom. The bathroom has white marble, fish scale tile flooring with white baseboards, and walls covered in wallpaper with a pattern of large camellias in white and pale pink, with white crown molding. The vanity is painted with a blush shade and has colorful rainbow ball knobs on the cupboard doors. The countertop is white marble with a rectangular, undermount sink and stainless-steel faucet and handles. A brown-framed, rectangular mirror is hung horizontally above the vanity. A bow-shaped sconce with a square white linen shade is mounted on the mirror. The bathtub/shower combination features white and gray marble tile in a daisy pattern on the long wall, framed by white penny mosaic tile which also covers the short front and rear walls. A soap and shampoo niche in the rear wall is covered with daisy patterned tile. Recessed lights are installed above the bathtub. An interior designer may add layers of textiles, such as towels, a rug and a shower curtain, in white and soft pastel shades, as well as a small potted plant or vase of fresh flowers placed on the countertop.

Exiting the bathroom and turning right leads to secondary bedroom #1. The flooring in this bedroom is hardwood, and the ceiling is white with white crown molding. The walls are covered in floral wallpaper featuring soft green vertical vines with leaves, adding the suggestion of stripes, with flowers in soft pink and gray tones on a white background. The baseboards are white. In addition to recessed lighting, a French style candelabra chandelier is suspended over the center of the room. The bronze, six-arm chandelier has ornate, beaded scrolling with leaf motifs that mimic the vines and leaves in the wallpaper design. Crystals hang from the babiches and parts of the scrolling. A large window with plantation shutters overlooks the side yard and allows Houston's brilliant sunshine to fill the room with natural light. An interior designer may choose to emphasize the French Provencal aesthetic in the room with one of the French, country, cottage, or farmhouse design styles.

The second hallway that branches off the main hallway has a door on the right that opens to a bathroom. The white tile flooring is laid out in a 3-D cube pattern. The walls are a combination of light gray painted drywall and white subway tile. The ceiling is white with white crown molding. The vanity is black with faceted glass knobs on the cupboard doors, a white marble countertop and backsplash, a rectangular undermount sink, and a stainless-steel faucet and handles. A white-framed, rectangular mirror hangs horizontally over the vanity, and a three light vanity light with frosted glass shades is mounted above the mirror. The bathtub/shower combination is surrounded by subway tile walls with a decorative motif of mosaic tiles in shades of gray running horizontally across the middle of the walls. Recessed lights are installed in the ceiling above the bathtub. An interior designer may suggest a painting or framed print on the wall and a potted plant on the vanity to add a bit of color and warmth to the room.

The next door down the hall opens to secondary bedroom #2, which has white walls with white baseboards, hardwood flooring, and a white ceiling with white crown molding. In addition to the recessed lighting installed in the ceiling, a semi-flush mount light fixture is located over the center of the room. It is comprised of frosted glass flowers with gold centers attached to gold rings to form a bowl-shaped shade. An interior designer may choose a design style that enhances the warmth and beauty of the light fixture.

The third secondary bedroom has a hardwood floor, three white walls, and one black accent wall. All walls have white baseboards. The ceiling is white with white crown molding. There are recessed lights installed in the ceiling, and a gold, nine-light, Sputnik starburst design chandelier suspended over the center of the room. Two windows with plantation shutters about each other in a corner of the room.

The laundry room is located next to secondary bedroom #3. The laundry room floor is tiled in white tiles with a leaf motif in two shades of blue, with pale gray detailing. The walls are white with white baseboards, and the ceiling is white with white crown molding. The lighting is recessed. White cupboards with small gold knobs are installed high on a wall, with room beneath them for a full-size washing machine and dryer, and a built-in bench with coat hooks above it. Two tall, stacked cupboards on the opposite wall have white and gold handles. A small, mullioned window above the bench allows natural light into the room. Opposite the entrance to the laundry room, a white door provides access to the garage.

The main entrance to the primary room is through the smaller flex room off the living room. The master bedroom has hardwood flooring, and white walls with white baseboards. The vaulted ceiling is white with exposed beams that are painted white. An industrial style ceiling fan with a galvanized finish is suspended from the center beam. Next to the entry door of the bedroom is a set of double French doors that open to a brick patio which runs from the front porch, around the side of the house, and joins with the back patio and swimming pool deck. The patio is accessible from multiple rooms in the house. Directly opposite the French doors, another set of French doors open directly to the back patio and swimming pool. This room's classic elements, natural light, and connection to the outdoors make it compatible with many interior design styles.

The ensuite bathroom has white marble tile flooring framing sections of marble basketweave mosaic tile. The bathtub is a freestanding clawfoot tub with a floor mounted bathtub filler placed under a large window with plantation shutters. A glass starburst pendant light is suspended over the bathtub. The double console vanity has four chrome legs, a white marble countertop with two oval undermounts sinks, and chrome gooseneck faucets with cross handles. Two chrome-framed, inset medicine cabinets with mirrored doors are installed above the sinks. Modern brushed nickel sconces with frosted opal glass shades are mounted, one to the left of the mirrors, one between the mirrors, and one to the right of the mirrors.  A walk-in shower is in the corner across from the bathtub. The shower has white marble walls and ceiling, white penny tile floor, and a stainless-steel showerhead and handles. The enclosure is clear glass with a stainless-steel handle on the glass door. There are four doors in the bathroom; one is the entrance door from the bedroom; one opens to a private powder room; and two open to walk-in closets with white marble flooring, built-in shelving, and hanger rods mounted at varying heights.  An interior designer might choose to embrace the industrial elements of the room evident in the console vanity, the elegance evidenced by the marble flooring and the glass starburst pendant light, or a combination of the two.

This house on Ella Lee Lane in the Houston suburb of Briargrove is filled with sunshine, elegant details, and easy access to relaxing outdoor spaces.

The neighborhood of Briargrove is located near Uptown Houston. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population is 4,448 residents. Developed in the 1950s-60s, it was a neighborhood of one-story ranch style homes until the mid to late 1980s when deed restrictions were revised to allow one-and-a-half and two-story homes.

Houston Independent School District serves the Briargrove neighborhood. Public school students are zoned to Briargrove Elementary School, Tanglewood Middle School, and Margaret Long Wisdom High School. High School students also have the option to attend Lamar High School or Westside High School.

Private Schools in the area includes St. Michael School, a Roman Catholic School for grades K-8, operated by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Al-Hadi School for grades K-12 is an Islamic School in the area. Awty International School for grades K-12 is an International Baccalaureate school located in nearby Spring Branch and is known for its French curriculum that is accredited by the French government.

The Jungman Branch of the Houston Public Library serves Briargrove. Named for Houston businessman Frank Jungman, the library is located at 5830 Westheimer Rd.

Briargrove residents utilize Tanglewood Park where they enjoy the playground, tennis courts, walking trails and baseball field.  It’s known for its peaceful ambience. Briargrove Park, a subdivision within the Briargrove neighborhood, offers tennis courts, a swimming pool and a playground. Grady Park features tennis courts and a First Amendment Expression Area.

Houston Fire Department Station 2 covers the Briargrove area from its station house at 5880 Woodway. Houston Police Department District 18 patrols the Briargrove neighborhood.