Fort Bend Lifestyles & Homes magazine ? Form, Function, Comfort ...

Houston?s sixth Pink Ribbon House?, a designer showcase home built to ?raise the roof? for breast cancer research at The Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), did just that. Established in 2003 by the Breast Center Advisory Council at BCM, the Pink Ribbon House? (PRH) project raises funds and awareness for breast cancer research and patient care at BCM through the design, decorating and touring of showcase homes. Since its founding, more than $2.8 million has been raised for breast cancer research at BCM.

Chair of this year?s event, Debby Leighton, and co-chair Mary Sapp Fischer share, ?The story surrounding this year?s house is a combination of perfect timing, personal connections, and family connections.? In previous years, the PRH was built as a spec home, but this year, for the first time, it was built as a custom home designed by Brad Hollenbeck for a young family with three small children.

Homeowners Jeff and Amy Miers couldn?t have been happier. ?We?re thrilled to be building the home of our dreams while also supporting a cause that makes a meaningful and lasting difference in the lives of so many women and their families,? says Amy. Jeff adds, ?This land has special meaning for our family. Several years ago, we purchased the Memorial area house that my grandparents built and lived in since 1960. We hope to live here at least as long as my grandparents, which was more than 50 years.?

The couple salvaged several features from the previous home, including wood from a tree Jeff?s grandparents planted when they bought the house in 1959. The homeowners also repurposed hardwood floors for the office, and 1950?s pink tile and hardware for one of the bedroom suites. The entire structure of the original house ? including slab, appliances, light fixtures and more ? was donated to Habitat for Humanity, which will either recycle the material or use it in the construction of a new home for a family in need.

Jeff and Amy worked closely with an outstanding team of interior designers to create a home for their growing family now and in the years to come. However, they also recognized that this was a showcase home and compromised in many ways to make sure the finished product would represent the creativity and talents of the design teams.

Designed by Hollenbeck Architects, the 2012 Pink Ribbon House? was constructed by Levitt Partnership, Ltd. in a French Country style. The 5,000-square-foot residence features a stone and stucco exterior with shutters, five bedrooms, five-and-a-half bathrooms, two studies and three fireplaces, as well as a summer kitchen, playroom, three-car garage, game room, and dining room that opens up to a courtyard with a water feature. An impressive list of Houston designers helped to decorate the home and yard, and each took an area as their focus incorporating not only their own unique design touches, but also making sure to keep the entire home?s aesthetic as a dominant influence.

The outdoor space is extraordinary, lending undeniable curb appeal. Strong Landscaping has designed Houston yards since 2004 and their experience is not lost here. The outdoor setting of the PRH is a beautiful corner lot surrounded by magnificent oak trees. Strong explains, ?We wanted to give the yard its own personality by feeding off the home?s French Country flair, so we created a simple tiered design featuring Encore azaleas, miniature boxwood and mini-mondo grass with strategically placed flagstone walkways and landings that are not only functional, but provide interest to the yard.? The courtyard off the formal dining room ? accented with a decorative iron arch and gate as well as a beautiful water urn ? can be enjoyed not only by those sitting in this peaceful area, but also by those in the dining area. The back patio, landing area and side garden are accented with large French Anduze pots planted with ferns and fruit trees.

The home?s exterior design also is extraordinary. Valerie Cook of Valerie Cook Designs, Inc. discloses, ?The early inspiration for the architectural design for this house was the client?s desire to have courtyards off both the living room and quarters and a large front porch. Through the building process an additional courtyard was added off the dining room. Having the house located on a corner lot is another special feature.? She also says that the ?hideaway? staircase and the placement of the windows reflect a gentle playfulness by the architect ? while still maintaining a formality. The French Country style of the house, the paint colors, and the exterior and courtyard stone selections were made to be consistent with this feeling. Valerie adds, ?My design of the custom shutters and door hardware selections throughout the house continue the formal, rich and inviting look that the clients desired. Working in conjunction with the home?s architect, Brad Hollenbeck, enabled me to retain his vision.?

Trisha Dodson of Dodson & Daughter designed the main entry, dining room and powder room. This is the third Pink Ribbon house Trisha has helped to design. She describes the style as comfortable and inviting, yet sophisticated, and she likes to incorporate architectural antiques when the look allows. She explains, ?I wanted to create an inviting entry that would flow into the surrounding rooms. In the dining room the lighting and furniture give a look that is elegant without formality. I used handcrafted wallpaper in the powder room to add the desired pizzazz to the small space.?

