COTE DE TEXAS: A Look At Designers: Lucas-Eilers

A Look At Designers: Lucas-Eilers

 

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It’s that time of year again, when Houston’s front yards are filled with the bright colors of the azaleas that just love our soil (ha!)  The River Oaks Garden Club hosts the annual Azalea Trail and each year they sweat it out that the sensitive blooms will be in full show during the weekend which was picked a year ahead of time.  But, the Azalea Trail is all worth it, regardless if the flowers are in bloom or not.  The highlight of the Azalea Trail is wandering the 14 acres of Ima Hogg’s estate, Bayou Bend, named appropriately for its location at the bayou’s bend, when its thousands of azalea bushes are hopefully ablaze.

 

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The charming drawbridge that takes you over the bayou to Bayou Bend – the highlight of the Azalea Trail. 

 

 

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Bayou Bend, the 1927 John Staub designed house that Ima Hogg and her two brothers lived in.  The Hogg brothers actually helped to develop River Oaks, still today Houston’s toniest neighborhood.  Their house was one of the first built there. 

 

The Butterfly Garden is the crowd favorite.

 

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Some of the acreage is formal gardens, while others were deliberately kept natural.

 

 

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If you have never visited the Azalea Trail or Bayou Bend, you should!!

 

Besides the tour of Bayou Bend, each year the Azalea Trail visits a handful of carefully chosen houses and gardens.  This year – one of the houses on the Trail is designed by Lucas/Eilers Design Associates

 

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Lucas/Eilers Design Associates

The firm, made up of Sandra Lucas and Sarah Eilers, is the well known talented team who have designed a plethora of interiors here in Houston and throughout the United States.  The duo have won numerous ASID awards for their work and they have been published in many magazines and books throughout the years.    Their house on this years Azalea Trail is particularly attractive because of its interiors, as well as its architecture and landscaping. 

 

All photographs by Carl Mayfield

 

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This house, on this year’s Azalea Trail, was designed by Sandy Lucas of Lucas Eilers.   It was once a classic Georgian that was taken down to its studs in a total renovation.  Because the lot sits on a picturesque golf course – the garage must be front loading.  Notice how you can barely tell that the garage is on the left, with its carriage-like doors.  And notice the brick detailing on the driveway which again takes the focus away from the garage.  The door is off center – the hanging lantern alerts guests to its location.

 

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The back terraces down to the golf course – through a series of landings and porches.  The brick stairs mix beautifully with the slate paving.

 

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The covered porch off the family and breakfast rooms.

 

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The entry hall – which I just love.   Arched steel double doors open to a stone floor hall.  Just beautiful.

 

 

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The main hall with the beautiful view of the golf course.  Expansive views like this are almost nonexistent in central Houston.   Notice how this hallway has painted white brick and gray beamed ceiling – which adds texture and interest.   Lanterns, sconces and chairs create a symmetrical seating area.

 

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Another view of the main hallway with the stairway hall beyond.

 

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The dining room is elegant in gray – with a gray rug, while the contemporary art work provides a shot of color.  Notice the curtains – the dark band of gray at the hem –is a nice detail.  

 

 

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In the living room, the same curtains provide a design continuity.     Love the antique settees and the painting.  Notice the contemporary firescreen. 

 

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Off the family room is the kitchen in a taupe/gray.  Ceiling beams are repeated in beams that line the opening.  Love the double lanterns. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

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Off the kitchen is the family room with its focal point antique shutter above the fireplace.  Behind the shutter – is the flatscreen.




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Looking back towards the breakfast room and kitchen.

 

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And the master bedroom with wood beamed ceiling.

 

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Darling window seat in the master bedroom which sits behind the damask curtains.  Notice the header beam in the alcove.

 

 

 

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Lucas Eilers was also featured in the new Tuscan Style.

 

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The large stone house with a turret is also located in Houston.

 

 

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The music room has light blue gray walls and taupe upholstered furniture.  Notice the coffered ceiling.

 

 

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My favorite room is the family room – I just LOVE the wood screen which, yes, hides the flatscreen.  I am beginning to think my flatscreen must be the worst eyesore!!!   Notice the wood doors that flank the console – with the charming transoms above.   Beautiful furniture arrangement with tall chairs providing needed height, along with matching club chairs.

NOTE:  In a family room with lots of chairs and sofas – you need high and low heights.  Imagine if all the chairs and sofas in this room were exactly the same height.  It would be so boring.  Instead, the designer chose the two antique styled chairs to give the room that needed height – which brings the room alive.   And in another designer trick – notice the wood element above the screen.  The screen is not quite tall enough – so what to do?  Add this piece above it to fool the eye.  A row of plates would have solved the problem too.

