Tour an Artist’s Contemporary Home in Plano, Texas

British-born, Sudanese artist Huda Hashim is a 3D architect, painter and interior designer with an impressive list of accomplishments in every field of endeavor. The founder of two 3D printing companies, HudArts and Manzili 3D, Huda has also found success as an artist with prints of several of her works available through Crate & Barrel. She brings her talent with interiors to the fore in the design of her four-bedroom home in Plano, Texas, which she shares with her husband and two sons.

Like many people in 2020, Huda and her family found themselves moving into a new home. And like many, they found that the process was different than it had been in the past. "We got lucky," the designer explains, "We bought our home June of 2020, right in the middle of COVID, and so we didn’t get the opportunity to see it in person." Having to endlessly scroll through listings and magnify photos to see every corner as the only way to select her new home, there was more than a bit of trepidation on closing day. Fortunately, crossing the threshold for the first time was a happy ending to a long process. "It was extremely clean, renovated with marble floors in the kitchen, breakfast area and laundry room, and freshly painted walls in a gray-blue tone," she says.

As the family settled and the move-in progressed, Huda’s designer eye kicked in and took a critical assessment. "At first I wasn’t too sure about the paint," she confesses, "so I got part of the house painted a warmer color." But as time went on and she took stock of the home’s architectural features and how they interacted with the design, she found herself reconsidering the paint job. "A few months later I realized that the cool gray-blue was actually the perfect choice due to the house getting tons of natural light from our large windows," she says. "The sunlight was giving the perfect natural warm tones and so a cool color balanced out the home."

Huda’s living room is a perfect blend of modernity and elegance, neutrals and bold pops of color. "The curved sofas are in close proximity to each other to create the effect of sectional seating, and the red sculptural chairs elevate the look from neutral to the right amount of color." Yet more than just a pretty room, for Huda, the living room is both a book that tells her story and a trove for housing the objects that remind her of the best parts. "I call it the collector's room," she laughs. "My cabinet holds the richest of items from my travels around the world."

More of the designer's treasures can be found on her coffee table, which is another one of the room’s many focal points. There, amid a variety of stylish curiosities, vases and tchotchkes, are another of the artist’s passions — books. "My coffee table is home to books purchased from local art galleries," she states. "They are my favorite pieces and can’t be found online." Yet despite her love for the room, Huda admits that it was among the more challenging spaces to design, owing largely to the location of the fireplace. "Corner fireplaces are challenging due to the tendency of a fireplace to be the focal point of a room. With that point in a corner and the furniture more centrally placed, you find yourself working to create a space with a single cohesive focal point instead of two focal points that are fighting to be the center of attention."

Extending from the living room, the contemporary, streamlined elegance of Huda’s dining room blends modern aesthetics with nods to her past. "This room was inspired by historic Sudanese palaces with red marble and sculptures," she explains. At its center, the statuesque marble table — a 1970s European design purchased from a local vintage seller — was a perfect choice. British-born with Sudanese ancestry, the designer enjoys creating spaces with a mix of cultures. "I love mixing African and European themes in this space," she confirms. "The juxtaposition of cultures, shapes and materials creates eye-pleasing and balanced compositions."

An artist first, Huda’s works can be found throughout the home. "The artwork in my home are pieces that were created to be the most raw and authentic version of myself," she reflects. Dominating the wall behind her dining table is a work entitled, "Path to Light." Painted in acrylics, it presents a broad, abstract landscape highlighted by the work’s impressive length. An inescapable visual piece, it’s an instant conversation starter, partly because prints of the work are now widely for sale. "It feels cool to be able to tell people, 'This one is at Crate and Barrel!'" she laughs.

Huda’s kitchen is expansive with an adjacent breakfast room offering ample room for cooking, dining and even lounging around and soaking up the sun. "I love that my home has high ceilings," Huda muses. "I love that it has an open concept and doesn’t feel claustrophobic, which is perfect for our growing family." Functional as all kitchens need to be, Huda’s has an extra air of livability: The long, sculptural legs of the bar stools fit neatly with equally artistic lighting, pottery and wall art to give the space the feel of a coffee shop or a small art gallery. "I grew up around art museums, so I love the clean look of modern shapes but also warm, cozy and inviting."

Huda nominates the breakfast room as one of the most used spaces of the house. "This is the room we use the most for eating, homework and art projects," she offers. Designed specifically to be visually cohesive with the living room, the real value, Huda says, is in its logistical value. "My breakfast room is cozy, clean and, most importantly, kid friendly," she smiles. "The CB2 Lola table has been a game changer for my family of [four]!"

Huda’s home is made for guests and entertaining as much as it is for the day-to-day activities of her busy family. And when the visits last for more than an evening, the home offers respite to weary visitors through this gorgeous guest room. A beautifully restful work of neutrals and earth tones, the room is highlighted by pieces such as the woven lampshade on the wood-topped side table. Above the bed, a work of art — another of Huda’s originals — depicts the Djingareyber Mosque, a 14th century example of Malian architecture, which still stands today in the city of Timbuktu. "I love creating rooms that are very artistic and sculptural, elevated with North African cultural elements," Huda says, "a perfect balance between colorful and neutral by playing with textures, shapes and natural materials."

These days, just about every home can use a space where the owners can work from home. And when the owner is an artist, that space needs to be a studio. "My art studio has to be a place that is not only functional," Huda relates, "but one that brings out all the creative juices I need when painting." To make sure her studio inspires her every time she steps onto the floor, she covered the floor with a particularly meaningful pattern. "My choice of this rug was inspired by the checkered floors of the University of Khartoum in Sudan, a place thriving with history and knowledge."