The 5 Most Popular Houzz Tours of 2019

Light-filled rooms, charming architectural features and personalized decor fill these most-viewed homes

Erin Carlyle December 29, 2019

Former Houzz Editorial Staff. Writing about the cost of renovation and what it takes to remodel. Former Forbes real estate reporter. Fascinated by cool homes, watching the bottom line.

Former Houzz Editorial Staff. Writing about the cost of renovation and what it takes... More

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It’s always a treat to tour someone else’s home. And the ones in this year’s countdown of the five most-viewed Houzz Tours have a lot in common: charming architectural features, fresh furnishings, plenty of natural light and touches that reflect the personalities and history of the homeowners.

Oak Hill Architects

Photos by Jared Kuzia

5. Classic Touches for a Cape Cod Beach House

House at a Glance
Who lives here: A family when on vacation
Location: Cape Cod region of Massachusetts
Architect: Andrew Reck of Oak Hill Architects

This Massachusetts home boasts breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean from nearly every room, so architect Andrew Reck chose to keep the interior details classic, simple and clean. Post-renovation, the front door now opens to a small foyer that leads straight into the living room, which has a large window wall overlooking the ocean. Two half walls covered in decorative paneling and topped with slabs of red birch separate the foyer from the space beyond it.

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Oak Hill Architects

The kitchen has wonderful light thanks to several windows. To create more storage, the design team added a large island with built-in cabinets on two sides.

The beadboard on the cabinet doors is a classic coastal touch. The countertops are soapstone, the backsplash is mosaic tile in Calacatta marble. The stovetop is gas, built into the island, and has a downdraft vent that pops up during use.

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LDa Architecture & Interiors

Photos by Sean Litchfield Photography

4. Martha’s Vineyard Renovation Preserves Memories

House at a Glance
Who lives here: A young Boston family when on vacation
Location: Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts
Size: 1,500 square feet (139 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Architect: LDa Architecture & Interiors

The owner of this home on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, had many fond memories of being here with her grandmother. Recently she turned the home into a vacation home for her own family and asked LDa Architecture & Interiors for help.

The family wanted to preserve the charm of the exterior, upgrading it with energy-efficient windows and doors, western red cedar shingle siding and an architectural shingle roof. The front door is painted Naval by Sherwin-Williams, which carries through in several areas of the house.

LDa Architecture & Interiors

Inside, the house needed a down-to-the-studs renovation. Architect Kyle Sheffield kept the original heart pine floors, two original interior windows and a corner cabinet.

In the kitchen, Sheffield repeated the front door’s color on the island, which features a rosewood counter and contains a wine fridge and microwave. The cabinetry is classic Shaker style, and the perimeter counters are granite. New shiplap on the walls provides a backdrop for pot rails.

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Transitional Exterior Transitional Exterior

Photos by J. Turnbow Photography

3. Not-Too-Tudor Style for New Parents in Texas

House at a Glance
Who lives here: A young couple with a new baby and a dog
Location: Dallas
Size: 3,400 square feet (316 square meters); four bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms
Designer: Ginger Curtis of Urbanology Designs

The owners of this Dallas home love contemporary style, but while house hunting during their move from New Jersey they fell in love with a 1920s Tudor. They hired designer Ginger Curtis to highlight the home’s charming architecture and also blend in a contemporary look.

Urbanology Designs

The mix of historic charm and comfortable contemporary style is on display in the living room. The chandelier is a good example of the style Curtis was going for: classic combined with modern. She felt the fixture had a funkiness her clients would appreciate, as well as a dose of Art Deco that was in line with the style and period of the home.

Curtis painted the fireplace black to make it pop against the white walls. White linen drapes blend in with the wall color to keep the focus on the windows. Leather, wood and upholstered furniture are easygoing yet elegant.

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Convene Architecture

Photos by Stacy Zarin Goldberg Photography

2. Urban Farmhouse With Many Rooms for Gathering

House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with a young daughter
Size: 3,664 square feet (340 square meters)
Location: Rosemont neighborhood of Alexandria, Virginia
Designers: Laura Campbell of Convene Architecture and Kristin Try of Gingham & Grosgrain

The owners of this home hired architect Laura Campbell and designer Kristin Try to improve their home through a thoughtful addition at the back and attractive and restful decor choices. This photo shows the exterior of the home after renovation.

Convene Architecture

A highlight of the renovation is the new family room, located directly behind the kitchen island area. This is where the family likes to hang out. This room is a replacement for the old family room, which had too many windows for the homeowners’ liking.

They wanted a light-filled home that allowed for privacy and offered places to hang art. Campbell brought in the light through vertical windows, leaving room for art with the wall space in between. Try chose linen inverted-pinch-pleat panels to complement the windows without overshadowing them.

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Kathryn J. LeMaster Art & Design

Photos by Rett Peek

1. Collectibles and Color in a 1930s Cottage

House at a Glance
Who lives here: Cindi and Randy Maddox; she’s an educator, he’s a doctor.
Location: Little Rock, Arkansas
Size: 2,580 square feet (240 square meters); 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
Designer: Kathryn J. LeMaster Art & Design

Randy and Cindi Maddox downsized from a 5,000-square-foot-plus home filled with antiques and collectibles to a cozy Arkansas cottage half the size. They hired interior designer Kathryn J. LeMaster to help them decide what to keep, what to let go and how to create a cohesive yet eclectic style in their new home. LeMaster helped the couple sort through their belongings and took cues from their items to pull in turquoise, coral and lime green, which she sprinkled throughout the cheery home.

In the kitchen, LeMaster added a new island and a peninsula with a sink that overlooks a breakfast room and wall of windows. A range hood with a shelf displays paintings by Cindi, while a shelf near the ceiling above the sink shows off colorful vintage trays.

The counters are marble-look quartz.

Paint: Rainwashed, Sherwin-Williams (island); Alabaster, Sherwin-Williams (cabinets and trim).

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Kathryn J. LeMaster Art & Design

Cindi chose the yellow paint (Humble Gold by Sherwin-Williams) for the living room and LeMaster helped select paints for the rest of the home. The designer also created the furniture plan, and added aqua and coral accents as she did in the kitchen. The custom coffee table is from a local wood salvage shop. The homeowners already had the artwork and fireplace screen.

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