Ashley Goforth Designs a Colorful,
Joy-Filled Houston Home

While their neighborhood is well-established, the existing structure on the Leaches’ property was in need of extensive repairs in some areas, prompting them to want a fresh start. Working with architect Kelly Cusimano, they formulated a plan for a new home tailored to their needs and tastes on the same site, even updating the pool and an outdoor pavilion. “This home is slightly more traditional than some of Kelly’s work, but it fits perfectly within the neighborhood,” Goforth explains.

Built with family as well as entertaining in mind, the downstairs flows from formal living and dining rooms into a more casual lounge area with a quartet of conversation chairs and a pass-through bar.

His-and-hers powder baths, each with a decidedly masculine and feminine style their own, flank the sides of the bar. Deeper into the residence, the kitchen adjoins a casual family room where the couple and their daughter can relax. “I have a knack for family- friendly projects,” Goforth says. “I want homes to be both livable and luxurious because we have to be able to truly live in them.”

To this point, the selections—from furnishings to accessories—are ones that truly bring the owners joy. “I like to take my clients to Decorative Center Houston and ask them to find five fabrics they really love.

We use those as building blocks,” Goforth says. For example, the navy-and-pink fabric seen on the living room’s armchair was one of Allison’s selections and the starting point for the hot pink accents. “I thought her play on color was so much fun!” Goforth says. “They wanted a white house that was fresh and crisp but also bright.”

While blue and white are not the only colors seen, Goforth notes unifying neutral walls and a thread of blue do tie the home’s interiors together. From the sky blue seen on the breezeway ceiling to the rich navy in the primary bedroom, shades of the color are found in nearly every space on the ground floor. Upstairs, in their teenage daughter’s room, a lighter palette comes into play. “Teens are into softer hues,” Goforth says, pointing to the gray, pink, and green tints in the room. Consulting with both mother and daughter, Goforth opted to create a mural using a botanical wallpaper they all loved and focused the rest of the design around the focal point.

Goforth also felt it was important to add visual interest with detailed layers and timeless pieces. For example, the dining room has an air of formality thanks to a traditional prism chandelier and a scenic wallpaper. “We wanted to go for the wallpaper to up the level of interest in this room,” the designer says of the standout feature. Similarly, antiques find a home among more contemporary furnishings. “I feel like every house needs an antique to give the home character and age,” Goforth says, pointing to a French marble-top buffet in the entry. Custom furniture fabrication, including chairs in the family room that were made using the dimensions of a chair that belonged to Allison’s father, also play into the intentional personalization throughout the spaces. “I think this was a really fun project for Allison. She is joyful, kind, and really a breath of fresh air. I think that is exuded in her home,” Goforth says.