Swamplot

This site is brought to you today by the new ReDesign blog from Boulevard Realty. Thanks for sponsoring Swamplot!

A home means many things to each of us. It’s a significant financial investment; an irreplaceable setting for memories of growing up; a place of retreat after a hard day’s work; and it provides us with a sense of identity that’s intrinsically tied to the community. But just as important — a home is also: color, texture, space, function, style, mood, inspiration, and structure. Design sets the backdrop for our lives, while defining the aesthetic through which we view the world around us.

With ReDesign, Boulevard Realty aims to provide its clients, prospective clients, and colleagues with access to the latest design trends and inspiration — all delivered from the perspective of a realtor, resource, and friend. “We are in the business of selling homes not for of our love of selling but for our love of homes,” the design team declares on the website’s About page.

ReDesign provides regular coverage of popular home features, as well as more specific looks at how some of these rooms, trends and approaches show up in a number of the properties Boulevard Realty has available for sale.

If you’re seeking design inspiration or a new home that speaks to you — or if you just love trawling through attractive pics of local interiors, check out ReDesign!

What’s your big project? Is it ready for a turn as Swamplot Sponsor of the Day?

Today’s sponsor of Swamplot is NoLo Studios @ Acres Homes, a new development of 14 modern residences. Thanks for the support!

NoLo Studios will provide live-work space for people seeking a creative home environment — within a unique, semi-rural neighborhood north of downtown and west of I-45. The project bills itself as a “creative community in the woods” offering privacy, community, and workspace. The developer’s stated goal is not to transform Acres Homes or to ignore its rich social history, but to plant in it a singular 3-acre retreat that by the siting of the homes and careful attention in their architecture to light, views, and personal space establishes an alternative to the confines of a traditional house.

The 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom homes at NoLo Studios all feature smooth, highly durable cement-board siding, Galvalume roofs, and tall-ceilinged studio spaces lit by clerestory windows (one of them pictured above) with their own separate entrances. Combined living-dining-kitchen spaces open onto side decks sited for privacy. There’s room for customization and expansion.

The architect and developer of the project is Francois De Menil, FAIA, perhaps best known in Houston as the designer of the Byzantine Fresco Chapel on the campus of the Menil Collection (established 30 years ago in the middle of a Montrose neighborhood by his parents). Listing agent Star Massing of Boulevard Realty, who focuses her real estate business on Houston’s art, architecture, and design communities, has been actively involved in the research and construction process. (Her husband, artist Jack Massing — with longtime partner Michael Galbreth — holds court at the Art Guys World Headquarters less than a mile away.) Southern Green Builders is constructing the project.

To learn more about the 14 residences at NoLo Studios, check out the property website, where you’ll find more renderings and details about the project.

Need a little creative space where you can get your message out to Swamplot readers? It’s available to you right here — when you become a Swamplot Sponsor of the Day.

Swamplot’s sponsor today is the Houston chapter of the American Institute of Architects, which wants you to know about the Interior Architecture Tour scheduled for this Saturday, September 17th. Thanks for the support!

If you’re interested in gaining an inside view of the world of architectural interiors, you’ll want to attend this event tomorrow. The AIA Houston Interior Architecture Committee is hosting an interior architecture tour featuring the offices and works of 4 Houston architecture firms.

The firms on the tour are all located within a 4-block radius of each other — downtown. (Here’s a handy map.) They are:

• Page, 1100 Louisiana St. Suite One (Enter on Smith St.)
• DLR Group, 919 Milam St. Suite 100 (Enter on McKinney St.)
• PDR, 909 Fannin St. Floor 39 (Enter on the corner of Fannin St. and McKinney St.)
• Gensler, 711 Louisiana St. Suite 300

The tour will have a special emphasis on exploring the practice of interior architecture. Featured interactive presentations in each of the various offices will highlight the tools and talents that go into creating some of our city’s most exciting interior spaces. You may begin the tour at any of the listed firms, and make your way to the others on your own schedule.