Julia Blailock of Blailock Design was responsible for the kitchen, breakfast and family room, along with the outdoor loggia. ?Our goal was to create a flowing open concept space that, while sharing distinct separate functions, would seamlessly flow together in a unified whole.? Interest was created by having different planes in the cabinetry, further accentuated with different finishes and countertop selections. The focus of the family room is the stone fireplace and media cabinet, beautifully finished by Segreto Finishes. The tall ceilings with stained beams add loftiness to the room, and the straight paneled drapery compliments this feeling.

The mudroom and first floor study were designed by the daughter-in-law and mother-in-law team of Molly Sullivan Levitt and Mollie Oshman of Molly Mollie Interior Design. Their concept statement was, ?Even though our two rooms are exceptionally practical spaces, we wanted our design to be anything but.? Though an ?elegant mudroom? may sound like an oxymoron, that?s exactly what they achieved. The pair also made sure that everything they selected for their two adjoining spaces was in keeping with the home?s architectural style. Mollie Oshman shares, ?From the French-inspired cabinet door designs and antique fabric under glass in the study to the faux finishing and scripted names beneath the family?s bank of ?elegant lockers? in the mudroom, these rooms are an inviting and welcoming transition to the main areas of the home.? Sadly, Molly Levitt passed away unexpectedly in March just before the home opened. Mollie Oshman continues to run their business in Molly?s spirit, honor and dedication.

In addition to the home?s exterior, the playroom and the quarters (bed/bath) were designed by Valerie Cook. In the playroom, which is usually intended for children, Valerie admits she didn?t want this multipurpose space to be age-specific, but rather in keeping with the overall feel of the home: ?I designed it to be fun for the children now and fun for them in later years.? A custom built-in bookcase design was based on the clients? request for a piece that encompasses specific needs while still having something that was a bit out of the ?norm.? Valerie accomplished this by adding metal grid fronts on the cabinet doors and the cabinet finish. Whimsical pops of color, together with her concept for the crown molding and wall faux finish ? inspired by an Escheresque origami art installation ? add to a room that a child or adult would be comfortable in.

For the design in the quarters area of the home, Valerie wanted to create coziness, but with a little bit of ?glam? and the overall feel of a studio apartment. To accomplish this she used silver fabrics for the upholstery and window treatments, as well as stylish, glitzy light fixtures. She clarifies, ?The plaster faux-finished walls, bedding and chair style are a perfect mix of old and new that the clients wanted, and the tile and countertop selections for the bathroom and?kitchenette maintain the design and sophistication of these two spaces.?

Bennett Design Group (BDG), founded by Belinda Bennett, took to task the upstairs family room. Belinda recounts that in preparation for the new house, the owners heartbreakingly cut down one of the original trees ? one that was very meaningful to the family. She says, ?They loved watching squirrels run up and down the large branches of the beautiful tree.? The design team salvaged the large trunk and branches to create a ceiling covered in spliced branches making an interesting texture. Keeping this memory close at hand by recycling it brings new life to their family space. BDG constructed a palette of naturally-inspired elements around the tree of life which served as the central theme of this room?s design.

Julie Dodson, also of Dodson & Daughter, was in charge of designing the master bedroom and bath, along with the mid-level study of the home. This young, hip designer ? who describes her work as ?casual glam?? says, ?Upon my first meeting with homeowner Amy Miers, I paid super close attention to her wardrobe. She was wearing a soft, blushy-peach pleated skirt and a cream-colored top with pearls. Very feminine, which was right up my alley!? Julie was also inspired by wallpaper they found at David Sutherland from Fromental, which she says gave her direction. Because she also wanted the space to reflect a masculine energy for Jeff, she chose a dark wall and ceiling color. Additionally, both masculine and feminine textures were used for balance and interest.

The three children?s rooms and the utility room were completed by Christine Ho of Cho Interiors. She describes her style as classic, timeless, and modern. This style is evident in these rooms, yet each room is also uniquely fun and reflective of each child?s personality and taste. She explains, ?I wanted to give the homeowners a timeless design so that they wouldn?t have to redesign their kids? rooms in a couple of years as the children grow older.? Instead, she selected a classic background and used accessories to create the theme of the room. From the eldest sibling, who is more punk rock-like, to the second child, who is more of a ballerina at heart, to the youngest boy, who likes toy cars and hot air balloons, each room is very different reflecting each child?s emerging personality.

