1. art and entertainment
2. visual art and design
3. design

Issue I 2011
Vol. 16, Issue I 2011
$9.95 US
The finest home furnishings, products, services and design professionals
INTERIOR DESIGN:
Garrity Design Group
BUILDER:
Jauregui Architecture Interiors Construction
Carriage House
Cover Story
Hardwood Floors: M & M Carpet and Schenck & Company
Lighting Fixtures: Iron Accents
Walls and Ceiling: Anything But Plain
The inspiration for this magnificent project
was the client’s desire to provide solace, joy, and a place to build
lasting memories for themselves, their family, and their friends.
Designer, Andrea Garrity, of Garrity Design Group worked
very carefully with the owners to fulfill the needs and wishes
of the entire family. The project commenced with building the
sophisticated 8,000 square foot carriage house pictured here.
An expansive limestone arch surrounding 14 foot wooden
doors leads into this structure of Austin limestone that was built
on a wooded property in the Woodlands to house and showcase
a collection of classic European automobiles.
By a nn m a r ie paul
With a ndr ea S. ga r r ity ASID, R id
The Garrity Design Group
Photography by Michael Baxter
baxterimaging.com
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Houston Design Resources Issue I 2011
The carriage house features a large turntable in the hand
scraped hickory pecan flooring. The vaulted ceilings are trimmed
with rough hewn beams which carry your eyes up 23 feet to the
14 foot diameter iron chandelier custom made by Iron Accents
that hangs over the turntable. The lighting was designed to highlight the cars in different scenes and to cast a warm glow on the
plastered walls hand trowelled by Anything But Plain to give the
feeling of a vintage carriage house from France. A custom designed spiral staircase with mahogany hand rails leads to the loft
which houses custom leather and burl chairs and a table designed
by Garrity and frabricated by Designer’s Furniture Mfg. Underneath the loft is a bar area with seating banked by granite niches
displaying artwork of vintage autos. With the carriage house
completed, collaboration began on the main house whose sophisticated, cosmopolitan style was an essential component of the
design scheme and evokes the spirit of the existing carriage house.
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Classic Meets Contemporary
The residence not only had to compliment the existing carriage
house on the property, but it also had to fill many needs. In addition to being used for living, the home would also be used for
entertaining extended family as well as business clients. Therefore,
a private guest quarters separated from the rest of the home was
desired, as well as adult and children entertainment areas. Multiple living and family spaces were needed, and to counterbalance a
very hectic lifestyle, requests for a mirrored exercise room, a wine
room, and a craft room were included. A plant room was a necessity for the owners, who are avid gardeners, and a pet shower
for the owners’ golden retrievers was integrated into this space.
Entry
“The entry and living area reflect the
new vision...”
Stairwell Chandelier:
Iron Accents
Gold Leafed Consoles:
Iron Accents and ABP
Sofas and Loveseats:
Donghia
Walls: Anything But Plain
Hardwood Floors: M&M Carpet
and Schenck & Co.
Window Treatments:
G&S Custom Draperies
Once all the design criteria had been incorporated into a traditional French style, the family went to see the movie, “The
Holiday”, and the children expressed their desire to have their
new house incorporate the feeling of the home in the movie;
they wanted something different than what they had in other
homes. What does one do when the client decides to change
from a traditional French style to a more cosmopolitan design
scheme 24 months into a 36 month project? “Incorporating
furniture and finishes in the new direction to ensure the house
flowed seamlessly from one room to the next was made all the
more difficult as built-ins, cabinetry, and trim were installed,”
commented Garrity. “We did not want to ruin the integrity of the house’s county French exterior. Deadlines were not
changed, and face to face meetings were not often possible, as
the client did not live in the area,” continued Garrity.
The entry and living area reflect the new vision in design
concept that was jointly developed by the owner and designer by
utilizing duplicate notebooks they created. Some of the existing
furniture was able to be modified to blend with the new style. In
the entry and galleries, Anything But Plain created over 803 yards
of cambric cloth were primed, painted, fauxed, and top coated
before being cut into 3’X3’ squares and applied. Hand scraped
walnut in the entry is from M&M and was installed by Schenck
& Company, and the living room walls are hand painted Shanghai
Silk by Anything But Plain.
