Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1522886
the Giuffres moved into their new house ready to renovate. Then the pandemic hit. "We truly just sat still and didn't make any changes," she says. "We hosted our third- grade son's pod at home and just lived in the house until we decided what we wanted to do." Once they got going, it was first things first, with nuts-and-bolts upgrades such as plumbing and electrical. A clunky staircase railing was ripped out and replaced with a sleek brass one with intricate wrought-iron and brass detailing of Catherine's own design to "give it a little sparkle when you walk in," she says. The kitchen, family room, and breakfast nook were paneled in white oak, and Catherine redesigned the living-room fireplace in Calacatta Viola marble. C atherine and Dean have similar tastes when it comes to furnishings, which makes for tailored, handsome interiors that aren't too masculine or feminine. "I'm a Type A personality, so I like tight upholstery because it has a cleaner look," she says. "And all of our furnishings are neutral — we let the art have all the color." While Catherine works with color and pattern in many different styles for clients, she loves interiors where you can't tell if a man or woman lives there. Catherine developed an eye for art and antiques after working for many years for designers J. Randall "Randy" Powers and interior designer Jane Moore. "Jane and I would travel to France for work, and I fell in love with French antiques," she says. "Randy was my mentor — he's just so incredibly talented — and we'd go to all the galleries in Houston together. It taught me that if you're going to spend a lot of money on art, it should be something of value. I try to carry that forward with my clients, helping them start their own collections." At home, the Giuffres' art includes works on paper by Robert Motherwell, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, Willem de Kooning, and James Surls. One of Dean's favorites is a punchy work by California artist Juan Carlos Muñoz Hernandez, which vies for attention with two other large pieces, including a portrait of Queen Elizabeth In the entryway, Empire chest and Louis Philippe mirror from Joyce Horn Antiques. Dean Giuffre's collection of vintage cocktail shakers. Bonefish photograph by artist Holly Wilmeth. Vintage slipper chair in Nobilis fabric. 46