Houston interior designer Mary Patton of Mary Patton Design, who once worked in the fashion industry for Calvin Klein and Theory and launched an eponymous handbag collection, believes interior design should be both accessible and an enjoyable experience for her clients. For a recent residential project for a family of four in Spring Valley, an enclave of Houston, Texas, she wanted to create a classic aesthetic with a modern twist. “They wanted to stay in a neutral palette but then have fun with color,” adds Patton of the newly constructed home designed by architect Kevin Young Designers Inc. and builder Schindler Homes.
Taking inspiration from the clients, Patton chose neutral black-and-white hues with pops of bold color with wallpaper and artwork. “The wife loves black-and-white, she herself is very glamorous and the husband has an appreciation for graffiti art and love of music,” explains Patton. “They were dream clients because they allowed me to push them outside their comfort zone, while still keeping the look very much them.”
“The couple has two boys, so we created a hyper feminine planning center for the wife,” adds Patton. “It’s a room just for her, located off the kitchen. We painted the whole thing top-to-bottom in Farrow and Ball’s ‘Calamine Pink.’ We also selected unique hardware for the cabinets, did a soft window treatment using a whimsical Pierre Frey fabric, and created a custom desk chair. We partnered with local artist, Carla Valencia, to personalize the vintage chair, after reupholstering it in a blue Schumacher velvet.”
Patton attests her favorite space, however, is the dining room. “My favorite room is the dining room,” says Patton. “We used Segreto Finishes in Houston to paint a silver floral mural and mixed it with Tom Dixon lighting. The room is a stunning blend of masculine and feminine, modern and traditional.”