It all takes place this Saturday, September 17, from 10 am to 2 pm, and it’s all open to the public. Tickets are $10 — $5 for students. They’re available for purchase online in advance — and at each of the offices on the day of the tour. Find out more about the tour on this page of the AIA Houston website.

Got something behind the scenes Swamplot readers should see? Becoming a Sponsor of the Day can make that happen.

The recently renovated 4-bedroom, 3-bath home at 1839 Viking Dr. in Oak Forest is Swamplot’s Sponsor of the Day. Thanks for the support!

This original Oak Forest home was taken down to the studs in 2012 by a builder who transformed it into his personal home. In the process, he replaced all the electrical and plumbing systems and added a master bedroom suite. (The new master bath is pictured above.) Vaulted-ceiling living, dining, and kitchen spaces — shown in the topmost photo — now flow into each other at the front of the home. French doors lead to a covered outdoor patio space equipped with a television. New materials and finishes introduced throughout include limestone and granite countertops in the kitchen, marble counters in the bathrooms, and wood, slate, and tile floors. This property just came onto the market yesterday.

The home sits 2 blocks north of W. 43rd St., about midway between Candlelight Park and the hike-and-bike trails lining T.C. Jester. Relaxation and exercise is also available at home, in the backyard pool.

If you’d like to see more of this place, check out the property website. 1839 Viking St. is listed for sale by New Leaf Real Estate, which offers unique savings programs for both sellers and buyers.

Swamplot’s Sponsor of the Day program: Is it right for you? You should find out.

Today we have another announcement of interest to Oak Forest types serving as our Sponsor of the Day post. Thanks to sweetFrog Premium Frozen Yogurt and The Shops at Oak Forest for supporting Swamplot!

The sweetFrog Premium Frozen Yogurt location at 1214 West 43rd St., in the Shops at Oak Forest, will be reopening in less than 2 weeks, under new ownership! That’s great news for the many customers who have been missing sweetFrog’s self-serve frozen yogurt and toppings, soft-serve ice cream, non-dairy sorbet, Chloe’s soft-serve fruit, and smoothies after the shop closed a few months ago. The location’s new owners and management team are mother-and-son partners Judy and Jonathan Brown, who also own the Papa Murphy’s Take N Bake Pizza 2 doors down. They say they’re excited to bring sweetFrog back to the neighborhood: “Everyone loves this place, it is such a great hangout for friends and families.”

Reopening day at the corner of 43rd St. and Ella Blvd. is September 27th. At noon, the doors and dispensers will open and the froyo will begin to flow again — along with a variety of discounts and giveaways. The discounts and giveaways will continue every day through October 15th, when the store will celebrate its official Grand Opening — from noon to 10 pm. (The Grand Opening will feature prizes, balloon artists and face-painters, games, return-visit buy-one-get-one-free cards, and the sweetFrog mascots, Scoop and Cookie. Plus, the new owners will be donating a portion of sales that weekend to More Than 1Way 2Play, the campaign to build an accessible, inclusive playground at Oak Forest Park.) If you want to reserve the party room for a meeting, birthday or art party, Scouting event, book club, or plain-ol’ private froyo feast, contact Jonathan Brown at jonbrown44@outlook.com. Schools, churches, and other organizations can also receive donations of a portion of sales when they book community Spirit Nights at sweetFrog or Papa Murphy’s.

Got some sweet neighborhood news you’d like to share? Become a Swamplot Sponsor of the Day!

Swamplot today is sponsored by the 5-bedroom home at 1717 Haver St. in the Montrose neighborhood known as Cherryhurst. Thanks for the support!

The open living area pictured above, on the ground floor, has oak floors, 10-ft. ceilings, transom windows, and adjustable lighting for art. Up the stairs are 3 bedrooms plus a master suite with its own granite-surround fireplace, balcony, and separate dressing room and walk-in closet — as well as a family room and 2 more rooms put to use as a library and a media room. Need even more space for family members or guests? Head up to the third floor for another bedroom and bath plus a roof deck. But the standout feature of the home is back at the back of the first floor: the 765-sq.-ft. artist’s studio, which has 12-ft. ceilings. It’s adjacent to the 2-car garage, which has access from the alley. A label on the floor plan tucked into the listing notes this space could be a future apartment or mother-in-law suite, though it could also be turned into additional garage or workshop space.

