Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1508059
P oppi Massey's swinging n e w R i v e r O a k s residence was inspired by her favorite childhood vacation home in Indian Wells, California, where her family regularly spent time. Overlooking the fairway at the fabled Eldorado Country Club, their mid-century modern house was a swank diversion from their Houston homestead, a stately 1930s Colonial Revival in River Oaks. "My parents would have these big parties at the Indian Wells house during the Bob Hope Desert Classic. I'd ride around in a golf cart. It was so much fun," she remembers. Her new mid-century River Oaks house was finished last year, and it was a long time coming. She'd already torn down two previous houses on the same lot due to mold issues — a 1950s Colonial Revival that looked a lot like the one she grew up in and a newly constructed house that engendered ire among the neighbors for its large size and ultra-modern style. Third time's a charm — fingers crossed — and Massey has rebuilt yet again in the same spot. "I knew what I wanted to go for this time: a more mid-century modern feel and a manageable size," she says. On a friend's recommendation, she hired architect Dillon Kyle, who had been a couple of years behind her at The Kinkaid School. "He's really collaborative and listens," she says. They borrowed a few of Massey's favorite design details from her parents' chic Sinatra-esque house, including a classic mid-century hairpin design for metalwork on the exterior and an interior staircase. They also copied the original front door, with its hairpin pattern in wood relief. The green-and-white terrazzo floors This page: A dining and seating area with black bamboo dining table from Wyeth and Philippe Starck chairs in Missoni fabric. Eero Aarnio Bubble pendant chair and vintage white patent-leather tube bench from London. Custom rug by Vanderhurd. Painting on fireplace by Gabriela Trzebinski, sculpture by Luis Ortiz Monasterio. On wall outside, Tim Berg and Rebekah Myers' Twin Pop sculpture. Opposite page: The roof's broad soffits are wrapped in vinyl printed with magnolia leaves and blooms. Metal detailing by Iron Access. 66