Monogram Modern Home at the Heart of Houston’s Arts District
Think of Houston, and you may imagine a towering skyline rising over a sprawling metropolis or the Mission Control Center at NASA. For those unfamiliar with Texas, it can come as a surprise that the city known for its influence in energy and aeronautics is also a major hub for the arts. Houston’s cultural scene includes a thriving Theater District and Museum District. The centrally located Washington Avenue Arts District boasts over 300 artist studios in half a square mile, believed to be the highest concentration of working creatives in the United States.
This year, Seattle-based Method Homes teamed up again with Monogram and Dwell to build the traveling prefab.
This robust arts community was our next destination on the Monogram Modern Home Tour. We showcased the prefab at Silver Street Studios as part of the Houston Antiques + Art + Design Show, which expanded to include pieces from the 20th century this year. Set in an industrial setting against urban wall murals and silos-turned-artist-studios, the Monogram Modern Home found itself in conversation with Houston’s contemporary scene as well as the evolution of design through time.
The building rested on the grounds of Silver Street Studios, an arts complex featuring 20,000 square feet of event space and 70 working studios. Jon Deal of the Deal Company, the development and investment firm behind the Washington Avenue Arts District, said during the panel, "What this is, is a community of 300-plus creative types, but also an economy: they can create their work, sell their work, and participate in the community. The creative nature of the artists goes hand in hand with what we are building here in the arts district."
In Houston, the Monogram Modern Home took on midwestern and southern influences. Local designer Shane Cook dressed the 600-square-foot space in muted tones of gray and beige with light blue accents. A proponent of using art to characterize a home, he used pieces by area artists in a homage to the city’s creative community. Tour chef Jon Liddell conducted live product demonstrations in the kitchen, whipping up dishes with local flavor. A crowd favorite was Liddell’s caramelized bacon, which combined maple syrup, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper for a dose of southern sweetness and Texas heat. In addition, open house visitors had the chance to interact with Monogram’s luxury appliances in a natural home setting. Ranging from the French door wall oven to the outdoor cooking center, the featured products showcased the ingenuity and innovation of Monogram’s designs and how they complemented the modern home.
Interior designer Shane Cook chose gray and beige as the predominant colors for the home, using blue accents to liven up the space.
Tour chef Jon Liddell put the finishing touches on his beef tenderloin, cooked to perfection in the French door wall oven.
The tour held special interest for trade professionals as well. Greg Finnicum of Monogram and Michele Gerus of Dwell hosted a series of continuing education units (CEUs) that addressed advancements in kitchen technology, the role of social media in business, and the Dwell Insights Group's new findings on "New Affluents." Gerus also hosted the event’s crowning panel, "Conscious Development: The Creation of the Washington Avenue Arts District." Panelists chef Monica Pope of Sparrow Houston, Jon Deal of The Deal Company, and Pat Brewer of Pat Brewer Interior Designs tracked the rise of the Washington Avenue Arts District and the principles of good design.
The CEUs, which offered accreditation on topics ranging from cooking technology to universal design, drew an eager crowd.
"Good design is sensitive to its social and physical surroundings," said Gerus during the panel. "Dwell’s success lies in helping communities develop design principles and transforming lives, which is exactly what the Washington Avenue Arts District accomplishes." Pope explained that the resources invested in the area attracted art, music, food, and entertainment—creative industries that drive both culture and economy. "What is really successful about the Washington Avenue Arts District, or any business, is its ability to get the synergy and density of people," she said.
Young visitors watched a video about Resource Furniture, whose Murphy bed was a space-saving solution in the home.
The cabinets disguised seamlessly integrated appliances like the custom fridge and dishwasher.
A champion of adaptive reuse, sustainability, and local revitalization, the Washington Arts District shared many of Dwell’s design tenets and provided the perfect context for the Monogram Modern Home Tour. For our next destination, we’re heading south—follow the journey through #monogrammodern, and learn more about our upcoming stops in Atlanta, Georgia, and Miami, Florida, by clicking here.
Shop the Story
Published
Last Updated
Topics
KitchenFill up on the Latest in Kitchen Design
Discover inspired kitchens and get design advice for the heart of your home.