House at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of five with two dogs
Location: Houston
Size: Six bedrooms, eight bathrooms
Designers: Lynn Holender Designs (interior design) and Sullivan, Henry, Oggero and Associates (architecture)
Builder: Unika Homes

To understand the homeowners’ style and Holender’s approach, it’s best to start in the parlor. “They both love the work of artist Donald Robertson. This painting that they already owned needed a place of importance,” she says. The wife’s favorite color is blue and the husband’s is green. Holender gave each of them spaces that highlighted these hues.

“My client didn’t like the idea of a formal living room. She preferred the idea of a parlor,” Holender says. She liked that the word had its origins in the French word parler, which means “to speak.”

“This room encourages people to converse, make music and make connections without screens,” the designer says.

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