KATY HOUSE

Katy House is conceived as a reworking of the home’s arrival and service sequence, where a series of previously discrete rooms are reorganised into a more continuous open spatial experience. The intervention extends from the main foyer and garage entry through the powder room, mudroom and pantry, culminating in the kitchen as the social centre of the ground floor. Openings are repositioned to draw light deeper into the plan and establish stronger visual relationships between adjoining spaces. Rather than treating each room as an isolated renovation, the project uses thresholds, circulation and built-in elements to create a clearer rhythm of movement through the house.

Sketch of a modern kitchen with a woman walking and a man in the background, featuring an island, dining table, and cabinetry.

The renovation was driven by three priorities: bringing more natural light into the ground floor, creating a stronger sense of connection between adjoining spaces, and significantly increasing everyday storage.

The initial design proposed opening several existing walls to create a more continuous sequence between the entry, service spaces and kitchen. During exploratory inspections, however, concealed roof drainage pipes were discovered within walls originally intended for removal. Relocating this infrastructure would have required substantial additional work and cost.

Rather than compromise the project, the plan was reworked around the existing drainage routes. Openings were repositioned, circulation adjusted and storage redistributed, allowing the design to retain the original ambitions of openness, light and functionality while working intelligently with the constraints of the existing house.

The resulting layout feels more connected and generous, with each space flowing into the next while still performing a distinct role.

Residential Renovation + Addition

TYPE‍ ‍

Completed, 2025

STATUS‍ ‍

Foyer · Powder Room · Mudroom · Pantry · Kitchen

SCOPE

Houston, Texas

LOCATION ‍

Kitchen and entry renovation focused on light, flow and storage, with a new powder room, pantry and mudroom

BRIEF

A doorway with sunlight streaming through window shutters, a checkered black and white floor, part of a wooden dining table with a striped cushion, a colorful painting on the wall, and a sliding glass door with floral curtains leading outside to a garden.
Elegant ceiling chandelier with multiple frosted glass globes and gold accents, hanging in a well-lit room with large windows.
Close-up of a brass door knob with an ornate design on a white door.
Dining room with a wooden table surrounded by blue and patterned chairs on a Persian-style rug, a window with green curtains, and artwork on the walls. There is a plant and a colorful lamp in the corner, with a view of a patio outside.
A kitchen view looking into a dining area with large windows, beige curtains, a dark wooden dining table and six beige upholstered chairs, decorative items including a vase with white hydrangeas on a white marble kitchen island, a pendant light fixture, and a painting on the wall.
View through a door into a cozy kitchen with white cabinets, a red stand mixer, and open shelving with books and decorative items.
A bathroom with a white door, a marble sink vanity with gold handles, and a round mirror. There is a window with white shutters, a colorful abstract painting on the wall, and black and white checkered floor tiles.
Hallway with a wooden floor, white walls, and a patterned rug, overlooking a dining room with windows, curtains, chairs, and a small table, and a staircase with wooden treads and white spindles on the right.
A dining room with a wooden table, white chairs, artwork on the wall, a wooden cabinet, and a view into the kitchen with a blue island and stainless steel refrigerator.
Floor plan of a house showing a garage at the top, kitchen, formal dining, entry, living room, office, and other rooms, with stairs and doorways connecting these spaces.

EXISTING PLAN

PROPOSED PLAN

Arrangement of various building and interior design materials, including tiles, fabric, wood, glass, and decorative hardware.

BEFORE

ALL Projects →