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Family & Friends Gather
in Spacious Dining Room
The wall treatments are carried into the dining room where
a rug from the Carol Piper collection is of woolen silk with
dining room
a scratched appearance. The custom built table by William
Switzer can seat fourteen family and friends and was inspired
Rugs, l.r. / d.r. wool and silk: Carol Piper Rugs
by a coffee table of Macassar wood. The chairs are by J. Robert
Dining Chairs: J. Robert Scott, mohair upholstery & chairs Scott, and the Barbara Barry chandelier is made of Murano
Table: Custom Macassar
glass. The arched, seven-inch cased openings are carried
throughout the residence.
Chandelier: Barbara Barry
“The custom built table by
William Switzer can seat fourteen...”
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Family Room/Kitchen/
Breakfast Room
The owners and designer found a home in the family room for
the butterfly painting by Hunt Slonem framed by Mixed Emotions Fine Art, and they also worked together to design the builtin cabinetry for the television and collectibles. The rug from Stark
in the family room is chenille, the seating is by Fendi, and the
chairs are by Holly Hunt. The family room adjoins the kitchen
where leather bar stools provide seating at the marble and limestone counter, and the comfortable breakfast area looks out over
the pool. The kitchen also includes large pantries for storage.
Kitchen & Breakfast Room
Cheneille Rug: Stark Carpet
Chandelier: Nancy Corzine
Counters: Walker Zanger
Barstools: Donghia
Breakfast Room Chairs: Holly Hunt
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“The juxtaposition of textures
throughout the room complements
the feeling of the home.”
“What can you do to prepare for afterwards?”
Library
Chandelier: Donghia
Heron Wingback Chairs: Donghia
Rug: Brindle custom design, fabricated by Stark
Cabinets: Custom design
Dynasty
Collection Showcased in Cozy Study
The library conveys a cozy and inviting feeling in a space suited for
reading and quiet conversation. The
mahogany paneling and cabinets
were used throughout the room to
contribute warmth. With their elegantly slender cross bracing, the
display cabinets have an architectural
look that engages the eye, as lighting
showcases the antique dynasty collection. The shelves were built with
a lip on the front to hide the lighting.
The Donghia chairs in the library are
covered in cashmere to add to the
warm, cozy feeling.
A rectangular Brindle rug that had
been made for another home presented a design challenge to be able
to use it in the study that required a
square rug. It was squared off, and
new larger hides were incorporated with leather binding for the trim.
The Murano glass chandelier was selected specifically to compliment the
mahogany paneling, and a Tamayo
painting over the fireplace adds a
splash of color to the room. The
hardware is all custom made polished
nickel. The juxtaposition of textures
throughout the room complements
the feeling of the home.
A home office computer area is
separated from the library by a door.
To balance the space on either side
of the doors, a bookcase was recessed,
and a push release mahogany panel
to mirror the other side was added to
hide the bookcase.
Double French doors lead from the
study to the gallery. The client personally designed the lighting in the
gallery where the owners’ private collection hangs. She was very specific
in her lighting requirements. At the
end of the gallery is a Corbin bronze
in front of a back-painted glass.
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“Quality
time
together...”
Upstairs Family Room
Sectional, Chair and Ottoman: custom by Designer’s Furniture Mfg.
Shelving: all wallpapered
Coffee Table: Donghia
Motorized Window Treatment: G&S Custom Draperies
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Quality Time Together Spent
in Upstairs Family Room
The walls of the upstairs family room and all the built-ins
are papered for a soft, comfortable feeling. The television sits
behind sliding doors, and a balcony overlooks the pool and
wooded property. This inviting space often finds the family
congregating to watch TV and spend quality time together.
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GAME ROOM
Covered Wall Panels: Jeff Laws Wallcovering
Bar countertop: Anything But Plain
Motorized Shade: G&S Custom Draperies
Furniture: Holly Hunt
Game Chairs: Dakota Jackson
Game Table: Donghia
Rug: Stark Carpet
“Garrity commented that
mixing textures defines
her design philosophy.”
Game Room is a place
to entertain, have
fun, and relax.
Dividing the space in the game room
into three separate areas allows for
multi-generational gatherings. The
clients wanted to have a bar area, an
area for visiting and watching television, and an area for playing games.