 

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The other side of the room has two settees that flank the fireplace.  The kitchen is beyond.

 

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While the room is casual, it is still elegant.  It’s obvious it was professionally decorated – the curtains alone give it the finished touch.  Can’t afford a decorator?   Save and then splurge on custom made curtains.  Nothing will say – luxe and good design more than a custom made window treatment.  

 

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The kitchen has pops of red – in the cabinet, the curtains and the trim on the barstools. 

 

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A love seat – with red velvet pillows – helps fill out the expansive breakfast room.

NOTE:   large rooms need lots of furniture to fill them up.   If you don’t want a lot of furniture – don’t buy a house with large rooms.  Nothing says – unfinished and cold more than a room that doesn’t have the proper amount of furniture in it.

 

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A second breakfast room – is charming with its round table and mix of fabrics on the chairs. 

 

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So cute!  A computer room.

NOTE:  OK.  What to do with ugly computer chairs.  If you client insists on using them – take note here.  Cute slips help to hide the industrial nature of the chairs.  They almost look like antiques!  Almost!!!!

 

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The tall ceiling of the master bedroom needed two lighting fixtures.  Don’t be afraid to use two when needed.   I love the tapestry over the fireplace instead of a framed painting.

 

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Groined ceiling in the bathroom. 

Lucas/Eilers have won many, many ASID awards.   This one below is a personal favorite:

 

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An ASID award went to this bathroom – with a tub and marble-enclosed double shower behind it.  Absolutely amazing.  ASID awarded it the winning Bathroom Design for 2011.  And I can see why.  That shower is incredible!  

Below is another award:

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This house won an ASID award for Residential, Large – Sustainable Design.  It is on a ranch in Cat Springs, Texas.  I love the unusual headboard. 

 

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And another ASID winner – I love the clock in the range hood.

 

A special thanks to Sandy Lucas and Sarah Eilers for sharing this look at their portfolio.

To contact them:

1502 AUGUSTA DRIVE, SUITE 220, HOUSTON, TX 77057 · (713) 784-9423

To visit their web site – go HERE.

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And, for more information about this year’s Azalea Trail – go HERE.

 

34 comments :

  1. Just a comment from the Vero Linen Give Away--I was lucky enough to win and just want to say these are the most beautiful, soft, luxurious sheets we have ever dressed our bed with. Thank you for the give away Vero Linen's and Joni at Cote de Texas!

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    1. thank you !!!! so glad you are enjoying your sheets. hopefully we will do another giveaway later this year. ;0

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  2. Sandy Lucas and Sarah Eilers are both fabulous designers!! I love working with them both!!! Thanks for sharing!! xo Leslie

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  3. This is fantastic. We will be featuring this post in our Seasons' Saturday Selections this week.

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  4. Wonder how the children, growing up in the last home, will burst forth as adults into their personal style choices? Love the interiors, and garden, yet it does have a lot of rigid aspects. In a good way for the owners, yet if one of the children is a lover of bohemian, Mario Buatta, Bill Blass, Bunny Williams etc... Seems the rigidness will guide the young/learning eyes more deeply into their own choices very early in life. They've got a template for execution of their own tastes.

    A good thing.

    Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

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  5. So much warmth and beauty in these homes Joni!
    Too soon for azaleas here, oh Kansas City does have long winters!! Snow on the ground right now!

    xoxo
    Karena
    The Arts by Karena

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  6. I'm actually embarrassed to say I've lived in this city 24 years and have yet to visit Bayou Bend or tour the Azalea Trail! It is now on the calendar. One question...I noticed in the family room of the Lucas Eilers home two document chests. They are both beautiful and I'm just wondering if either are antiques or reproductions. If reproductions, I would love to know the source. Thanks for posting another beautiful home!

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  7. Joni,
    Thank you so much for featuring our projects on your wonderful blog. The entire Lucas/Eilers team has always been a fan of Cote de Texas and we are so delighted to be included. We hope everyone will stop by the Azalea Trail in a couple of weeks (March 6-8), to see this lovely home featured above.

    In response to Angeldog, the first home featured that will be a part of the Azalea Trail, has an antique sugar chest at the end of the sofa. In the second home, the chest by the fireplace is an antique document box and at the end of the sofa is a reproduction that the clients had in previous homes. We apologize that we do not have the source for these items.

