This sexy penthouse reno on the 26th floor of the Bristol condominiums in Houston demands attention.
A custom sectional from Quatrine Home (quatrine.com) surrounds the inlaid fossilized clam shell cocktail table from Design House (designhousetx.com). Photographed by Steve Chenn
“Nothing ordinary was acceptable!” exclaims Christine Ho, interior designer, RID, ASID. When the homeowner brought Christine Ho Interiors (christinehointeriors.com) into the project, she asked, “What can we do differently in every corner?” Every room and every wall has something unique that catches one’s attention. “It exudes drama, but just enough to give a soft ‘Oh-là-là’ every time you look at something new,” Ho says. “I started to incorporate a lot of head-turning elements to show my client’s taste through the home.”
The entire home glows, including the kitchen island. Photographed by Steve Chenn
Wows are expected when walking throughout the penthouse as great thought was put into every part of the home, like the diamond plaster wall wrapping around the apartment, adding softness to the black and gold accents. “The inspiration for the design came from the client’s desire for luxurious black furnishings and a living space that’s warm and inviting yet with a bit of spice,” says Ho.
Upon entry, one is greeted with the backlit bar. The top brass portion is custom-built by a local metalsmith Peck and Company (peckandcompany.com) and the bottom portion is built by a local carpenter, Artisan Cabinets & Trim (facebook.com/artisancabinetstrim). The back-lit glass countertops from Walker Zanger (walkerzanger.com) and fabricated by Milestone (milestonetops.com) make the bar glow even more, and it’s all topped off with New Orleans jeweler Marion Cage’s (marioncage.com) unique hardware.
Shelving aound the two-story fireplace. Photographed by Steve Chenn
“The curved staircase is a focal point of the home,” says Ho. Layered on top is an emerald-colored runner with climbing leopards from the Rug Company (therugcompany.com). The eyecatching staircase made of black Venetian plaster reveals the living room, which has a stunning two-story porcelain stone wall and a spectacular view of the city. High ceilings and open, expansive windows capture the shining city of Houston from this home on the 26th floor. “The view is a perfect companion to enjoy a few drinks, especially with the lit-up bar entry and the cozy two-story fireplace accent wall,” she says. “In the living room, you have a book-matched black and white porcelain slab from Hilltop Stone (hilltopgranite.com) up to 18 feet high. On both sides of the slabs are two different Omexco (omexco.com) wallpapers, all lit up with more LED to highlight the wood texture and the metallic gold shimmer wallpaper, which is an eco-friendly product.”
An emerald-colored runner with climbing leopards from The Rug Company (therugcompany.com) adorns the curved staircase. Photographed by Steve Chenn
As you move toward the kitchen, you can’t help but stare at the green back-lit onyx island from Allied Gallery (alliedgallery.com), fabricated by Olympus Marble & Granite (olympusmarble.com). “It is on a dimmer, so it can be as intense and bright or as dim and subtle as you want. It required four slabs carefully book-matched to create this piece of wonder,” Ho says. It doesn’t end there. When you finally look past the onyx, the stunning Christian Louboutin-inspired vent hood takes the stage. “You can’t miss it with the oversize brass studs on stainless steel,” she says. “It looks sharp and sexy, especially with an entire backsplash from florntree (thorntreeslate.com) full of rectangular tiles that resemble gold bars.”
To the kitchen’s right is a small nook filled with bookshelves and a live wood edge custom table with brass legs. “The perfect little space for your morning cup of coffee or to look through the many cookbooks to plan for the next big feast,” she notes. “So much backlighting under countertops and under-toe kicks makes the entire home glow. You can’t help but notice all the fine details when a subtle light attracts your attention. The interior completely matches this penthouse’s twostory amazing Houston skyline.”
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