If it seems like this home as it is would be well-suited to an artist, that’s because it is. The current owner is a professional artist who had this custom home built in the little twisted-grid section of Montrose, one block north of Cherryhurst Park.

The home is sited in the heart of Montrose, 3 blocks east of Dunlavy and 3 blocks north of Westheimer, on a residential street a short walk away from many neighborhood attractions and restaurants, including Hugo’s and La Grange. To see more photos of the home (as well as more views of Harris’s work placed throughout), head on over to the property website.

Swamplot’s Sponsor of the Day program excels in the art of reaching the right audience. Find out how to participate here.

Swamplot’s sponsor today is the Houston chapter of the American Institute of Architects, which wants you to know about the Interior Architecture Tour scheduled for this Saturday, September 17th. Thanks for the support!

If you’re interested in gaining an inside view of the world of architectural interiors, you’ll want to put this event on your calendar for this coming weekend. The AIA Houston Interior Architecture Committee is hosting an interior architecture tour featuring the offices and works of 4 Houston architecture firms.

The firms on the tour are all located within a 4-block radius of each other — downtown. (Here’s a handy map.) They are:

• Page, 1100 Louisiana St. Suite One
• DLR Group, 919 Milam St. Suite 100
• PDR, 909 Fannin St. Floor 39
• Gensler, 711 Louisiana St. Suite 300

The tour will have a special emphasis on exploring the practice of interior architecture. Featured interactive presentations in each of the various offices will highlight the tools and talents that go into creating some of our city’s most exciting interior spaces. You may begin the tour at any of the listed firms, and make your way to the others on your own schedule.

It all takes place this Saturday, September 17, from 10 am to 2 pm, and it’s all open to the public. Tickets are $10 — $5 for students. They’re available for purchase online in advance — and at each of the offices on the day of the tour. Find out more about the tour on this page of the AIA Houston website.

Got something behind the scenes Swamplot readers should see? Becoming a Sponsor of the Day can make that happen.

Today’s sponsor is Houston’s own Central Bank. Thank you for the continued support of Swamplot!

Central Bank has 4 (central) Houston branches available to meet your business or personal needs: in Midtown, the Heights, West Houston, and Post Oak Place.

Central Bank believes that change is essential to its success; the company actively pursues the latest in service, technology, and products. Central Bank aims to know its customers personally and to be their primary business and personal financial resource. The bank’s staff values relationships and strives to be available when you need them.

To learn more about how Central Bank can meet your banking needs, please call any of the following Senior Vice Presidents: Kenny Beard, at 832.485.2376; Bonnie Purvis, at 832.485.2354; Gary Noble, at 832.485.2366; or Ryan Tillman, at 832.485.2307. You can also find out more on the bank’s website.

Sponsoring Swamplot can help your company grow. Find out more about becoming a Sponsor of the Day. 

Today our sponsor is the 4-5-bedroom, 4-bath single-family home at 1704 Kipling St. in Winlow Place. Thank you for supporting Swamplot!

The duplex that originally stood on the northwest corner of Kipling and Dunlavy was built in 1930, but it had been vacant for 20 years before Houston architect Donna Kacmar renovated and converted it, in 2007, to this single residence. Kacmar recycled some of the materials from the house for its own rejuvenation: Termite-ridden oak planks on the first floor were replaced by shiplap — removed from the interior walls, milled, and turned into wide-plank flooring. New cabinet pieces were fabricated from the home’s longleaf pine door jambs. Interior doors are refinished originals, but all windows and exterior doors were replaced, soapstone countertops inserted, and a new garage constructed.

The renovation efforts resulted in a Good Brick Award from the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance (now known as Preservation Houston) in 2008. But the home has more to offer than its rehab pedigree: There’s also the central Montrose location. Coffee, croissants, and company are just a short walk away. The 3,552-sq.-ft. home is just a couple blocks south of the storied corner of Westheimer and Dunlavy.

