Lake House Tour

Texas lake house blends owners' love of midcentury modern design and quilting

The builder repurposed doors and scrap wood left over after a renovation of the couple's bungalow.

Photo by White Photography, Houzz

As they near retirement, a nature-loving couple decided to build their dream forever home on Lake Hawkins. Right now, they still own a historic bungalow two hours away that serves as their primary home. They live here part time with their two college-age children. But after retirement, they will make this home their full-time residence.

The home is 2,781 square feet and has three bedrooms and 3½ bathrooms.

For inspiration, they drew on two loves — midcentury modern design and quilting.

“They love midcentury modern design and wanted this house to look midcentury modern,” says builder Erin Wright, owner of Wright-Built. “But they also wanted to bring pieces of their bungalow into the home, and recycling and reusing is very important to them.” Wright was able to repurpose doors and scrap wood left over after a renovation of their bungalow.

Because the couple plans to age in place here, Wright incorporated universal design elements into their forever home. The entry on the street-facing side of the home is flush with the sidewalk.

Living room
The first floor has public spaces that are open to one another. The entry leads right into the living room. The doors on the left side lead to the husband’s office and the master bedroom. A soaring vaulted ceiling allows a large second-floor loft space to overlook the living room.

Inspiration: The wife’s love of quilting inspired bold color blocking throughout the house.

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Wall and ceiling paint: Eider White, Sherwin-Williams.

Dining room
Bright blue upholstery on the dining room chairs plays off the kitchen cabinets. A chunky table stands up to the proportions of the room.

Kitchen
In keeping with the midcentury modern theme, the couple opted for Formica countertops in the kitchen and in all the bathrooms. “I was amazed by how many patterns Formica is available in these days,” Wright says.

It’s out of view, but the only TV the couple has in the house is in the kitchen. “They love to watch football while they cook,” Wright says.

Kitchen cabinet paint: Stratford Blue, Sherwin-Williams.

The one exception to the Formica is the stainless steel island countertop.

Master bedroom
To the left, a hallway leads to the master bathroom and a large closet.

Flooring: Wright used a trick she’d heard about and successfully tried in a recent restaurant project.

“I put down the first layer of stain on the concrete floors and then threw Miracle-Gro [plant fertilizer] on it in these sort-of starburst patterns. The copper in the Miracle-Gro reacts with the acids and creates some blues and greens in the floors that you can see when the sunlight hits them,” she says. “Get the basic old-fashioned Miracle-Gro, the ‘dollar store’ kind to do this.” After letting it sit and react for a while, she added another coat of finish on top.

Master bathroom
Quilting inspiration: A tile pattern inspired by quilts extends above the bathtub. The red color revs up the otherwise neutral color palette.

Shower Kits Designed With Accessibility in Mind

Universal design elements: Wright included a shower bench, a threshold-free transition into the shower, a handheld faucet and a comfort-height toilet in the bathroom.

Design a Safe Shower With a Shower Bench

Loft
The stairs lead up to the wife’s domain — a workshop for her quilting along with a Murphy bed for extra guests. The loft is 667 square feet (62 square meters).

Flooring: Wright used EarthWerks luxury vinyl planks for the floors. This product has recycled content and is recyclable. It has the look of wood, and the color blocking continues in the yellow and blue stripes that extend across the floor into the bathroom.

Storage: The cabinets are outfitted with pullout racks where she can hang works in progress. She also has fabric carts stashed in a storage closet up here.

Cabinet color: Lakeshore, Sherwin-Williams; accent wall color: Ravishing Coral, Sherwin-Williams.

For now, the family enjoys this home as a lakeside getaway, and the couple looks forward to the day that they can move in here full time.

A tile pattern inspired by quilts extends above the bathtub.

Photo by White Photography, Houzz

A tile pattern inspired by quilts extends above the bathtub.

houzz

home design trends

Warm retreats and natural details are top home design trends this fall

2026 Houzz Fall Design Trends Report, warm interiors

Photo by Teal Thomsen for Canyon Collected Design

Warm-toned spaces are very inviting for fall gatherings.

Trends come and go, but a new Houzz report has unveiled all the ways current home design trends are evolving with the seasons rather than fading into obscurity or becoming dated.

Houzz interviewed nearly 50 home design professionals to determine emerging home design ideas for its 2026 U.S. Fall Design Trends Report. One common goal unites every trend this fall: creating rooms that celebrate the personalities of those who live in it.

These are Houzz's top design trends for fall 2026.

Warmth has become the new standard
One thing that's for certain: homeowners have officially done away with stark white and gray interiors. Warm color palettes first emerged as a design trend in late 2023, and now these inviting tones have transcended trendiness to become the "new baseline."

Homeowners and decorators aren't just making simple swaps, either. They're taking a holistic approach by "layering warm wood tones, earthy colors, multiple textures, and natural materials" throughout the home. This gives rooms "more depth and personality" than the previously in-style monotone interiors, Houzz said.

Bringing back personalization
Houzz predicted minimalist spaces would be on the way out in 2025, and they were correct. The golden era of minimalism has come to an end. Homeowners are instead creating true lived-in looks that blend "character, history, and personal storytelling" over spaces that look like they were plucked straight out of a magazine.

Examples include introducing vintage pieces into a modern space and mixing bold colors, patterns, and textures. Even the simplest accent choices can transform a room into something that feels "thoughtfully assembled over time," the report said.

2026 Houzz Fall Design Trends Report, character and personality matter more than perfection Home design enthusiasts are now prioritizing character and personality over perfection.Photo courtesy of Lavish

Photo by Teal Thomsen for Canyon Collected Design

Warm-toned spaces are very inviting for fall gatherings.

Other than vintage items, homeowners can add a sense of authenticity to their homes through "materials and details that carry a sense of history" like handmade tile, natural stone, aged metals, and original architectural elements.

This also means letting go of the idea of a home's "resale value" in favor of a personal sanctuary, according to the report.

"Pros describe clients asking for homes that feel deeply personal, whether it’s the layouts and materials they choose or the objects they display," Houzz said. "That shift is also giving homeowners more confidence to make individual choices, including unusual tile patterns, expressive wallpaper, distinctive furnishings and colors they love."

Embracing natural materials
Wood cabinets or stone countertops might be the first things that spring to mind under this umbrella, but we're diving deeper than that. Stone furniture pieces, like marble end tables, river stone sinks, and travertine coffee tables are rising in popularity, as are wood light fixtures and wood paneling.

"Pros are seeing more appreciation for the variation, texture, and imperfections that make natural materials feel authentic," the report said. "Handmade and high-variation tile, honed and leathered stone, plaster, and warm wood all contribute to a more tactile look."

Preparing for long-term livability
A separate Houzz report found two thirds of homeowners are planning to stay in their homes for more than a decade, if not longer, and less than half say they are currently living in their "forever home." As the cost of homeownership in Dallas rises, more residents are choosing to live in their current spaces longer, which means eventually renovating to accommodate for the future.

Besides adapting a home for aging in place, design professionals are seeing an uptick in popularity for other amenities to "make a home comfortable to navigate at any stage of life."

"ADUs and secondary suites are being designed to accommodate multigenerational living, extended guest stays, rental income, and future family needs," the report said. "Meanwhile, dedicated wellness amenities like saunas, cold plunges, and meditation spaces offer new ways for a home to support evolving well-being routines."

home design houzz design trends interior design home decor