Stunning West University House Redo Shows Off the Power of Wallpaper and a Young Houston Couple’s Daring — Jewelry For the Home

A New York Interior Designer is Delighted by This Texas Twist

By Shelby Hodge // Aug 8, 2022

Photography Jack Thompson

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New York-based interior designer Jennifer Hunter selected Sandberg wallpaper, Raphael in Blue for the dining room in the West University home. (Photo by Jack Thompson)

Interior designer Jennifer Hunter commissioned the painting by artist Caleb Mahoney for the West University home. (Photo by Jack Thompson)

Lee Jofa, Sameera in Sapphire/Gold wallpaper in the stairwell of this West University home. (Photo by Jack Thompson)

The Houston couple tapped New York based interior designer Jennifer Hunter to re-imagine their West University home. (Photo by Jack Thompson)

The homeowner's collection of china plates serve as a gallery wall accented by the collection of boxwood topiaries atop a console table. (Photo by Jack Thompson)

Cole & Son's Macchine Volanti Stone/Rouge Blu whimsical wallpaper in the baby's room. (Photo by Jack Thompson)

The boy's twin bedroom is papered with Cole & Son's Nuvole Al Tramonto. Bedding is Pottery Barn Kids Chambray. (Photo by Jack Thompson)

In the guest bedroom Schumacher, Pomegranate Botanical in Document is employed in the headboard and linens. (Photo by Jack Thompson)

The master bedroom headboard is upholstered in Lee Jofa, Aerin Sayre in Blue. The striped club chair is upholstered in Schumacher The Wave in Navy. (Photo by Jack Thompson)

The kitchen table is surrounded by alternating green and cream painted upholstered lattice chairs for a playful touch. The kitchen backsplash is a warm geometric tile. (Photo by Jack Thompson)

Outdoor entertaining via Aerin for Williams Sonoma Home and Made Goods furnishings. (Photo by Jack Thompson)

The Annie Selke area rug and Wisteria coffee table are focal point of the playroom. (Photo by Jack Thompson)

Living room detail of the West University home. (Photo by Jack Thompson)

The breakfast table setting is a mix of Julia Amory linens and dishes from travels to San Miguel de Allende. (Photo by Jack Thompson)

Vintage china from the homeowner's grandmother is set on the dining room table. (Photo by Jack Thompson)

It’s seldom that a young homeowner today approaches an interior designer with a request for a redo that spotlights wallpaper. So when New York based designer Jennifer Hunter was approached by a Houston couple to do just that, she was delighted. The West University Place house — with an abundance of contemporary components such as limestone flooring, iron doors and windows, beams, and dark wood floors — had something of an industrial bent. The new owners wanted a warmer esthetic.

In their quest for a comfortable yet sophisticated home that would grow gracefully with their two young sons, the clients requested that wallpaper be incorporated in almost every room.

jen_tangley_sm015 (Photo by Jack Thompson) — Cole & Son’s Macchine Volanti Stone/Rouge Blu whimsical wallpaper in the baby’s room. (Photo by Jack Thompson)

“Anytime a client is interested in wallpaper it’s music to my ears,” Hunter tells PaperCity. “My design esthetic is very much traditional with a modern twist. Therefore, I lean heavily into incorporating wallpaper into my clients’ homes.

“Wallpaper gives you endless opportunities to play with different textures and patterns that can create a wow factor in a space in a unique and elevated way. Wallpaper adds such a fun element and new dimension to any space.

“We like to think of it as jewelry for the wall.”

Of course, anyone who follows Schumacher or Sandberg on Instagram is familiar with the glamorous, inventive world of wallpaper, or as these firms refer to it “wall coverings.” Hunter employed Schumacher and Lee Jofa fabrics in various upholstered pieces in the house.

jen_tangley_sm006 (Photo by Jack Thompson) — The Houston couple tapped New York based interior designer Jennifer Hunter to re-imagine their West University home. (Photo by Jack Thompson)

In addition to creative wall treatments (Lee Jofa, Sandberg), Hunter softened the dwelling’s ambience through the use of carefully curated furnishings, fabrics and art. Hunter commissioned artist Caleb Mahoney to create an oversized abstract painting to be placed at the bottom of the staircase. The painting compliments the stairwell wallpaper — Sameera in Sapphire/Gold by Lee Jofa.

“We really draw inspiration from our clients and their lifestyle,” Hunter says. “We want our interiors to be tailored to each client. Therefore, no projects are ever the same. This keeps our work interesting and versatile.”