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with HISTORY BY REBECCA SHERMAN. INTERIOR DESIGN LAUREN HASKETT. PHOTOGRAPHY JACK THOMPSON. STYLING WALKER WRIGHT. INTERIOR RENOVATION SOUTHLAND HOMES. A A nna Peikert has a soft spot for old architecture. Her company, C r o s s b e l l Ventures, in- vests in such redevelopment projects as Baylor Street, a 1930s brick building in Sunset Heights that was formerly a post office or general store. So, when she moved in 2020 from a rural area outside Houston to the city with her two young sons, she focused her house- hunting in the historic neighborhood of Woodland Heights. One house in particular tugged at the heartstrings: a 1920s Craftsman bungalow that reminded her of home. "I grew up in a 1920s house, and I just fell in love with it," she says. She bought the old house — which turns 102 this year — A 1920 CRAFTSMAN BUNGALOW IS SUFFUSED WITH SOUTHERN GOTHIC HUES BY DESIGNER LAUREN HASKETT. and discovered that it comes with a pedigree. It was built by Frank Black, a noteworthy educator, school principal, and co-founder of what is now the University of Houston. Black died in 1932, and the house's subsequent occupants made some changes but kept its essential character, including the original carpentry and millwork. Like those who came before her, Peikert wanted to put her stamp on the house — but with a light touch. "I wanted to make it fresh and modern and comfortable, and I also had a lot of antiques from my grandmother that I wanted to incorporate in the design," she says. "I just didn't know how to pull it together without help of a professional." A Google search for Houston interior designers brought up Lauren Haskett's website. "Lauren's style was sophisticated and elegant, with a Southern spin on things. I had a good feeling about her — she has an ability to read her clients really well, and we just clicked." Haskett says her client was a dream from the get-go. "She really trusted me to run with it, and when the client trusts your vision, it allows you to do so many more interesting things," Haskett says. Their initial planning meetings established what direction to take with the house, including design and renovations. "We didn't want to fight with the house's character and history, but we also needed to make it family-friendly and warm and cozy," says Haskett, who enlisted the help of Southland Homes, which has experience with historic remodels. Some of the changes included a new roof and pool, along with a totally redone kitchen and bathrooms. HOUSE HOUSE 54