Classical Architecture Goes Glam on AIA Home Tour: Go Inside One of Its Most Intriguing Projects

Julie Soefer
Classical Architecture Goes Glam on AIA Home Tour: Go Inside One of Its Most Intriguing Projects

THE UPCOMING AIA Houston Home Tour is always an anticipated fall event, a style showcase from some of the city’s best architects, designers and tastemakers. The two-day, self-guided tour includes several custom homes in the area that exhibit design excellence, innovative design solutions, and sustainable features.


One of the most unique projects on this year’s home tour, which takes place Nov. 2-3, is from Benjamin Johnston. The two-story Woodlands Heights home, dubbed Heights Regency, has a neoclassical elegance that reads timeless from the outside — but colorfully contemporary on the inside.

Greeting visitors is a Greek-columned atrium with a 16-foot-long skylight. The first floor is an entertainer’s paradise, while upstairs is a haven with several bedrooms. Classic, architectural details like herringbone floors, marble casings and paneling are countered by the boldly colorful and glamorously edgy furnishings; the pairing is deliberate and intriguing.

Outside, a lush courtyard garden and 55-foot lap pool lend a day-spa vibe to the urban manse. There’s also a fab outdoor kitchen — which is in addition to the property’s gorgeous main kitchen and catering kitchen.

"Heights Regency is a true jewel box," says Johnston of the project, . "Every element has been carefully considered to create a luxurious and inviting living experience. We are thrilled to share this project with the world."

Home + Real Estate
‘Embrace Changes,’ Says Valobra, Whose Namesake Jewelry Store Has Become a Houston Institution
How did you get to where you are today? I had little choice in the matter; I grew up being trained to become the fourth-generation jewelry designer behind my great grandfather, grandfather, and father. It was my duty to carry on the family business and continue the hard work and success they built from nothing, beginning in Torino, Italy in 1905. I was surrounded by jewelry and its craftmanship as a young child and was taught the business from a very young age.
Keep Reading Show less

'We Rise Together,' part of CHAT's Gulfton Story Trail, in background; inset, a mural by Daniel Anguilu

WITH AN AESTHETIC that reads as something between stained-glass and graffiti, Daniel Anguilu is arguably one of the best-known street artists in Houston. The vibrant, abstracted and large-scale pieces often feature motifs inspired by his Mexican heritage, and also address injustice and political issues like immigration.

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment

IT’S THAT TIME of year again — already! — and The Union Kitchen is honoring teachers and educators with a gratis brunch this weekend at all locations.

Keep Reading Show less
Food