Sponsored Posts

Preservation Houston’s 2018 Good Brick Tour is coming up at the end of October. And it’s our sponsor today. Thank you for supporting Swamplot!

Before its new owner took action, the classic Sixth Ward Victorian pictured above was on the verge of collapse. Rehabilitating the property included recreating lost design elements and restoring the historic floor plan. Beautiful 19th-century woodwork survives throughout the home; even the original Prussian Blue wall tint is still visible — an appropriate choice of color for the immigrant German carpenter who built this house.

2219 Lubbock St. is one of 5 award-winning historic homes and buildings that will be welcoming visitors in the 2018 edition of the Good Brick Tour — with guided tours from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 27, and Sunday, October 28.

Purchase advance tickets for the 2018 Good Brick Tour online for $25 per person through Thursday, October 25. After that, prices will go up: Tickets will be available for $30 per person at any tour location during the weekend. Tickets are valid both days of the tour and provide 1 admission to each location on the tour.

Preservation Houston has recognized all the properties on this tour with Good Brick Awards for excellence in historic preservation. The other locations on this year’s tour are:

• 67 Tiel Way, River Oaks: Prominent architects MacKie & Kamrath took their inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright when creating this classic mid-century residence (1949).
• 3702 Audubon Pl., Montrose: This distinctive Craftsman-style home (1921) reflects the eclectic ideas of its colorful builder.
• 934 Louise St., Sunset Heights: A traditional bungalow (1921) has been updated for modern living with its historic character is intact.
• Heights Textile Mill, 611 W. 22nd St., Houston Heights: A visionary renovation has repurposed this sprawling Victorian landmark (1894) as studios and offices.

Know of an important upcoming event that deserves attention? Let readers know about it through Swamplot’s Sponsor of the Day program!

Today’s Sponsor of the Day is The Classic — the new restaurant at 5922 Washington Ave, at the edge of Rice Military. Thanks for supporting this site!

Enjoy The Classic’s wide-ranging all-day menu — featuring subtle flavors and techniques that have traveled here across oceans and generations. An unabashedly American restaurant, The Classic has something for everyone.

This fresh American bistro perched just east of Memorial Park is brought to you by Benjy Levit — the restaurateur behind Local Foods and Benjy’s. A no-rush, no-fuss neighborhood spot, The Classic pivots neatly from brunch to date-night cachet. You’ll find a touch of retro inside the light-filled interior.

Check out The Classic’s menu and hours, reviews, pics of its interior and dishes, or make reservations on the restaurant website.

Swamplot is the place to see and be seen. Become a Sponsor of the Day.

Today at Swamplot is brought to you by the first-time-on-the-market home at 1111 Guinea Dr. in Hilshire Village. Thanks for supporting this site!

Former Hilshire Village mayor Thomas McKittrick, a Rice-trained architect who taught at Texas A&M for many years, designed and lived in this single-story home with his family. With floor-to-ceiling glass, brick wing walls that extend from interior to exterior, and 4 separate patios parked outside its main living spaces, the home serves up basic lessons in how indoors and outdoors can connect.

Adding to the effect: the still-intact terrazzo floors — and a set of sliding partitions that allow the dining room to be open to the living room, separated from it, or (as pictured at top) something in-between.

Though much remains as it was, a few changes have been made to this property over the years: Paint colors in the eat-in kitchen (above) are now a bit muted from the original “butter” and “bittersweet” featured in photos of the room that appeared in a 1965 issue of Better Homes & Gardens magazine; also, the blender base originally built into the countertop next to the sink is out and a Gaggenau double oven and a Thermador cooktop are in. But 3 separate sets of folding doors on one side of the room still hide a desk space, a pantry, and a laundry area. Nearby, the removal of the wall that once separated the 2 secondary bedrooms has created a second master. In the 1970s, McKittrick added a separate 2-story guest house on the 15,700-sq.-ft. lot, which he used as a studio and darkroom.

Many more aspects of this property are available to appreciate in photos posted on the property website. Or arrange for a tour! The home is offered for sale by Robert Searcy of Robert Searcy Properties.

Got a property that deserves to be showcased? Become a Swamplot Sponsor of the Day.

Our sponsor today: Houston’s own Central Bank. Swamplot appreciates the continuing 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; or Carlos Alvarez, at 832.485.2372. You can also find out more on the bank’s website.

Sponsors make Swamplot possible. Become a Sponsor of the Day

Today Swamplot is brought to you by The Classic, the new restaurant at 5922 Washington Ave, at the edge of Rice Military. Thanks for supporting this site!

With The Classic, Benjy Levit — the restaurateur behind Local Foods and Benjy’s — brings Houston a no-rush, no-fuss neighborhood spot that pivots neatly from brunch to date-night cachet. The Classic is a fresh American bistro perched just east of Memorial Park. You’ll find a touch of retro inside the light-filled interior.

The Classic’s all-day menu is wide-ranging. It features subtle flavors and techniques that have traveled across oceans and generations — including the family tables of the team behind the restaurant: Favorites from chef Mike Potowski’s Lithuanian heritage — and from the healthy ingenuity of chef Maria Gonzalez — are rolled into one unabashedly American bill of goods; there’s a little something for everyone.

Scout out The Classic’s menu and hours, reviews, pics of its interior and dishes, or make reservations on the restaurant website.

Let Swamplot readers know about your latest venture. Become a Sponsor of the Day.

Today Swamplot is brought to you by the midcentury home at 8002 Glen Valley Dr. in Glenbrook Valley. Thanks for the support!

