Dillon Street Residence

Brenham, Texas

For this, one of the first houses in this new neighborhood development of small “garden homes,” the Upchurch team worked creatively within the stated design guidelines for exterior materials to develop a unique expression within the expected context. This included negotiating with the developer to use stained cedar siding and an alternate brick joint to refine the exterior appearance. These details and building form of the house sets it apart from its neighbors, while still playing by the rules.

The owners, a retired couple moving from a historic farmhouse in the country to their new home in town asked for a private, efficient two-bedroom home. With their deep Texas roots, it was important to them to be surrounded by their family heirlooms, including furniture, collected art pieces, and rare books. Shifting from the expected solution, the architectural interior was designed as a backdrop to highlight the traditional furnishings. Interior spaces are composed of clean lines, simple wall planes, and lighter wood finishes.  Living spaces are arranged in an open plan to provide a sense of comfortable elegance for casual living and entertaining.  Private bedrooms are buffered by a connecting hall leading to the back of the home. 

The main living spaces connect visually to a covered porch that runs alongside, providing plenty of natural light and sense of expansiveness. In addition to the fireplace and built-in shelves the architects designed a multipurpose cabinet/wall that separates the living room from the kitchen. Its compartments can be opened or closed to serve as display shelves or a bar and open a pass-through to the kitchen when desired. The maple millwork from the living room continues into the kitchen, creating an easy flow in the contemporary  space.  When the pass-through window is open, the kitchen connects all the way through the living room to the front window creating a long sight line and connection to the street. Storage was also a significant consideration in the small house and was cleverly incorporated into walls of the connecting hall and leftover spaces to preserve the streamlined appearance.