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    Houston's Historic Mansion

    This $11.5 million Houston mansion brings historic luxury — and the legend of the indoor home skating rink

    Barbara Kuntz
    Barbara Kuntz
    Jul 6, 2014 | 8:24 am

    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.

    Malvern Estate at 7 Winston Woods, one of Houston's grandest John Staub-designed homes, is now up for sale. It carries a $11.5 million asking price and boasts direct ties to old Houston society of the rich, educated and sophisticated — and lots of oil men.

    A bit of background
    Malvern was completed in 1938 by Staub for late Houston businessman James O. Winston Jr. The acreage was carved from equestrian property owned by the late Stephen Power Farish of Humble Oil and his late brother, William Stamps Farish II, former president of Standard Oil.

    William Stamps Farish II brought Staub to Houston in 1921 when he was a young architect in New York. Staub’s inspiration for Malvern came from The Wick, an 18th-century late Georgian house in Richmond, Greater London.

    Winston Woods’ private road is bordered and curbed with Belgian block cobblestone from the streets of lower Manhattan.

    Staub is reported to have traveled with the Winstons to England to acquire some of the antique elements that now grace Malvern. In addition, Winston commissioned Houston Brick & Tile Co. to reproduce the sand-surfaced bricks at the Governor's Palace in Williamsburg, Va., for the Houston estate The wall enclosing Winston Woods also was inspired by the wall surrounding that post-colonial building.

    The present owners purchased Malvern and its original 12 acres from the Winston family in 1997. Since then, they subdivided the property to create the 12-acre Winston Woods, a gated enclave of eight home sites and private nature preserve. Their comprehensive, research-driven restoration and detailed modernization was a 14-year project.

    The house
    Original hardwood floors, inlaid with parquet patterns, extend from the rotunda foyer throughout the house. Highlights in the formal living room include a centrally framed ceiling panel with trompe l’oeil sky distract and antique fireplace with an ornate marble frieze carved with mythological figures. The dining room overlooks the terrace and park.

    The more informal morning room is bright and lively with Brunschwig & Fils-covered walls, and the library is paneled in rich mahogany. The spacious kitchen is up-to-date and professionally equipped, with a cozy family room just steps away.

    On the second floor, the master suite has access to a rear balcony and includes two updated bathrooms and dressing areas with custom walk-in closets. Also on the second floor, four additional bedroom suites offer private bathrooms and walk-in or multiple deep closets. The Winstons left the third floor of the house floored but not finished, and their children (reportedly) used it as an indoor skating rink.

    Re-purposing its original, long-leaf pine planks, the present owners converted the large open space into two dormer bedrooms. In total, the house has nine full baths and four half-baths.

    The grounds
    Lush parterres near the kitchen are stocked with culinary herbs, mature fruit and berry trees and perennial flowering plants. Pennsylvania green stone terraces surround the house and transition to stacked-stone and brick paths that travel to a contiguous 2.134 acre wooded, restricted reserve and to the bayou. There, owners enjoy a flagstone waterfall, flowing pond and a fire pit.

    The guest quarters above the three-car garage was constructed almost entirely from reclaimed materials salvaged from the original garage and its second-floor living quarters.

    Winston Woods’ private road is bordered and curbed with Belgian block cobblestone from the streets of lower Manhattan. When those streets were renovated in the late-20th century, 60 tons of cobblestone was purchased and shipped to Houston by rail for Winston Woods.

    Square footage: 10,153

    Asking price: $11.5 million

    Listing agent: Steve Baumgardner, John Daugherty Realtors

    The parterre garden, with a guest quarters above the attached three-car garage.

    On the Market 7 Winston Woods July 2014 parteere garden with guest quarters over three-car garage
      
    Photo courtesy of © TK Images
    The parterre garden, with a guest quarters above the attached three-car garage.
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    These Houston designers are traveling to England to study British style

    Emily Cotton
    Apr 25, 2025 | 12:29 pm
    Hallie Henley British style living room
    Photo by Jack Thompson
    Designer Hallie Henley invokes English garden flair.

    Houston anglophiles are having their moment in the spotlight. For the last few years, British-inspired Maximalism, Cottage Core, and Dark Academia (think rich mahogany paneling and Chesterfield sofas) have dominated Instagram and Pinterest boards. Even restaurants and private clubs have been designing with a not-too-subtle nod to the British — looking at you, Marigold Club and Annabelle Brasserie.

    Local interior designers who have been long-inspired by design and architecture from across the pond are more popular than ever. While books, museums, and hit period shows and films can be great sources of inspiration, designers, architects, and lay people yearn for more — and now the dream has become reality.