As for the utility room, Christine says, ?I designed the utility room by focusing on the function of this room first. This utilitarian space often gets ignored, yet oddly enough this room is used quite often. I wanted to make sure that the space simplifies household chores while flowing with the rest of the house design.?

The finishes throughout the home are by Leslie Sinclair of Segreto Finishes. Leslie?s philosophy in this home and in all of her designs rests upon the idea that ?upon entering a room, your eyes should not draw a distinction to one element or finish but you should see the surroundings as a whole.? The palette she developed for this project complemented the home?s architecture and overall design. A combination of the cabinet, floor and wall finishes beautifully connect the furnishings, fabrics and surfaces throughout the home, even though each space is decorated by a different designer.

Other unique architectural details of this home are: front and back porches with arched beams, a two-story entry with an antique-beam pinwheel ceiling treatment, and the study connecting the home?s curved staircase and master bedroom.

This year, the Pink Ribbon House? tour ended on a very high note, bringing in more than $470,000 for research and patient care at the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center at Baylor College of Medicine (bcm.edu/breastcenter). The success of the event is attributed to the camaraderie of the team of volunteers, builders, designers and the homeowners who devote countless hours to organizing the event that raises funds and awareness for a very important cause ? breast cancer. For more information, visit bcm.edu/?advance?ment/pinkribbonhouse.

(Top image caption:??The focus of the family room is the stone fireplace and the cleverly concealed TV cabinet, finished by Segreto Finishes. The tall ceilings accented by stained exposed beams lend loftiness to the space, which is enhanced by the straight panels of the drapes.)

Text by Cheryl Alexander

Photography by Jud Haggard Photography

Construction by Levitt Partnership, Ltd.

Architecture by Brad Hollenbeck, Hollenbeck and Associates

Landscape Architecture by Strong Landscaping

Interiors by Bennett Design Group, Blailock Designs,Valerie Cook Designs,

Cho Interiors, Segreto Finishes, Molly Mollie Interior Design, Dodson and Daughter

The 2012 Pink Ribbon Home is a French Country dream situated on a large corner lot and shaded by beautifully groomed oak trees.

The two-story entry with its antique-beam pinwheel ceiling treatment creates an inviting entry that flows effortlessly into the surrounding rooms.

With its warm wood ceiling, stone walls and fireplace, comfortable furniture and dramatic lighting and drapes, it?s hard to believe this outdoor room is actually outdoors!

Simplicity of design and form make a bold statement in the breakfast room. The circular window seat with its plush pillows, the glass table top with its Lucite base, the soft lines of the contemporary chairs and even the singular blue rose on the wall each lend warmth and comfort to this morning place.

In the kitchen, interest was created by having different planes in the cabinetry, accentuated with different finishes and different countertop selections. The exposed beams, the dropped lighting and the furniture afford just the right touch of drama.

A mudroom can be elegant, as is evident here. Embellished lockers, a pleated table skirt and a gilded mirror help to achieve this sophistication, which spills over into the home office just beyond.

Taking care of the home?s business just seems a little more stylish in this office. Natural light from the window and the chic globe chandelier allow ample lighting above the desk. Smart pleats, extra long drawers and lots of counter and cabinet space keep things both neat and tasteful.

In the home?s formal dining room, the lighting and furniture present a look that is sophisticated and graceful without formality. With the beautiful views from the picture windows and French doors, it?s as enjoyable and feasible to serve breakfast here as well as a formal family dinner.

In this baby boy?s room, baby blues and white are accented with pops of sage green in the drapes and brick red in the rug. The geometric lines of the light fixture add a masculine touch, while the fabric wall behind the bed and the clouds in the recessed ceiling keep things baby soft.

Pretty pink accents, girlish white lace and a glamorous chandelier provide soft femininity to this girl?s room. The diagonal pattern on the recessed ceiling, the pinboard and the drapes ties together the room?s design.

With pastel mint and blue as a backdrop, this white canopy bed bursts with brightness and youthful energy. The mirrored chest of drawers reflects the dramatic combination, while hot pink accent pillows provide just the right pop of color.

This master bedroom serves as a sanctuary for the homeowners. Soft, calming neutrals and a mixture of textures lend both masculine and feminine energy to the space.

Spa-like elegance is the theme in the master bath. The chevron tile pattern, a deep soaking tub and glamorous lighting are tranquil elements of design that go a long way when it?s time to wind down.

Source: http://fortbendlifestylesandhomes.com/pink-ribbon-house

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