Architecture Wednesday: The Atrium

This superbly restored midcentury home is sited on a towering bluff above Buffalo Bayou just outside Houston, Texas. It was designed in 1970 by architect Jack Stehlin—which explains the midcentury vibe of the home—but was extensively renovated in 2018-20—which explains the atrium.

The home features light-filled, open spaces with full-length windows and glass slider doors that open to the woods, as well as that massive, three-story glass atrium at the rear with panoramic views; there are terrazzo floors throughout, a conversation pit as you enter the home, and a modern kitchen comes with sleek cabinets, a Gaggenau refrigerator/freezer and a Bosch cooktop. It is 5,481 square feet with five bedrooms, four full and one-half baths, and sits on nearly an acre of woods.

It could be the atrium that sells the house … or the conversation pit … or the property … the floor-to-ceiling windows … but for me it’s the wide-open spaces and that spectacular primary suite with Zen garden, organize wood-clad tub, and a closet I’d be willing to go back into.

But that’s just me; does any part of this house make you want to part with $3.1 million of your hard-earned cash?

Dwell