Good Brick Tour 2025

Historic home tour celebrates preservation and sustainability in Houston

Preservation Houston’s 2025 Good Brick Tour kicks off this weekend (Saturday, November 8, and Sunday, November 9), giving Houstonians the opportunity to explore stories, craftsmanship, and design details from a selection of the city’s Good Brick Award recipients, which reward excellence in historic preservation. Now in its 12th year, the tour has grown into a celebration of Houston’s rich architectural heritage, distinctive neighborhoods, and the work that goes into restoring and maintaining some of the city’s most treasured places.

“Preservation Houston’s Good Brick Tour celebrates not only the homes and landmarks themselves, but the stories of the people who care for them,” said Jennifer Kapral, executive director of Preservation Houston. “Each stop on the tour reminds us that preserving our city’s history is an act of community, one that connects Houston’s past, present, and future.”

This year, event chairs Pei-Lin Chong (whose home is featured on the tour) and Mariam Hejazi, along with over 150 volunteers, invite the public into four homes that offer a glimpse of the distinctive styles that contribute to the architectural vernacular of the Bayou City. It’s also worth noting that, while the tour offers access to four homes, one location — Style in Steel — is a collection of three independent townhomes that have not been open together since their original debut in 1969.

Just in time for the tour, CultureMap has gathered insights from each location’s homeowner(s) so that participants can keep an eye out for the little things that make each one of these homes so special. Find each insight just below the history of each home.

2025 Good Brick Tour Locations

Valenti-Dissen House 1507 Alamo Street (First Ward), 1921
Built by Sicilian immigrant and grocer Jacob Valenti, this Craftsman bungalow reflects the First Ward’s early diversity. Over the decades it welcomed a mix of tenants, from a printer and an accountant to members of Houston’s Greek community, capturing the spirit of a working-class area where many cultures met. In 1934, the property was purchased by Della Settegast Dissen, whose well-known Houston family had deep ties to the city’s development. When FW Heritage acquired the home in 2021, they found a structure in need of major repair but rich in original details. A careful restoration, guided by Grayform Architecture, respected the home's proportions while updating it for modern living. The project received a 2024 Good Brick Award.

“The house was originally a two-bedroom, one-bath home and served as a rental for close to 100 years before I bought it in 2021,” says homeowner and event co-chair Pei-Lin Chong. “I’m actually the first homeowner to ever live here, which makes it even more special. One of my favorite features is the built-in china cabinet between the kitchen and dining room; it’s such a thoughtful original detail. During the restoration, we discovered old wallpaper under the sheetrock. I asked my demo team to carefully remove them and I have framed two samples as keepsakes. It's a small piece of the home’s long history.”

William Henry Lighthouse House 2018 Kane Street (Old Sixth Ward), 1906
A two-story Classical Revival residence built for brick maker William H. Lighthouse is among the Old Sixth Ward Historic District’s most prominent landmarks. Architect Olle Lorehn designed the home with honey-colored brick, stone trim, and a soaring double-height portico — a fitting showcase for the material that made Lighthouse’s fortune.

When changing health circumstances made stairs increasingly difficult, the homeowner turned to architect Marisa Janusz of Janusz Design for a way to remain in the home he loves. The resulting one-story addition provides accessible living space on the ground floor. Set back and lower in height, it connects to the main house via a copper-and-glass bridge that meets the historic structure with a light touch. The project was honored with a 2025 Good Brick Award for demonstrating how thoughtful design can adapt historic architecture to modern life with grace and care.

“The brick interior walls are what make this home truly stand out — strong and full of character,” explains homeowner Jason Johnson. “Paired with the historic exterior walls, which are three bricks thick, and thoughtful modern updates, it’s a space I hope visitors appreciate for both its design and its story.”

Anderson Todd House 9 Shadowlawn (Museum District), 1961
Designed by architect and Rice University professor Anderson Todd for his family, this steel-framed pavilion balances privacy and openness through a series of courtyards and light-filled spaces. The steel-framed, brick-and-glass pavilion is organized around a black-walnut-paneled core. Polished terrazzo floors, a rhythm of exposed columns, and an unbroken ceiling plane finished in white-painted plaster reflect Todd’s disciplined craftsmanship and his view of architecture as the measured interplay of light, form, and material.

Modern in form yet understated in presence, the Todd House complements its neighbors in the Shadow Lawn Historic District through scale and workmanship. The house is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is a City of Houston Protected Landmark. Because the home has never undergone any renovations, it has never been nominated for a Good Brick Award. Instead, Anderson Todd House is considered an excellent example of how thoughtful stewardship can keep a landmark home livable today.