Architect (and Houston Mod cofounder) Ben Koush directed the latest round of renovations — of the bedrooms, bathrooms, office, and patio area (pictured above) — to this 1955 single-story. Earlier efforts opened up the vaulted-ceiling family room (pictured at top) to the formal living and dining areas at the front of the home, converted the garage to a flex space with built-in cabinets, and brought updates to the adjacent kitchen.

The 3-bedroom, 2-and-a-half-bath, 3,263-sq.-ft. home has new engineered-wood flooring, modern ceiling fans and light fixtures, and carefully hued accent walls in the bedrooms. A walk-in shower behind a wall of glass block wall and a separate wall of closets define the en-suite master bath. Outside, new landscaping designed by landscape architect Travis Peiffer includes an assortment of flower beds, a WiFi-enabled sprinkler system, and a pool with a shallow underwater umbrella mount to allow shady (and leaf-free) lounging in the water.

The 13,138-sq.-ft. corner lot is perched at the scenic northern reaches of Glenbrook Valley, Houston’s only midcentury-modern-era historic district. It’s convenient to the Gulf Fwy., Hobby Airport, and an entire community of Mod-home admirers and renovators.

More information about the home — along with many more photos — are available on the property website. It’s listed for sale by New Leaf Real Estate, which offers unique savings programs for both buyers and sellers.

Got a home you’d like to see featured on Swamplot? Contact us about becoming a Sponsor of the Day!

Houston’s own Central Bank is our sponsor today. Swamplot appreciates the continuing 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; or Carlos Alvarez, at 832.485.2372. You can also find out more on the bank’s website.

Swamplot is made possible by its sponsors. Become a Sponsor of the Day

Our Sponsor of the Day today is Houston’s own Central Bank. Swamplot appreciates the continuing 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; or Carlos Alvarez, at 832.485.2372. You can also find out more on the bank’s website.

Reach readers who want to know about your business: Become a Sponsor of the Day

Our thanks today to this site’s Sponsor of the Day: Houston’s own Central Bank. Swamplot appreciates the continuing 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; or Carlos Alvarez, at 832.485.2372. You can also find out more on the bank’s website.

Reach readers who want to know about your business: Become a Sponsor of the Day

A big thank-you is due Johnnie T. Melia Moving & Storage — our Sponsor of the Day. Swamplot appreciates the support!

Johnnie T. Melia Moving & Storage is a well-established, family-owned and family-operated local business that’s been moving Houstonians and their possessions from their old homes to their next homes (and businesses from old to new digs) since 1969. The company maintains its own fleet of moving trucks and vans in several sizes. And every J.T. Melia mover works for the company full-time; they don’t use temporary or part-time labor.

You can read up on several other unique and longstanding J.T. Melia policies intended to ensure successful and worry-free moves for their customers — on the company’s extensive website. There you’ll also find tips for successful moves, testimonials from happy decampers the company has helped over the years, and advice on how to get an accurate quote for your move. Plus: info on packing, storage, and piano-moving services, and reports on everything from tipping etiquette to a couple of the company’s rescue operations after Hurricane Harvey.

If you’re picking up from one Houston-area house or apartment and headed to another, contact J.T. Melia Moving & Storage for a free quote!

Swamplot readers care about local businesses. Become a Sponsor of the Day!

Today Swamplot is brought to you by the live-work space for sale at 218 Westcott St. in Rice Military. Thanks for supporting this site!

This unique property has served variously as a personal residence, a photo studio, a gallery, an office for a graphic-design firm — and even (once) as a wedding venue. Architect Frank Zeni designed the façade for artist and publisher John Bernhard, who fashioned the interior as his home and studio. How would you use it?

Stained concrete floors, a 20-ft. ceiling, and a central pillar of Louisiana driftwood define the gallery-like first floor. Cable railings line the perimeter of the loft-y second level, which gathers light from front and back windows. The 2,211-sq.-ft. property features 4 bedroom (or office) spaces. There’s parking for 6 cars in front.

218 Westcott sits 2 blocks north of Memorial Dr. and 5 blocks south of Washington Ave. The Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, Brenner’s on the Bayou, the Beer Can House, Memorial Park, Buffalo Bayou Park, and the whole Wash Ave restaurant, nightlife, and arts district are just minutes from the front door.

Helpfully, the listing features photos of the interior in both unfurnished and office modes. Take a look at them and imagine the possibilities! The property is being offered for sale by Boulevard Realty agent Star Massing.

Swamplot readers love Swamplot sponsors! Here’s how to become one.

Our thanks today to our Sponsor of the Day: Houston’s own Central Bank. Swamplot appreciates the continuing 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; or Carlos Alvarez, at 832.485.2372. You can also find out more on the bank’s website.

Reach Swamplot readers: Become a Sponsor of the Day

A big thank you to Houston’s own Central Bank — this site’s Sponsor of the Day! Swamplot appreciates the continuing 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; or Carlos Alvarez, at 832.485.2372. You can also find out more on the bank’s website.

Let Swamplot readers know about what you’ve got going on: Become a Sponsor of the Day

A big thank you to this site’s Sponsor of the Day: Houston’s own Central Bank. Swamplot appreciates the continuing 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; or Carlos Alvarez, at 832.485.2372. You can also find out more on the bank’s website.

Show your support of Swamplot: Become a Sponsor of the Day

A big thank you to Houston’s own Central Bank — this site’s Sponsor of the Day! Swamplot appreciates the continuing 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; or Carlos Alvarez, at 832.485.2372. You can also find out more on the bank’s website.

Let Swamplot readers know about what you’ve got going on: Become a Sponsor of the Day