Tour a Chic Craftsman Full of Vintage Finds and Modern Designs

Back when Abby Luskie and her husband, Clayton, first saw this Houston home, they knew it was meant to be … sort of. “The windows were rotting, the kitchen was awkwardly laid out and the ‘updated’ finishes done by the previous homeowners were straight out of the ’90s,” she says. “My parents are veteran fixer-uppers, so I grew up around that. But at 121 years old, this was the most ancient house I’d come across!” The interior had clean, simple, Craftsman-style lines, embraced in the early 1900s as a rejection of Victorian ornateness.

Room by room, the couple worked with designer Barbara Sweetser on upgrades. They chose a serene blue and creamy white palette, blended vintage and modern finds, and revitalized the pine and oak floors and other character-rich details. Relics of the past remind Abby that there’s been a lot of life lived here: “They make a home feel like it has a soul.” In the entryway, the first floor’s ceilings are nearly 12 feet high. Plus, there’s detailed woodwork all around the home.

Abby and Clayton sit on their front porch with (from left) Ben, 8, Sarah, 10, and Sam, 5. Baby Lily has since joined the family.

Classics like a mid-century sideboard mingle seamlessly with modern punches like the brass-leg buffalo check armchair from Anthropologie and poppy pillows by Piper.

This was the only room that got gutted, though the footprint stayed the same. White subway tile from Daltile was the perfect backsplash choice — timeless yet fresh in a herringbone pattern. Those Calacatta Gold marble countertops are aging imperfectly and awesomely: “I love the etching and marks they get,” says Abby, much in the same way the floors have tales to tell with their nicks and scrapes. While the original window and polished nickel pendants are of different eras, their curves echo the archways throughout the home — not typical of Craftsman homes, but beautiful.

“We thought about opening it up to the living room,” says Abby. “But the thing is, older homes are more compartmentalized and ultimately we stayed true to that.” An antique table got a refresh with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White. One way to glam up your whiskey collection: Put it on a leather tray. The 5- 1/2-inch moldings on the doorways stand out in White Dove by Benjamin Moore. (Wall color: Palladian Blue by Benjamin Moore)

A room that’s best described as “long” and “skinny” may strike fear into a homeowner’s heart, yet a smart setup made this one seem downright spacious. There’s a compact 72-inch sofa from Crate & Barrel, a separate seating zone with a pair of plush blue chairs from Anthropologie, and two stools from Lulu and Georgia instead of a coffee table — easily moved for the kids’ performances. Abby replaced emerald green tile, added by the previous owners, with limestone tile on the surround and porcelain tile on the hearth.

“We were doing a hybrid homeschooling program even before it became a thing,” says Abby. (It consists of two days of in-person classes and three at home.) Rows of Ikea picture ledges keep reading within reach without hogging floor space. “I really tried to make this room fun and happy, but also mostly neutral so that the kids’ art and books can be the most exciting elements,” says Abby. A graphic rug from Ikea and a navy beanbag chair from Target offer fun sprawl-out options.

The sleek silhouettes of the upholstered Blu Dot bed and triptych of sketches from Juniper Print Shop are contrasted by vintage-y nightstands (surprise: they’re Ikea, with Anthropologie pulls) and an antique vanity found by Abby’s mom. Brass elements, from the bedside sconces to the mirror on the vanity, warm up the space. Abby’s prized feature? The wardrobes (also Ikea). “As in many old homes, our closets are small,” she says. “These doubled the storage space — I sent a friend a photo of the inside after they were installed!”

It’s not just a bunk bed from Ikea — it’s the boys’ favorite hideaway. To make mornings go smoother, Abby sewed the bottom edge of blankets to the bottom edge of fitted sheets. “Literally all they have to do is yank it up and their beds look great!” she says. The geometric polypropylene rug from Rugs USA is both indestructible and soft underfoot. Plexiglass on the window keeps it safe from ball throwing.