“Our house was a wonderful house for children. There was so little furniture that we could bicycle indoors,” says Emily Todd. “It continues to be a wonderful house as an adult, equally comfortable for a quiet dinner or a lively cocktail party. I’m very lucky to have spent virtually all my life in this house. Living here has been a privilege.”

Style in Steel Townhomes 4156, 4158 and 4160 Meyerwood Drive (Southwest Loop), 1968
Designed by Wilson, Morris, Crain & Anderson, the firm behind the Astrodome, the three Style in Steel townhomes stand among Houston’s most elegant expressions of late modern design. The houses debuted at the 1969 National Association of Home Builders’ exposition, showcasing the versatility of steel in residential design. Architects Talbott Wilson and Hal Weatherford paired precision with warmth, combining steel with terrazzo, travertine, brick, and cedar in open, light-filled homes arranged around courtyards landscaped by Fred Buxton.

The current owners of the central townhouse undertook a meticulous restoration with architect Rodolfo R. Fabre, reversing years of alterations to reveal the clarity of the original design and earning a 2024 Good Brick Award. Together, the three houses — all City of Houston Protected Landmarks — represent Houston modernism at its finest, sustained by thoughtful stewardship and care. This year’s Good Brick Tour marks the first time the Style in Steel homes have been open to the public together since 1969.

“My favorite space in the house is the front courtyard, which the entire house is designed around. It’s magical the way light filters in and casts patterns on the walls throughout the day,” homeowners Philip and Mandy LeBlanc explain.

“We enjoy the courtyard daily for lunch, work, or simply soaking in the sunlight. It connects every part of the home. The design transitions beautifully from public to private spaces, with intentional glass and steel elements that make the home both functional and elegant. Inside, our mid-century furniture collection, gathered from local estate sales, complements the home’s modern aesthetic and ties everything together. From a design standpoint, there’s truly nothing else like it in Houston; it’s a space that connects history, light, and everyday life so seamlessly.”

Tickets

Advance tickets, valid for admission to all four homes both days, are $25 online through Thursday, November 6. Tickets will be $30 at the door during the tour weekend. Single-site admission will also be available for $10 per location. Hours for both days of the tour are 12-5 pm. Proceeds from the tour support Preservation Houston’s advocacy and educational programs.

Courtesy of Preservation Houston

The Style in Steel townhouses were built in 1968.

awards preservation preservation houston home-design

hail britannia

Catching up with Houston's new British Consul-General and top UK designer

Courtesy of the British Consulate-General

The British Consul General’s River Oaks residence can be difficult to miss along Kirby Drive.

British aesthetics and sensibilities have recently been front-and-center in everything from sartorial choices to residential design. From Cottagecore to Cluttercore, Houston has embraced it all.

Recently, far more than British aesthetics have sailed up the bayou. Between a newly-appointed Consul General, details about the residence’s secret art gallery and annual Winston Churchill birthday bash, to a book tour by veteran interior designer and Churchill descendant Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill, there has been a lot.

A home in River Oaks, which is sometimes known to project the Union Jack upon its classic white façade, has been home to the British Consul General since the building’s purchase in 1963. The nearly 4,500-square-foot manse dates back to 1948 (when it was valued at $11,380!), but with the diligent stewardship of the Brits, one can hardly notice its age.

Beginning in September of this year, the residence has been inhabited by Keith Scott, the current Consul General (which has overall responsibility for leading the UK’s engagement in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and New Mexico) and acts as a meeting and event space as well as housing a rotating first floor art exhibition curated by Yvonamor Palix of Gallery Artique in the Heights.

“I’m so very excited to be in Houston,” says Scott of his new assignment. “When I was growing up in Aberdeen, a lot of my friends ended up in the oil industry and came to Houston. And there has always been a big, big exchange of people in Houston and Aberdeen, so it was always in the back of my mind as a place to come and visit.”

Scott admits that being in the residence makes the old adage true — everything is bigger in Texas. “This house is huge, the driving is huge, the businesses are huge. I was proud, when I had to go to the UK embassy in Washington, to wear my Texas pin badge, and see the number of staff who jumped up from their chairs and were shouting: ‘Republic of Texas!’ It was really good to get that sense of where Texas sits in the U.S., and all these stats about Texas — we’re the eighth biggest GDP in the world. They keep me busy, and I’m looking forward to more of this.”

