House in the 'Hood {006}

It's that time again - welcome to the sixth edition of our real estate series, and we're back in Houston for this round! I always love seeing what homes are on the market, both from an investment point of view but also to observe the styling trends currently being used to stage interiors as they're trying to sell. If you didn't catch the last HITH, feel free to catch up here.

This is a nearly 5000 square foot new build currently on the market for just under 2.5 million. This house is for my neutral lovers out there - the interior hard selections are really tastefully done in creams, whites, grays and beige, with light medium colored wood finishes.

The natural light in this house in unbelievable! I love this front room styled as an office, with glass doors that can close you off if you need privacy or quiet work time (shout out to the work-from-home squad!). There's even a private bathroom attached around the corner so you could use this as a guest bedroom (with some tweaks of course for privacy on the windows and doors).

Across from the office is the formal dining room currently staged with seating for six. I have to say the lighting selections feel a little unexpected...very glam and more contemporary than the exterior photo led me to believe was inside.

Not sure I love love the range hood style in this kitchen but I'm happy to focus on the pops of gold hardware instead. The stools are giving me glam vibes with those rich brass legs.

This is the house for you if you love to entertain - there are two walk in pantries, marble & quartzite countertops, and beautiful Wolf & Sub-Zero appliances.

I also love the warmth and tone of the 7" wide engineered white oak floors!

This space would make a great breakfast nook but I could also see it in a keeping room type of layout with an arrangement of comfy chairs around a table...perfect for enjoying coffee in the morning and wine at night. The new homeowners should consider carrying a similar glam vibe from the kitchen into the dining room and breakfast nook with their furniture selections to make the current lighting make sense.

Love that grand staircase and the custom ceiling beams! The built in bookcases are a great opportunity for styling asymmetrically with your favorite pieces collected throughout the years.

I can't help but wonder if a TV will eventually replace that piece of art above the fireplace, which would mess with the configuration of the furniture as shown! Remember to think about these details if you're in the market and walking through open houses - the staged home may look nice, but will it work for the way you and your family like to live?

I don't know that I love these fixtures on top of the mirror, but I do appreciate the touch of brass inside paired with the faucet.

I love a good mudroom - plenty of storage for all of the unsightly backpacks, purses, shoes, and coats that accumulate near the door without fail.

More storage and even desk space in the adjoining nook! This is going to be a great family command center station for busy parents or the perfect place for homework in the afternoon after school.

Great light in this primary bedroom and its large enough to accommodate a small seating area as well. Stylistically, this staged room seems to be having an identity crisis based on what we've already seen throughout the house. The modern chandelier makes sense from seeing what was used downstairs, but everything else...not so much IMHO.

Matching vanities and a large tub with a shower room behind? Yes please!

pre-faucet installation above

You gotta love a large Texas size closet! I love the zones for each person, but the closet is all still one space.

Neutral but fun tiles for the laundry room, and again, plenty of storage! Living in apartments or homes with less than ample storage will always make you appreciate built-in cabinets.

Simple but elegant secondary bathroom. I love the expansive countertop on this vanity!

This is actually a generous sized backyard considering its price and location inside the loop. Good news for buyers with growing families since there's quite a bit of space to customize the outdoor area to your family's lifestyle.

Overall this looks like a great home to raise a busy family in. While I'm not a fan of the lighting selections, well, not a fan of them in this house to be fair, I definitely like the hard finish selections. They're neutral enough to work with the current all white paint palette or perhaps new buyers might decide to add punches of color (it could work...depending on the undertone). There are so many design options out there to choose from. That's what I love about designing for busy families and clients, getting to know our clients personalities, preferences, and lifestyles then translating those as we design their spaces to make a house truly become a home specifically designed for who they are and how they live.

Do you need help turning your new house into a home? Reach out here through our website. Have a house you'd love to see featured? Leave a comment below - I love real estate and looking through what's out there right now on the market.

All photos are from my favorite real estate resource in Houston or anywhere, har.com.