    We hope you will subscribe to our blog, http://lucaseilers.com/subscribe/, in order to see what we are up to in the future!

    Beauty, Order, Peace & Health,
    Lucas/Eilers Design Associates

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    1. Thank you for trying! It was actually the second home I was referring to. I love both of the boxes, but the reproduction at the end of sofa a little more. I'll keep my eyes out for something similar! Looking forward to your blog as well. Thank you.

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    2. thank you so much for sharing these homes with us!!! hope you enjoyed the story!

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  8. Gorgeous homes and gardens! Lush and luxurious. And warm, obviously - unlike the northern climes we're shivering in right now…You're so lucky to live in such a climate!

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  9. azaleas! Yikes I'm from Boston - we may never see our azaleas this year.

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  10. Years ago I was very thrilled to go on this tour and visit local homes and gardens -- the women who run this tour are so charming and elegant -- and it is one of the BEST décor tours anywhere! I can recommend travelling to Houston just to see the tour's featured homes and gardens! Thanks for mentioning it on your blog!

    Jan at Rosemary Cottage

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  11. Beautiful homes and post Joni. I'm looking forward to the tour. I hope the annual heavy rain/cold snap that always occur prior to the rodeo and tour stay away this year.

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  12. Beautiful!
    Love the white/gray painted brick on first home featured. Do you know what color it is?

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  13. This post makes me homesick. I do miss Houston and the azaleas in the spring. The first home by Lucas/Eilers is so beautiful. Thank you for featuring this wonderfully talented team.
    Lauren

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  14. Joni: I feel so guilty that I haven't been on the Azalea Trail and have lived in Houston for decades now! Hadn't realize that I'm missing more than just beautiful gardens and azaleas but also interiors. Thanks for sharing the wonderful designs of the extremely talented Lucas/Eilers. My favorite items were the screens and shutters that were used to hide the flat screen. As soon as my son is off to college, I'd love to hire a decorator/designer to do SOMETHING with the big black box. I'm one of those people that still likes the TV hidden. Not practical with teenagers around but I'm so in love with the ideas presented in this post!! Also, love how the designers deflected attention from the front loading garage. Our neighborhood prohibits it but this is a lovely examples of how to do it right! Debbie

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    1. Those gates and landscape architectural improvements of this home are the product of Kevin Steed and the team at McDugald-Steele. The golf course setting of this home offers beautiful vistas not fully captured in these photos that one can experience in person should they visit on Azalea Trail weekend. The garden has been planned to be awash in bloom and fragrance for this upcoming event.

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  15. Thank you, thank you, thank you Jonie. We NEVER missed the Azalea Trail when we lived in Houston and it's been much too long since we've been back. I am saving this for old time sake.
    Sam

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  16. I, too, like to hide the television, but I didn't like the green shuttered mess. Too flea-markety in an otherwise classy home. Leaving the black box alone would have been an improvement over the shutters.

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    1. Hi, Joni, I really like your wonderful posts. Connecting a flatscreen with a fireplace looks like an elegant idea to me, but I have been always curious about the electrical issues at this case. Otherwise I really like the birchs' painting as well and also the fireplace (that with the goblin in the bedroom). The expressive headboard in the last bedroom is interesting, too, it solves th wall place behind.

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  18. Enjoyed this post very much. Thanks for sharing the beautiful homes of TX.

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  19. I am jamming about the pillows with the cute dog next to them. Mainly about the pillows! Of course, the dog is cute, too. But I wish I knew which textile brand has that nice of a silk velvet in that colorway. Sigh! Do other people have favorite silk velvet brands?

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  20. I always LOVE every room you show, but these are exceptional !

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  21. I NEED TEXAS ABOUT NOW!!!! franki

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  22. The Azalea Trail looks stunning! Such a beautiful time of year in Texas. xo, N.

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  23. Oh wow from first picture of the house it's already breath taking.. and it keeps taking my breath away. Just beautiful ^^

    Please visit my latest article about metal letters home decor.
    ∞ chalwoo ∞

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  24. What a beautiful house...absolutely stunning! One of my favorite features is the backyard/patio area, and I also love the master bath...so fancy! My daughter is insisting on having a "computer chair" in her room, and I might have to follow this idea. Love everything about this house!

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  25. Joni
    Loved every image here. I am particularly enamored of that entry and that tv closet is one of my all time favorites! I would take that in a heartbeat! I am so glad to see a better image of it. Thanks for an amazing post!!

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  26. Hi i was wondering if you would be able to tell me where the damask curtains are from in the picture witht the seated window.

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