One thing Scott wasn’t quite expecting of his new home is that almost the entire first floor is an art gallery. For nearly 15 years, international art curator and gallerist Yvonamor Palix has been at the helm of curating works for both the British, French, and Mexican residences — open for exploration and enjoyment by all invited guests.

“I am the daughter of a career diplomat who loves art,” says Palix. “It was my parents’ influence that took me to discover this amazing field of work on an international level — Paris, Mexico City and then Houston. I have been curating in diplomatic venues for much of my career. Perhaps it is because art is a conversation starter, or it brings people together and creates unique experiences.”

Current artists on view — by vetted appointments by Palix and residence staff — include Ruth Gervich, Jane Liang, Duncan Wylie, Alex Gutierrez, Pep Guerrero, Alicia Paz, Karine Parker, Lesley Bodzy, Cha DAE-Duck, and Claire Basler.

British designer sounds off

Most recently, the residence hosted an invite-only soirée to commemorate the birthday of Winston Churchill, while simultaneously operating as an intimate de facto tour stop for a new book written by his relative, Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill, about his birthplace (if interested in the somewhat complicated family tree — buy the book).

Blenheim: 300 Years of Life in a Palace, published by Rizzoli, is Spencer-Churchill’s 12th book. While her previous books have all been written strictly on interior design, this book is a heritage project more for her family than anything else. CultureMap sat down with Spencer-Churchill for a chat about her new book, her design career, tips on how to curate a British aesthetic, and why she thinks social media is giving interior design a bad name.

“I did this [book] as a legacy for my family home,” Spencer-Churchill begins. “I didn’t do anything to be business-related; it’s just a legacy for our family home — people, architecture, interiors, the park and garden, lifestyle, logistics, and the future.”

As a 45-year interior design veteran, with a shop in Woodstock, where Blenheim Palace is located, and her wildly-successful Spencer-Churchill Design firm, the great-granddaughter of Consuelo Vanderbilt is slowing down just enough to spill the proverbial tea.

With a specialty in restoring listed (i.e., historically-protected) buildings and old houses, especially Georgian-era architecture, Spencer-Churchill appreciates the opportunity to stretch her imagination with a new-build project from time to time.

“In a funny way, it gives you a chance to be more creative, because you’re putting in the features,” she explains. “The more challenging ones are the ones you start from scratch, especially because listed buildings have so many restrictions. I love the creativity of putting in the architectural features — picking the fireplace, picking the trim, picking the plaster work, all of that sort of thing. I think that’s what adds all of the character to a room.”

As for tips for getting that effortless, just-so look? “I always want to start with the bones, and make sure that’s right,” says Spencer-Churchill. “Then, from that, you build it up with the layers — the furniture, the pictures, the furnishings, etc. I use a lot of antiques in my business, because, largely, they give a lot of character; secondly, they are so much better made; and thirdly, they are much cheaper than what’s available new.”

Auctions are where Spencer-Churchill suggests shoppers look for the best deals on quality antiques: “In England, a lot of the old antique shops have disappeared. They just don’t have enough business, and rates and rents, and everything are so high — so I think that’s why now a lot of people are buying at auction.”

When asked about social media trends involving interior design, Spencer-Churchill admits that it’s a bit of a double-edged sword: “I use the internet as much as anyone else does now — you have to.” She will use Pinterest for research purposes (relatable!), but thinks that “designers” who chase trends for likes on social platforms are contributing to problematic practices.

“There are a lot of designers who are really just decorators. I think this is why I get quite negative about Instagram and things like that, because it’s easy for someone to photograph something, put it on Instagram, and say ‘Look at this, look at that!’ It slightly drives me mad. And I think, in a sense, it gives the industry a bit of a bad name—that’s why I’ve gotten a little bit annoyed.”

At the end of the day, good design is something that doesn’t shout someone else’s tastes, it’s about taking what the homeowner loves, and making it theirs, something that Spencer-Churchill prides herself on.

“I’m one of those designers where I don’t put my stamp on a project. I very much try to reflect the client, and I’m passionate about the architecture and details. I don’t have an ego, or my ego is that I’ve done a really good job and the client is happy — it’s on budget, it’s on time. I don’t have to live with the decor. There is definitely a lot of stuff I’ve done that I wouldn’t want to live with myself, but that’s fine — you know?”

Courtesy of the British Consulate-General

The British Consul General’s River Oaks residence can be difficult to miss along Kirby Drive.

home-design river oaks