Jamie House Personal
Residence - Houston Heights
Scope: Custom built-ins, lighting design including sourcing period appropriate antique lighting, furniture and art selection and styling, full bathroom remodel, and kitchen touch-up all maintaining and contributing to the homes original personality and character.
Location: Houston, TX - Houston Heights
Photography: Patrick Cline
Jamie House Personal Residence
Designing for Myself
This 1920s Houston Heights bungalow served as my personal laboratory, a place to test ideas, refine my aesthetic, and prove that small spaces can live large when designed with intention. Before relocating to Colorado and establishing Jamie House Design in Denver, this home represented my design philosophy in its purest form.
The Challenge of Historic Charm
Historic bungalows offer undeniable character but present real challenges. Small rooms, limited storage, and outdated systems require creative solutions. The goal was to preserve the home's vintage charm while ensuring it functioned beautifully for modern life.
Maximizing Every Inch
Custom-built storage solutions became essential to making this compact home work. We designed built-ins that maximize vertical space, create hidden storage where none existed, and serve multiple functions. Every nook and corner was considered, every opportunity for organization was seized.
The result demonstrates that small homes needn't sacrifice style or function—they simply require more thoughtful planning. When storage is integrated into the architecture itself, spaces feel larger and more serene.
An Eclectic, Collected Aesthetic
The interiors blend periods and styles with intention. Vintage finds mix with custom pieces, creating rooms that feel collected over time rather than decorated all at once. This approach reflects how I believe homes should evolve; gradually, personally, authentically.
Color and pattern play throughout, but always with restraint. Bold choices appear where they'll have maximum impact, while neutral backgrounds provide breathing room. The layering creates visual interest without overwhelming the small spaces.
Historic Meets Modern
The kitchen and bathroom updates balance period-appropriate style with contemporary function. We preserved original details where possible—original hardwoods, vintage tile, architectural trim, while updating systems and fixtures for current needs. The approach honors the home's history without being precious about it.
Throughout, the design prioritizes livability. Beautiful things that can't withstand daily use have no place in a working home. Every material, every piece of furniture, every design choice was tested in real life, my life.
Design Lessons
This personal project taught me lessons I carry into every client project today:
Small spaces require discipline but can be just as satisfying as large ones
Storage isn't boring—it's foundational to a peaceful home
Historic character and modern function aren't mutually exclusive
The best spaces feel collected, not decorated
Real homes are messy, and design should account for that reality
From Houston to Denver
Though I now serve clients throughout the Denver metro area, from Centennial to Castle Pines, this Houston bungalow remains a defining project. It represents the highly functional, deeply personal approach that characterizes all of Jamie House Design's work.
The home proved that small can be mighty, that historic can be fresh, and that the designer's own space should embody the same principles recommended to clients: intention, authenticity, and livability above all.