1704 Kipling St. is listed for sale by New Leaf Real Estate, which offers unique savings programs for both sellers and buyers. You can see more photos of the renovated home — including the back porch and brick exterior — and get more info about it on the property website.

Show your support for Swamplot by becoming a Sponsor of the Day. Here’s how to do it.

Today’s Sponsor is East Downtown co-working space The Co-Op HTX, now raising investment funds on crowdfunding platform NextSeed. Thanks for supporting Swamplot!

The Co-Op HTX now officially ranks as the first-ever Houston business able to accept investment from across the U.S. under Regulation Crowdfunding. The offering is now posted on NextSeed. And — thanks to the new national regulations governing the investment — this post can now legally link to the offering directly. (And, uh, you can click on that link too.)

Sandy Tran and Anne Le, the duo behind sugary gathering spots Sweet (in CityCentre) and Tout Suite (at 2001 Commerce St. in East Downtown), have been growing the concept behind their café and dessert operations. They’re now joining the co-working movement by launching The Co-Op HTX, right next door to their well-trafficked Tout Suite spot. With their NextSeed offering, they’re issuing an open invitation to anyone who wants to be involved in their growth.

NextSeed is a national crowdfunding platform that makes it easy to invest funds in private businesses and start seeing financial returns. The public can invest in places they already love or in new concepts they want to see in their area. Between its Texas affiliate and its new national platform, NextSeed has facilitated more than $2 million in Texas small business investments over the past year.

So who can invest? Anyone. Recent changes in the law now make it possible for people of all income levels to join entrepreneurs in creating new concepts for their cities. NextSeed carefully reviews every deal before presenting an opportunity to investors on its website. Investors don’t need deep pockets to get involved — you can invest as little as $100. On NextSeed’s platforms, Houstonians are empowered to invest in local bars, restaurants, salons, and other places they’re excited about.

Got a first-in-Houston deal this city needs to know about? Swamplot’s Sponsor of the Day program is a great way to spread the word.

Swamplot’s sponsor today is the 4-5-bedroom, 4-bath single-family home at 1704 Kipling St. in Winlow Place. Thank you for supporting this site!

The duplex that originally stood on the northwest corner of Kipling and Dunlavy was built in 1930, but it had been vacant for 20 years before Houston architect Donna Kacmar renovated and converted it, in 2007, to this single residence. Kacmar recycled some of the materials from the house for its own rejuvenation: Termite-ridden oak planks on the first floor were replaced by shiplap — removed from the interior walls, milled, and turned into wide-plank flooring. New cabinet pieces were fabricated from the home’s longleaf pine door jambs. Interior doors are refinished originals, but all windows and exterior doors were replaced, soapstone countertops inserted, and a new garage constructed.

The renovation efforts resulted in a Good Brick Award from the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance (now known as Preservation Houston) in 2008. But the home has more to offer than its rehab pedigree: There’s also the central Montrose location. Coffee, croissants, and company are just a short walk away. The 3,552-sq.-ft. home is just a couple blocks south of the storied corner of Westheimer and Dunlavy.

1704 Kipling St. is listed for sale by New Leaf Real Estate, which offers unique savings programs for both sellers and buyers. You can see more photos of the renovated home — including the back porch and brick exterior — and get more info about it on the property website.

Great properties deserve their moment in the spotlight. Talk to us if you’d like to learn more about Swamplot’s Sponsor of the Day program.

Today’s Swamplot Sponsor of the Day is personal coach Cricket Buchler. Thanks for supporting Swamplot, Cricket!

If you’re looking to make some changes in your life, or just searching for a creative spark for a jump-start, consider a 90-minute personal coaching session with coach Cricket Buchler. An experienced corporate trainer who has helped top executives, Hollywood celebrities, and employees in a range of industries address personal and professional development issues, Cricket also works one-on-one, guiding clients to explore and unlock possibilities and design plans to realize change, and coaching them through their journey toward an intentional life.

