Inside a Stunning 21st-Century Heights Home — a Distinctive Departure From the Neighborhood’s Bungalow and Victorian Scene

With Solar Panels and a Rooftop Terrace

By Shelby Hodge // Sep 25, 2020

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The striking facade of the two-story home celebrates the contemporary with design saluting the past.

A blacksmith was contracted to create the iron door, fence, and standing mailbox.

The iron gate opens to a path leading to the house entry.

The house construction is a combination of Austin White chiseled stone with artisan board and iron details.

The two-story ceiling is punctuated with exposed beams and joists with iron detailing.

A view from the corner of the living room shows the exposed steel I-beam supports, which allow for an unobstructed opening.

The open living-room floor plan is anchored with a floating stairwell with glass siding and iron railings.

The double-sided 72" gas fireplace is inset in Austin White stone and separates the entry hall from the dining room.

The kitchen has subtle design details such as custom iron banding above the cabinetry and at the vent hood.

Wood-Mode cabinets, in rough sawn oak with maple veneer interiors, are coupled with Alpina White quartz counters

Glass doors open wide to deliver outdoor/indoor living.

A view to the backyard terrace from the kitchen.

Flooring at ground level is dyed polished concrete.

This first-floor master suite has a custom floating wall/headboard adorned in faux elephant hide.

The 48-inch Montigo double-sided glass-enclosed fireplace acts as a room divider for the master flex room.

A view from the 16' x 10' lounge shows the beauty of the exposed framing members of the vaulted ceiling.

The second-floor library leads to the rooftop terrace.

The 13-foot vaulted ceilings provide a feel of expansive space in the second-floor master suite.

The second-floor master suite opens through French doors to a balcony that runs 37.5 feet in length.

The 37.5-foot-long balcony provides an extra 200 square feet.

The roof terrace

Dyed concrete was introduced outside to complement the 12" x 24" stone pavers for a seamless transition.

910 Rutland St., Houston

While The Heights is filled with craftsman cottages, bungalows, and Victorian masterpieces both old and new, we’re intrigued with one contemporary number dating from 2014. The architect-designed custom-built home at 910 Rutland Street stands outside of the mix for its 21st-century profile.

The clean triptych design with soaring metal roof is certainly a departure from the neighborhood vernacular, but it’s nevertheless a stunning home built for a contemporary lifestyle and a special owner. Anticipating that individual or couple with sophisticated taste is listing real estate agent David Atkins with Martha Turner Sotheby’s International Realty.

The distinctive home, built of Austin White chiseled stone and artisan boards, is listed at $1.65 million.

With input from the owners, architectural designer Guillermo Avalos Designs created the 4,335-square-foot two-story home that was built by Unika Construction with decorative assist from L Design Group.

The open floor plan embraces a spacious back courtyard through Fleetwood door systems that tuck invisibly into adjacent walls and thereby expand the living/entertaining space. Dyed concrete flooring under foot and a network of beams, trusses, and joists overhead adds further contemporary notes.

It will come as a surprise that this is a two-bedroom house — two master bedroom suites, that is. The ground-floor master boasts an Austin White chiseled stone wall with a 48-inch double-sided glass-enclosed fireplace, while the second-floor master has 13-foot vaulted ceilings and French doors that open onto a 37.5-foot-long balcony. In addition to defined sitting areas in the suites, the dwelling also accommodates a library, game room, and mezzanine.

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Contemporary amenities include 40 solar panels on the roof, a gas-fueled generator, and a rooftop terrace with firepit. The kitchen is beautifully outfitted with quartz counters, custom Wood-Mode cabinetry, two dishwashers, and Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances. With the Fleetwood door system at play, the interior kitchen then becomes something of a summer kitchen with wide-open access to the outdoors.

For a closer look inside 910 Rutland Street, click through the photo gallery below: