A Designed Home: 3 Takeaways from the 2024 AIA Houston Home Tour
This past weekend the weather here in Houston was as perfect as it gets for Fall. On Sunday, my husband, Mark, and I had the pleasure of touring several amazing homes in the city as part of the annual American Institute of Architects Home Tour. It’s actually my favorite “design day” of the year!
Getting out and seeing modern architecture and modern interior design is one of my biggest tips for people who are in the beginning stages of a home project. Immersion is a such a great way to find home design inspiration.
This event gets attendees rubbing shoulders with other interior design enthusiasts and knowledgeable contacts like docents, building product representatives, modern home trades people and often the architects and designers themselves. Visitors have the opportunity to ask questions and learn about the building techniques for architecturally significant modern homes. The design teams are often eager to shear stories about how much thought, coordination, effort and craftsmanship goes into those clean, crisp, minimalist details that result a stunning modern home.
“ “The Home Tour is a nonprofit fundraiser and supports various AIA Houston initiatives throughout the year. Open to the public, the AIA Houston Home Tour showcases the finest residential architecture in the Houston area, as designed by licensed architects. Houses are chosen to showcase a variety of design styles demonstrating that excellence in design is not limited by size or dollars.””
Throwback to the 2022 AIA Houston Home tour with my favorite tour pal!
Now, this was not your average community or builder sponsored home tour. The AIA Houston Home Tour website describes the event this way:
“The Home Tour is a nonprofit fundraiser and supports various AIA Houston initiatives throughout the year. Open to the public, the AIA Houston Home Tour showcases the finest residential architecture in the Houston area, as designed by licensed architects. Houses are chosen to showcase a variety of design styles demonstrating that excellence in design is not limited by size or dollars.”
We made it to 6 of the 9 homes on the tour. All of the homes are fabulous examples of architect and interior designer driven projects. You can see photos from the homes here.
Catch our recap from the 2022 home tour on the @StudioCroft Instagram.
Three things that I really appreciated about the modern homes we saw on the tour:
It’s probably not what you expect. Yes, the modern details, polished concrete floors, and gorgeous millwork set my designer heart aflutter. More than that though, each of the homes displayed the following three characteristics that made them truly outstanding.
The modern homes were tailored
Each home had a creative layout made just for the individuals or families who lived there. Outdoor views artfully framed through expansive windows and integrated outdoor living areas made each home feel like it was part of the neighborhood around it.
The modern homes were fresh.
These homes are personal residences not builder models. They are lived-in, yet still feel fresh and welcoming. The personalized interiors, in addition to the organization, customized storage and curated display of each family's belongings kept the homes feeling livable, clean and uncluttered.
The modern homes were purposeful
We observed a lot of integration within the homes and their surroundings. Some homes were built (or rebuilt) to avoid catastrophic flooding, some to display museum worthy art collections. All decisions pointed back to these purposes.
In other homes, spaces featured thoughtfully creative built-in storage, work zones or seating in almost every room, making everyday tasks integrated with the home itself.
Each light fixture, piece of artwork and furniture arrangement was planned for and purposefully displayed to support the architecture and daily life.
Until next year's tour…
I just loved getting out and joining the Houston design community in appreciating these beautiful homes. It reminds me of why I do what I do, creating well designed spaces where people can thrive. It also reminds me how important our surroundings truly are to our overall well being. An empty house is just shelter and a cluttered home is just storage. A designed home is tailored, fresh and purposeful.
“An empty house is just shelter and a cluttered home is just storage. A designed home is tailored, fresh and purposeful. ”
A designed home is one in which you can thrive doing the things most important to you, whether it be entertaining, focusing on relationships, making the most of time together, fostering belonging and connection, or just sheer relaxation after a stressful day.
I encourage each of you to get out to local architecture community events and find time to appreciate great design... because #placematters.