The game room is designed so that
the bar and sitting areas provide flexibility when needed; yet, they are
easily incorporated into the entire
room. The clients wanted the television to be viewed from all areas
of the room, and they wanted the
room to be self-contained, so a wet
bar with refrigerator, microwave, and
dishwasher drawers were included. A touch of textures throughout
adds a three dimensional feeling to
the space.
Garrity commented that mixing
textures defines her design philosophy. The game room walls are
plywood segments cleverly disguised
by covering them with linen paper
and applied in a pattern. Once the
wall design was determined, the
panels had to be equally spaced on
the walls. The segments provide dimension to the room. Commercial
air diffusers were used to disguise air
flow. The bar cabinetry and counter
top has a three-dimensional textural
alligator print faux finish with hand
blown pendant lighting above. For
a cleaner look, the TV was recessed
into the wall and hung on an adjustable arm to be viewed from all parts
of the room.
In addition to the linen covered
panels and alligator faux print, other
interesting textures abound throughout the room: the hand scraped walnut
floor, mohair rug (made from goats
raised in Texas), leather, wool and silk
fabrics. The roman shade is motorized
to provide privacy at night.
MEDIA ROOM
Sectional: Designer’s Furniture Mfg.
Chairs: Kravet
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“... soothing,
warm,
peaceful
space.”
master bedROOM
Bed: Alan Knight
Furniture: David Sutherland
Motorized Window Treatments:
G&S Custom Draperies
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Master Bedroom is
Soothing, Warm, Peaceful Space
The clear acrylic legs make the Palm Beach Bed appear to float
in the warm, relaxing master bedroom. Soft recessed lighting
and monochromatic tones add to the peaceful feeling of the
room. All the draperies that hang behind fur-downs are motorized, and the seating area by the windows overlooks the pool.
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The adjoining master bathroom features Giallo Antico marble on the counters,
showers, and floor. The marble floor slabs are inlayed with mahogany to compliment
the paneled walls. From the wet/dry shower that is divided by a solid sheet of glass, the
heavily wooded backyard is visible.
An upstairs sitting room seen in the photograph below showcases some of the
owners’ art collection.
MASTER bathRoom
Vanities and Floors: Walker Zanger
Shower and Mirrors: Dauphin Sales
Fixtures: Elegant Additions
sitting Room
Furniture: Holly Hunt
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bedroom
Day Bed and Chair: Designer’s Furniture Mfg.
Vanity and Mirror: Dauphin Sales
bedroom
Bed: Designer’s Furniture Mfg.
Mirror: Dauphin Sales
bedrooms
baths
Carpet: Stark Carpet
Motorized Drapes and Shades:
G&S Custom Draperies
Marble and Tile: Walker Zanger
Fixtures: Elegant Additions
Bedrooms Provide Private,
Comfortable Spaces
The bedrooms provide a private, comfortable space for children returning from college as well as for guests. The girl’s
room and guest room reflect the same soft tones of the master
suite, while the boys’ rooms are done in deeper tones. The
custom designed leather parson table was put on casters to slide
over the bed or to sit at the foot over the suede ottoman. Each
bedroom has the convenience and privacy of its own bathroom
with vanities and built-ins designed by the designer and client.
“...private
comfortable
space ...”
bedroom
Furniture: Designer’s Furniture Mfg.
Bed: Garrity Design Group
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Fireplace Is Focal Point
of Covered Terrace
The verticle fire rods in the fireplace on this comfortable,
covered terrace were the idea of the client, so the designer had
them fabricated to her specifications. The Azimuth furniture
was ordered through Janus Et Cie in the design center, and
Garrity Design Group selected the accessories.
The client also designed the pool with grass coming up to
the edge to give it a softer, cooler appearance than traditional decking. The fire pots at one end provide a wonderful ambiance in the evenings. The pool has a negative edge with
pebble tech instead of tile and includes sun shelves. The home
also includes a summer kitchen built like an island with water
on three sides.
The pool bath sits just inside the back door off the pool.
The vanity covered in antique honed granite was custom designed by Garrity. The wall behind the vanity was mirrored by
Dauphin Sales, and a Venetian plaster finish by Anything But
Plain covers the other walls. River rock from Walker Zanger
covers the walls and floor of the shower. n
“Fireplace is focal point...”
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covered terrace
Marble and Tile: Walker Zanger
Fixtures: Elegant Additions
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