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    The Ultimate Tree House

    The ultimate secret agent lair: This near million dollar Houston 'tree house' includes crazy security features

    Barbara Kuntz
    Barbara Kuntz
    Jun 2, 2014 | 12:14 pm

    Editor's Note: Houston, the surrounding areas and beyond are loaded with must-have houses for sale in all shapes, sizes and price ranges. In this continuing series, CultureMap snoops through some of the best and gives you the lowdown on what's hot on the market.

    A Houston garden home with contemporary flair, cool reflective ceilings and walls — plus secret agent-style security features — is on sale for $975,000.

    Walk through

    Located in the quiet, 24-hour manned and gated community of Raintree Place, the unassuming residence at 10 S. Briar Hollow Lane, No. 26, sits back on its 7,100-square-foot lot surrounded by mature trees. The structure is nicknamed "House in the Trees" as floor-to-ceiling windows afford views of the ground's lush landscaping in its inner-Loop setting.

    The original owner of the house, an unnamed CEO of a major oil and gas company, had the upper left quadrant of the structure designed as a safe room.

    The dramatic two-story entrance opens to marble floors and a spacious open floor plan perfect for entertaining. Mod metallic wall coverings on the 9-foot-tall ceilings create the illusion of endless space. A gas log-burning fireplace in the formal living room is clad in stainless steel and marble for more urban flair. Glass walls and doors on the back of the residence bring the outside in.

    A sitting area, located off the living room, also enjoys outdoor views. From here, a spiral staircase leads downstairs to a large wine cellar. The vistas continue to the adjacent formal dining room. A wet bar with black granite counter is convenient to all rooms, including the library with custom wood shelves, cabinets and inset lighting.

    The kitchen follows a red, black and white color scheme with stainless steel Viking appliances casting a shiny finish. In addition to extensive Corian countertops, the kitchen also features a breakfast nook and desk with stainless steel shelving.

    All three bedrooms are upstairs, where steel doors and extra-thick walls provide maximum security. In fact, the original owner of the house, an unnamed CEO of a major oil and gas company, had the upper left quadrant of the structure designed as a safe room — complete with peep hole to see out. Near the entrance at the front of the house, a guard once sat behind a double-glass window to monitor comings and goings.

    The master suite highlights include a white marble fireplace and more reflective ceilings. The master bathroom comes with marble floors and walls, a custom built-in vanity, large soaking tub and bidet. In total, the residence has three full and three half-baths.

    Step outside
    From the master suite, owners exit to a marble-floored balcony inside a two-story, screened-in back porch overlooking the grounds. The porch is also accessible from the living room. The two-car garage is attached, with extra parking available.

    Square footage: 3,960

    Asking price: $975,000

    Listing agent:David Houston, New Leaf Real Estate

    Walk past the library with custom wood shelves, cabinets and inset lighting.

    5 On the Market 10 S. Briar Hollow Lane No. 26 June 2014
      
    Photo by © Stephen Gutierrez
    Walk past the library with custom wood shelves, cabinets and inset lighting.
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    Branching Out

    Hidden gem Houston store offers timeless antiques at affordable prices

    Emily Cotton
    Feb 28, 2025 | 12:11 pm
    Living Century Home store
    Photo by Emily Cotton
    Hand-selected imports fill this Spring Valley showroom.

    Not far off the beaten path, in Houston’s Spring Valley neighborhood, exists an unassuming industrial building with a door marked only by the giant, seemingly anachronistic, olive oil jar that houses an olive tree. Behind this door lies Living Century Home, a store that sells imported decorative goods from Greece, Turkey, Indonesia, and India — all 100-years-old or more.

    Founded in 2023, this fledgling company has already gained “cult status” among designers and architects from all over the Southeast. Even more impressive is that their marketing strategy is merely old-fashioned word-of-mouth. This appointment-only showroom sees two visitors a day on average, which makes sense when each appointment lasts between two and three hours. These time blocks may seem extreme, but once immersed in Living Century’s santal-scented sea of olive jars, small pots, and wooden pieces, it becomes clear how easily a person could lose all sense of time while searching for that perfect piece.


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    A post shared by @livingcentury


    Umit Aktura founded Living Century Home for pragmatic reasons — he and wife Melis found it frustrating to source authentic antique olive jars for their own home. That previous lack of authentic inventory stateside is how Aktura explains their rapid success, even opening a secondary location near the Dallas Design District last year.

    “I’m not someone who can sit behind a computer monitor all day,” Aktura tells CultureMap. The former software engineer and University of Houston alumnus decided to take the leap into home decor importing once the family had successfully sourced items for themselves.

    “We try to source the best products, we have Round Top quality and better,” says Aktura. “We sometimes take two months overseas sourcing the very best.”

    Living Century Home is aware that many garden centers and big box stores offer mass-produced replicas of the types of items in their inventory, but that’s not an issue for them. “That’s not our client,” he explains.

    While many replicas exist of the large, white, olive jars from Greece, the highly textural and patinated jars from other countries are impossible to replicate. The three most popular styles come from Turkey and are known for their distinctive regional traits. These Turkish jars are Avanos, Aydin, and Odemis.

    To assist clients with completing the Living Century look, the company also sells regionally appropriate “Shady Lady,” aka “Black Olive” trees in 6-9’ heights — very full service indeed.

    Every item in inventory is subject to an authentication process and is tagged with color codes and numbered seals — they have provenance. “Everything we have I’ve put my own hands on and personally selected,” Aktura tells CultureMap.

    Olive jars of all sizes, small jugs, bread boards, accent tables and stools carved from a single piece of wood, the list of items is impressive. Beautifully carved cabinets from India sit alongside a small selection of dining tables. The store also stocks rare, lime-washed paper mache “bowls” (just don’t add water!).

    “The best pieces are only here because we love them,” says Aktura. “That’s why we take so much time sourcing.”

    Most items from Living Century Home are purchased for private collections, though recently their antiques can be seen at Houston Greek restaurant Niko Niko’s, the new Yellow Rose by Kendra Scott store in the Heights, and what will be a very public-facing art installation in a soon-to-be-announced restaurant.

    Do not be misled by their appointment-only approach to doing business. With pricing between $45-$2,000, their antiques are very accessible, but hagglers beware: “This isn’t a Round Top festival style ‘buy two, get 50-percent off’ sort of place,” says Aktura with a laugh. “Everything here is special.” Duly noted.


    Living Century Home store
      

    Photo by Emily Cotton

    Hand-selected imports fill this Spring Valley showroom.

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