A coaching session can also be an inspiring gift for anyone who is looking to take the next step forward in life, work, or relationships, but feels a bit stuck as to what next steps might look like. You’ll find a sampling of testimonials from Cricket’s clients on her website, along with more information about coaching sessions.

Take the first steps toward becoming a Swamplot Sponsor of the Day. Check out this web page and contact us!

Sponsoring Swamplot today: Houston’s own Central Bank. Thank you for the continued support!

Central Bank has 4 (central) Houston branches available to meet your business or personal needs: in Midtown, the Heights, West Houston, and Post Oak Place.

Central Bank believes that change is essential to its success; the company actively pursues the latest in service, technology, and products. Central Bank aims to know its customers personally and to be their primary business and personal financial resource. The bank’s staff values relationships and strives to be available when you need them.

To learn more about how Central Bank can meet your banking needs, please call any of the following Senior Vice Presidents: Kenny Beard, at 832.485.2376; Bonnie Purvis, at 832.485.2354; Gary Noble, at 832.485.2366; or Ryan Tillman, at 832.485.2307. You can also find out more on the bank’s website.

Your business deserves to be in the spotlight. Learn how to become a Swamplot Sponsor of the Day right here. 

Today’s Sponsor of the Day is the 4-bedroom home at 847 Jaquet Dr. in Bellaire. Thanks for supporting Swamplot!

The photo at the top of this post shows some of the main living spaces at the back of this 2-story brick home — with a hint of their more formal counterparts at the front: At the far right of the view is an opening into a wet bar (which could also be used as a butler’s pantry), which connects to the formal living room. The opening at the center leads to the double-height entry. And a third opening, off the kitchen, connects to the formal dining room, directly off the entry. Not pictured here are the fireplace behind the camera, the picture windows on the wall at the left of the image, and the door leading from the pictured breakfast area (between the seating area and the kitchen) — facing onto a shaded porch area surrounding the pool in back.

Jaquet Dr. is a U-shaped street that begins and ends off Elm St. just west of the West Loop. Ware Family Park and its playground are a short walk away, at the street’s eastern end. This 2,792-sq.-ft. home has a metal roof, 8 security cameras, 4 bedrooms, 2-1/2 baths, 2 pantries, and a central, granite-topped kitchen island. Upstairs, the master bedroom (pictured above) has its own fireplace and balcony overlooking the pool.

Care for more of a tour? Additional photos are available on the property website. The home is being offered for sale by New Leaf Real Estate, which offers unique savings programs for both sellers and buyers.

How to show Swamplot readers that great property you’ve just listed? Try becoming a Sponsor of the Day. Here’s how.

The home at 205 E. 5th St. in the Houston Heights is sponsoring this site today. Swamplot appreciates the support!

The main living spaces in this home in the Houston Heights South Historic District are on the second floor. The ground-floor entry leads to a gated yard. Up the front stairs from that yard is the second-floor front door, which opens to a screened porch. From there follow the formal living room and dining room (seen in the photo at top); a bookshelf-lined library or study connected by a pair of French doors to the dining room has a gas-burning fireplace and a window seat tucked between shelving units. A breakfast room with custom china cabinets (pictured above) sits between the kitchen and a den.

The master suite, on the first floor, has private access to the side porch and yard and includes a flex room suitable for an office or workout space. A walk-in closet includes built-in cabinets and shelving; the master bath has sinks incorporated into 2 separate antique vanities, along with a claw-foot tub and separate shower. The 2 secondary bedrooms on the third floor each have vaulted ceilings.

The entire 3-bedroom, 2-1/2-bath, 3,888-sq.-ft. home was transformed from an original bungalow by Heights renovation specialists Bungalow Revival. It’s sited just less than 2 blocks away from local dining favorites Coltivare, Revival Market, and Lee’s Fried Chicken and Donuts. If you’d like to see more photos of the home’s unique spaces, do check out the property website, where you can also find additional information.

Become a Swamplot sponsor and show us your historic transformation! Find out how — here.