Not long before the modern timeline was split into pre and post-pandemic eras, The Russell Family optimistically planned for what should have been a smooth transition to the Bayou City from their former home in Midland, TX.
Preliminary visits helped to inform the Russells’ decision to settle in the River Oaks area, but inventory was slim (as it oftentimes is), resulting in the purchase of a spec house. While the new, soft-modern home by Blackstone Builders was nice, it was, like most spec properties, “a big, white box.” In addition to needing an infusion of warmth, there was one other requirement: it had to hold its own against the family dogs—four Dachshunds, to be exact!
Enter interior designer Darla Bankston May, who was tasked with spending the past few years transforming what began as the Russell house, into the Russell home. CultureMap recently spent an afternoon with May and Karen Russell touring the residence while receiving an education on how one creates a lux designer space that was also, essentially, built for the dogs.
With the exception of a few family heirlooms, the Russells made the decision to part ways with their Midland belongings and begin anew, leaving May with a totally clean slate.
“Tailoring a spec house to our needs was difficult, and we aren’t the easiest people to please — I know!” says Russell. A bemusing thought, indeed, given that Russell is the type of West Texas lady whose warm presence and beaming smile implies that she’s not someone known for being “difficult.”
Speaking of working with May, “Darla [May] was really great at basically tailoring our house for our dogs," says Russell. "We wanted to have nice furniture, but to try to do that and have dogs is kind of difficult. She even made a dog room for us under the stairs — she was great.”
Beyond the front door, guests find themselves in a gracious foyer flanked by formal living and dining rooms. The formal living space is a jewel box of a room, featuring wallpaper by designer favorite Phillip Jeffries. Those with a keen eye will notice that some furniture pieces were sourced from BeDesign, while the glistening mirror is by Cantoni. Perhaps the star of the room is the opulent chandelier by Hammerton Studio. The adjacent dining room is beautiful in its simplicity, with an exquisite Cattelan Italia table and chairs, Cameron Design House chandelier, and artwork by Dimmitt Contemporary Art.
To access the rest of the home, one must pass a slight security check — of the petite canine variety. As any pet owner can attest, greeting visitors at the front door can be a task, at best.
“They [the dogs] would just charge the front door, and it was impossible to open the door to greet or talk to people because the dogs would always be there.”
The solution was the addition of a custom plate glass dog gate spanning the entire width of the corridor that separates the home from front to back.
The idea for the dog gate sprung to mind while May was working with her glass contractor who was building a glass enclosure for the house’s gym. In one of those “while I have you here moments,” May was able to put together the plan for the knee-high, plate glass wall and gate — et viola!
A glass gate keeps the dogs away from the front door.Photo by Emily Cotton
With the formal areas now pooch-proof, that just leaves…the rest of the house. Before hiring May, Russell had come to terms with forgoing rugs and soft furnishings altogether. While not having issues with her original two dachshunds, the addition of the other pair (the result of an illness in the family) complicated things.
“When we were talking about buying rugs, I said no,” Russell says, matter of factly. “When you get a pack of dogs together, it becomes a completely different environment — we weren’t doing that!”
Happily, May found a solution. A local company with a proprietary formula made an outlandish claim to be able to completely stain-proof anything. After putting some samples to the test in their home, the Russells found the claims were true. That discovery unlocked a whole new world of possibilities for them.
No one was more excited than May, stating that with this new product, “I can sell all of the things that I want to sell and it’s okay!”
The newfound confidence to use previously delicate surfaces was a relief for May, who had her eye on a swatch in her office that she had been saving for the perfect project. “I’d had a sample of it up in my studio because I’ve always wanted to use it. So when we started working on this project, I knew I was going to use that hide,” May says.
Two swivel chairs by Kelly Wearstler for Lee Jofa provided the perfect opportunity for the soft green Holland & Sherry hide that became the inspiration point for the family living room. “That warm, mossy green color is the first thing I found for that area to pull everything together,” says May.
The original focal wall in the family room left much to be desired, but no one was keen to use more wallpaper. Ultimately, May chose to clad the space in vertical wooden slats after the suggestion of warmly accessorized open shelving was vetoed by Russell.
“I’m not a fan of floating things at all,” says Russell. “I don’t like them because that’s just dust to me, they’re never clean! I’m not cleaning them every day.”
Elaborating further, she adds: “I don’t know, maybe I’m just weird about it. I know they’re really ‘in,’ but I’m just not a floating shelf kind of gal.” Our relatable queen.
May decided on rugs from Madison Lily throughout the home and relied on an enviable assortment of fine art and sculptures from Laura Rathe Fine Art, Dimmitt Contemporary Art, and Reeves Antiques to round out each space.
Despite all the odds stacked against them during the pandemic-era, it’s safe to say that this space was well worth the wait. We can’t think of a better space for a family to spend a dog day afternoon.
Photo by Michael Hunter
The comfortable family room eschews floating shelves.