    Recently, top Houston designers (and CultureMap) were invited to tea at Park House to meet The Duchess of Rutland and her daughter Lady Violet Manners as they discussed how their new venture, HeritageXplore, brings together Britain’s independently-owned heritage castles and palaces to be admired and visited for the first time. CultureMap caught up with designers Courtnay Tartt Elias of Creative Tonic, senior designer Kelsey Ralph of Meg Lonergan Interiors, and Hallie Henley Sims — all self-proclaimed anglophiles — to discuss the magnetism of British style, and why HeritageXplore is a game changer for the field of preservation and interior design.

    “The British are truly having a moment right now with all of the beautiful prints coming out of England and by heritage British fabric companies and current British designers,” says Elias. “I adore color and pattern…and the British have a way with color because their light is so different across the pond, especially compared to Texas. I’m inspired by how their toned-down color palette makes such a punch when mixing patterns…The subtlety is something to be studied.”

    Elias is no stranger to travels abroad for design inspiration, even having been to Belvoir Castle previously. “I’m obsessed with British design right now and I love seeing how the British mix patterns/texture/colors, arrange furniture in rooms (especially living rooms with multiple seating areas), and achieve a wonderful mix of upholstered pieces with antiques,” she says.

    The ability of HeritageXplore to allow small groups to stay overnight and experience these stately homes firsthand creates an opportunity for guests to understand how these spaces function as well as how they’re able to stand alone in their designs, while maintaining continuity. “Even some of the most formal rooms, for example the Elizabeth Saloon at Belvoir Castle, tend to feel so ‘lived in’ and comfortable and relaxed…and there is always something to be learned from actually experiencing one of these great places,” says Elias.

    Houstonians who seek out top designers with a penchant for designing perfectly-executed, British-style rooms expect authenticity — and there is no doubt that designers are seeking out ways to absorb how these generational homes live and breathe.

    “From cornices to curtain trims to how art is hung in libraries to unique hardware pieces on doors and in bathrooms, British heritage houses are a masterclass in the magic of small design moves,” says Elias. “And in high-end Houston design, where clients notice (and pay for) the finishing touches, that eye for detail makes all the difference.”

    Designer Kelsey Ralph points out that living in a city that is younger than most of these properties lends itself to a sense of wonder and fascination: “Who isn't inspired by centuries-old architecture and design? Most heritage homes are older than Houston itself…and there's so much to learn from the historic perspectives and stories integrated in the homes.” She adds that, “The Duchess and Lady Violet fondly pointed out Americans' fascination with the Royal Family's heritage. I think we're drawn to English interior design in our city projects because we're yearning for that storied nostalgia and authenticity.”

    Houstonians wanting to acquire some of that nostalgia and authenticity are also able to do so through a wallpaper collection created during a restoration at Belvoir Castle. The 18th century Chinese wallpaper that was originally installed in the Wellington Room was precisely replicated by none other than luxury wallpaper brand de Gournay. Multiple colorways such as pistachio and apricot are available to order from the de Gournay X Belvoir Castle Collection.

    Designer Hallie Henley Sims looks forward to all that can be learned by opening these private homes for the first time: “I loved the candor and candidness of Lady Violet and Her Grace's chat. I felt like a bit of a voyeur peeking into their personal world and residence, Belvoir Castle. In a way I think that's what HeritageXplore enables for its participants: the chance to see into the rarefied and fantastical world of the British aristocracy.”

    When asked by CultureMap why Houston designers were such a likely clientele for HeritageXplore, Lady Violet had this to say: “Texas in general is having a moment, especially Houston….I think we all like bespoke travel increasingly.”

    The two tours a year will never be exactly the same as the 50-plus homes that have signed on for the experience will be swapped in and out for every five day, six castle stay. “You’re staying in the houses with the owners hosting you for the duration of your time,” says Lady Violet. “They are still lived in and loved by the families — the historical kind of family that’s been there since time has gone by. Going around a historic house with the owner is just a completely different experience.”

    Elias is exceedingly excited about all that will be carefully observed and absorbed from these grand designs and what she can bring home to Houston: “I am incredibly impressed and excited about Lady Violet’s venture, HeritageXplore, which gives travelers access to so many privately owned and managed British Heritage properties. I will 100 percent get a group of design-loving friends and clients to take one of her trips in the next year!”

    Hallie Henley British style living room
      

    Photo by Jack Thompson

    Designer Hallie Henley invokes English garden flair.

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