Luxe Townhome Redesign

A townhouse project featured in Cambria Style that interior designer Jennifer Kizzee completed in The Woodlands, Texas—a complete gut of the home’s interior spaces—was a sprint from start to finish. “The client wanted to keep construction to six months, which given the scale of this project was a huge ask,” says Kizzee. “It took my whole office to deliver a finished project in close to that timeframe. We did end up needing an extra two months.” 

Kizzee’s eponymous design firm in Houston includes four other designers, a project manager, and a procurement manager. To move the work along for this home, Kizzee became the overall project coordinator, but she divided the spaces among the four designers so each had an area they were responsible for. Kizzee’s project manager, who has a background in construction, essentially became the project’s general contractor. “He was there every single day,” Kizzee says. “We joked that he should just bring a mattress and sleep over.”

Even though these were repeat clients, the team started the process fresh since the aesthetic for this Houston project was vastly different from the beach house they had previously designed for the couple. “We ask clients to collect photos of things they like, it could be travel or clothes or pictures off Pinterest or Instagram,” Kizzee explains. “Then we do what we call a ‘pretty design meeting,’ where we talk about all the things they’re attracted to.”

The husband of this couple was the primary contact, and it was clear that he wanted a sophisticated, cosmopolitan vibe for this home. He phrased it as a “Manhattan penthouse look.” After the team figured out the overall direction, the designers worked on their assigned spaces and then presented the plan to the couple. Fortunately for the timeline, the couple loved the design presentation and requested almost zero changes. “What he was asking for wasn’t a typical Texas aesthetic,” Kizzee says. “We do a lot of coastal and transitional. Especially with a remodel because we’re usually starting with very traditional or Tuscan and you can’t totally ignore the existing architecture.”

Since this home’s style was pretty nonexistent and Kizzee was taking out almost everything except some of the hardwood floors, it was possible to fully embrace the client’s vision. The foundation of the house is black and white, with dark walnut and rich gold tones. Texture comes through the fabrics used in upholstered furniture, window treatments, rugs, and pillows. Sophisticated details like coffered ceilings, color washing, and custom cabinetry add a luxury factor.

And although this project had a tight timeline, Kizzee was able to work with many of her favorite sources like Cambria, Brizo, and Theodore Alexander. “This project really allowed us to be creative, but we didn’t have to sacrifice quality work,” she notes. “I was proud of my team for sure. It took a little village to get it done.”