by Zainey Roux | Photography by Julie Soefer & Nathan Schroder
What do you get when you mix Southern sophistication with California cool? Nearly 9,000 square feet of laidback luxury right in the heart of Houston. “When the Palumbos first came to me in 2013, they knew exactly what they wanted their home to feel, look, and live like,” says interior designer Julie Dodson. “Kim is a New Orleans girl through and through, so she wanted to capture the culture, history, and French flair that are unique to the homes she grew up around. Carl is from Sacramento, so he was drawn to more casual interiors with a contemporary edge.” Despite their differing tastes, the couple firmly agreed that the house had to be family- and pet-friendly for their teenage sons, two dogs, and the constant parade of friends who come and go. “I was determined to deliver it all,” says Dodson.
The exterior of the home already offered a nice blending of the Palumbos’ style preferences. Deep porches are supported by traditional Ionic columns that nod to Kim’s Southern roots and, says Dodson, resemble “a modern-day Tara from Gone With the Wind.” Mansard-style windows, lacy iron doors, and the distinct pitch of the hip roof pull from the French architectural heritage. Across the back of the home, a covered loggia overlooking a placid pond appeals to Carl’s more casual mind-set. Dodson increased the relaxed vibe by bringing in streamlined furnishings and on-trend lighting and décor, lending the outdoor “room” the ambiance of a five-star West Coast resort.
Inside, the designer continued the harmonious blending of styles. “A house filled solely with antiques and formal, fussy décor would have been out of character for this family,” says Dodson. “The Palumbos are young, active, and fun-loving. They sought traditional design with a twist.”
Rooms abound with a high-low mix of French and Italian pieces sourced from the area’s most exclusive antique shops and from dealers at the Round Top Antiques Fair. Gilded accents add polish to each space and juxtapose the layers of patina on the painted and distressed finishes— some authentic and others reproduced by decorative painters from Houston-based firm Segreto Finishes. Although these timeless treasures are beautiful in their own right, the modern appointments mingling among them are what make them shine. “That’s where new pieces come into play—abstract artwork, tailored window dressings, and upholstered pieces in durable indoor-outdoor fabrics,” Dodson says. “These things make the home current, livable, and light.”
A soft palette elevates the master suite into a tranquil, spa-like retreat. Dodson designed the custom headboard to resemble an antique French mirror she had previously purchased for another client. “During my search for a bed for the Palumbos, it struck me that the shape and scale of that mirror would translate so beautifully into a headboard,” says Dodson. “I had a local craftsman reproduce the frame to fit a king-size mattress and then placed a cotton-velvet panel where the mirror would have been.”
For the interior color palette, the designer chose ethereal hues that add to the positive energy. Predominantly neutral spaces are injected with pops of personality in the form of soft blues, greens, and pinks. Mottled undertones keep the pastels from reading too juvenile or overly feminine. Piles of pattern and texture also do their part. In lieu of frilly florals and heavy brocades, Dodson employed bold graphics and geometric motifs in small but playful doses and added visual and tactile interest by using the tone-on-tone textures of organic materials such as linen, cotton, and seagrass.
“Our family leads a hectic lifestyle, so I look forward to coming home to a pretty and peaceful environment,” says Kim. “Our house has a clean, polished look, but you can still rest your feet on the coffee table and forget about finding a coaster for your drink. That’s the real beauty of this home.”
