Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/633195
D E S I G N S H E R F A M I L Y H O M E … O N E R O O M A T A T I M E LINDSEY LOOKE DESIGNER BY ANNE LEE PHILLIPS. PHOTOGRAPHY JENNY ANTILL CLIFTON. PRODUCED BY ANNE LEE PHILLIPS AND JENNY ANTILL CLIFTON. I nterior designer Lindsey Looke and husband, Steven, resided in cozy rental apartments (read: cramped) in New York, Chicago, Palo Alto and L.A. before relocating to Steven's hometown of Houston, enabling him to accept a position in the family business and allowing Lindsey to finally have the square footage she craved. After nearly a year of searching — while living in another petite apartment in River Oaks — they found their dream home in Avalon, a coveted neighborhood adjacent to River Oaks known for charming older houses in approachable sizes. In a competitive inner-loop real estate market, home-court advantages are key: Looke, who was pregnant with their first child, penned a letter to the owners, expressing their desire to raise their young family in that very home. This personal touch won them the property; the previous owners had raised their family there, too. The Lookes moved in just in time — two weeks later, Looke gave birth to a baby boy. The Federal-style two-story brick home was built in 1939, and an addition by prior owners resulted in a heavenly 3,560 total square feet — more than triple the size of their NYC apartment. At the time, Looke was studying interior design at The Art Institute; she soon began working as a design assistant for Munger Interiors. Her busy schedule as a new mom, student and employee forced her to design her own home slowly and deliberately. What resulted is proof that patience is a virtue. The Lookes' house has turned into a beloved gathering place for the young inner- loop social set. Dinner parties here are top-notch, and cocktails — an especially lethal margarita or Champagne with a float of raspberry, depending upon the occasion — are served in the family room. When dinner is involved, Looke holds court with one set of guests in the dining room, while her husband hosts another set in the library, which is filled with equal parts design books (hers) and autobiographical tomes (his), where a second table accommodates eight. Couples are frequently separated to keep conversation spinning among the guests. Last year, after the birth of a daughter and at the prompting of friends, Looke went out on her own and opened Ella Lee Interiors. Her own home has served as a calling card for friends and friends of friends who have now become clients, eager to adopt her aesthetic: a contemporary and traditional home that provides for cozy living and entertaining. Lindsey Looke in a Dolce & Gabbana brocade daisy-print dress from Tootsies. Baker sofa. Pierre Vandel Paris vintage table from Uptowner Antiques in New Orleans. Looke turned an awkward corridor into a statement hallway with Schumacher ikat wallpaper. The library is painted in Farrow & Ball Charleston Gray. The table, a family heirloom, pulls double duty with a leaf inserted and functions as an additional dining table for large dinner parties.