Tour an Extra-Cozy, Holiday-Ready Home In Houston

Moving into a just-built home is exciting. You’re the first ones to live there, everything’s new, and the potential is infinite. Only then you might realize that extra-large windows and soaring 10-foot-ceilings don’t exactly make you want to grab a throw and curl up on a couch. That’s the realization Fariha Nasir and Hassaan Anis had after they bought their Houston, Texas, house in 2019. “It had a lot of features we wanted, but it felt cold,” says Fariha. With 3,200 square feet to fill and no budget to hire jobs out, Fariha created the features she craved. She placed molding on walls, hung congenial wallpaper, painted rooms enveloping colors and dreamed up the best play area for her son, Zaki. The way she arranged furniture, hung art and mixed in textiles that remind her of Pakistan, where she and Hassaan grew up, also bolstered the cozy factor. Says Fariha, “Now it’s the most warm and welcoming place possible.”

Talk about epic DIYs: Fariha framed out the wall for a plug-in electric fireplace from Modern Blaze, fashioned a concrete border, and put in a wood ledge topped with more concrete. Chairs with thick cushions (from Bassett Furniture) and a cute handmade coffee table made a gathering spot even more enticing.

Fariha and Hassaan didn’t get to choose any of the finishes — the builder did — so they lucked out with gray-blue cabinets (try Lazy Gray by Sherwin-Williams for a similar look) and a marble subway tile backsplash. To cozy them up, Fariha put in brass knobs and cup pulls from Pottery Barn and a brass and black pendant by Rejuvenation. The piece of art above the cooktop (from Heirloom Print Shop on Etsy) and the one between the windows are another homey touch.

Faced with a room that had nothing interesting about it, Fariha installed picture-frame molding that she painted a complementary color to the kitchen cabinets (Motor City by Clare), and wallpaper by Magnolia Home. “The pattern reminds me of hand-loomed fabric from Pakistan called khaddar,” she says. The woven texture of the chairs from Target “is common back home. It all incorporates my heritage in a modern aesthetic.”

With a botanical mural by Rocky Mountain Decals and an earthy wall color (Current Mood by Clare), it’s like stepping into a forest. Campouts are courtesy of a gauzy tent Fariha put together, complete with a play campfire from Crate & Barrel. The swing is also her handiwork. Floor pillows from West Elm serve as crash pads for kids and grown-ups: “I hang out with friends here,” says Fariha.

Wood beams put in by a pro (literally beyond Fariha’s reach) bring cabin ambience. The mix of materials in the rest of the room gives it sophisticated, snuggly style: reeded molding separated by MDF boards behind the bed, a caned bed by McGee & Co., and a plush velvet quilt from Pottery Barn. And you can’t beat layering a rug over carpet for cushy feels.

Wanting to do the walls and ceiling in one color for unexpected charm, Fariha picked a shade that reminded her of Kashmiri chai, which turns rose as it’s aerated. A bed with a curved headboard (from Apt2B) is like a hug. She combined block-print-inspired curtains, bedding, and pillows that reflect South Asian design with an Art Deco style chandelier by Hudson Valley Lighting.

“There’s something calming about looking up from your bed and being covered by a canopy,” says Fariha. And Zaki practically dreams of living in Jurassic Park — which is why he was psyched about a leafy print by Milton & King. His mom did the beadboard (of course!), found a comforter with mustard and green tones by Marimekko, and a wall hanging that tie to the wallpaper hues.