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V isitors to this 1934 Tudor-style residence in River Oaks are often delightfully surprised by what they fi nd. Chinoiserie design elements and dreamy cloud murals, installed in the 1980s by previous owners, evoke a bit of theater and come with a fascinating backstory. Add to that the present homeowners' vibrant contemporary art collection, which rattles the architecture's gracious bones with exciting contrast. "The house and the art have such a wonderful soul," the wife says. "The combination is charming and at the same time humorous — it doesn't take itself too seriously." Both husband and wife are actively involved in Houston's art community: She serves on multiple museum advisory boards, including the Blaffer Art Museum. She also serves on the Prints and Paper and Contemporary committees for the MFAH. He's on the Menil Foundation advisory collection committee. Together, they have amassed a large collection of works on paper and sculpture while raising three children, all now grown. The gabled home had already created quite a sensation across Houston before they moved in eight years ago. After the previous homeowners put it up for sale in 2011, Swamplot and the Houston Chronicle ran stories about its exuber- ant interiors, created decades earlier by designer George Weinle. A hot decorator in New York during the Studio 54 era, Weinle's clients included Yoko Ono and Broadway producer David Merrick. Weinle was hired in 1986 and festooned the rooms with columns, palm trees, and myriad Asian details. "The previous owner put a lot of passion into it, and it was beyond crazy," says the wife, who tackled the in- teriors of their new home herself. Much of Weinle's '80s-era design was removed, but one room stands out as a masterpiece of eccentricity. The breakfast room's total immersion in hand-painted cloud murals is an ode to his days working for Yoko Ono, who had requested clouds for the walls of some of her homes, including a ceiling in the VIBRANT CONTEMPORARY ART, YOKO ONO- INSPIRED CLOUDS, AND CHINOISERIE DETAILS ADD SOUL TO THIS 1934 HOME. Sculpture on shelf by Liliana Porter from Sicardi/Ayers/Bacino. Works on paper by Mona Hatoum and Edward Kienholz, Moody Gallery.