PaperCity Magazine

July/August 2017 - Houston

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65 and knew she wanted them to help with her house. Having grown up in Corsicana, Texas, Knapp's style trends toward Southern traditional. But her years in New York honed an appreciation for modern design, and she wanted to combine the two in her new home — but felt paralyzed. "I felt like everything was such a permanent decision, that I was not making any progress and not trusting my own decisions," she says. Before moving into their ranch-style home, she and husband Fred took on the renovation — walls were removed and the space reimagined into an up-to-date open floor plan. A partnership with Lowe's and KitchenAid resulted in a stunning new kitchen. Knapp initially hired the Jawdas to help her re-cover inherited furniture, add a few pillows and create custom curtains, but quickly realized she needed the Jawdas' expertise on the room flow as well. "If I hadn't worked with a designer, the house would not be finished. They took me out of my comfort zone," she says. "I had envisioned deep green velvet à la Tory Burch's living room, which would have been too heavy and not cohesive with the rest of the house. There are so many rules of design that I don't know because I don't have the background that they have." Sarah says, "You don't have to spend a fortune — in this home, it was all about the mix of high and low." Throughout the course of the project, they used the hashtag #harperxjawda so fans could follow along on fabric meetings, installs, and bookshelf styling sessions — typically following a raid of Longoria Collection for coffee-table books and Aerin shagreen accessories. Rugs from London Grey and Floor, pillows in black-and-white David Hicks La Fiorentina and mustard velvet, and moody abstract paintings by Saba (who is also an artist) look at home alongside sets of inherited reupholstered chairs and carry-over furniture from Knapp's New York apartment. Sisal bins for toy storage are within easy reach for sons Knox and Andrew, and many of the fabrics and rugs are durable indoor/ outdoor. "She let us push the boundaries and experiment," Saba says about Knapp. "Your client has hired you for your vision, so you have to stay true to that." Knapp is thrilled with the result, as are her followers. The interiors tab on houseofharper.com is the fastest growing, traffic-wise, on her site. Additional collaborations for Knapp's home with The Shade Store (for bedroom curtains) and Frontgate (outdoor living area) have followed, as brands have taken notice of the overwhelming response Knapp receives from her followers. For a full tour, go to papercitymag.com/ househarper. In the breakfast room, custom paneling, Restoration Hardware table, IKEA chairs. Kichler chandelier. In her office, Harper wears a dress by Hunter Bell. In the dining room, painting by Saba Jawda. Reupholstered French gray chairs and rug from London Grey Rugs. In the living room, an oversized painting by Saba Jawda. David Hicks La Fiorentina and mustard velvet pillows. Sets of inherited reupholstered chairs.

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