When Steve and Martha Curry purchased their midcentury residence in Houston’s Braeswood Place in 1992, they knew they were in for one renovation—but they didn’t anticipate the second, which they undertook after Hurricane Harvey flooded the house in August 2017.

Steve, who is a principal at Curry Boudreaux Architects and president of the midcentury modern advocacy group Houston Mod, had meticulously restored the 1953 Benit House, originally designed by local architect Lars Bang. For the first renovation, Bang himself—then in his 80s—kindly loaned Steve the original plans for the 2,100-square-foot house. Steve also had photographs of the original home and a write-up in a 1954 issue of Good Housekeeping.

Although the home “presents conservatively to the street,” says Steve, on the interior it “pursues ideas of spatial richness, material tactility, and an expansive quality that belies its humble size.” A 1957 guide made for modern house tours in Houston highlights the continuity between indoors and outdoors: “terrazzo flooring, masonry, and frame walls and ceilings were carried from inside to outside.”

Steve cleaned and repaired exposed brick walls and restored or replicated exterior siding and soffits. The Good Housekeeping article mentioned a “bright red front door” and a planter box that is “duplicated exactly by another on the inside, the two divided by a glass wall”—and Steve brought both of these elements back to their original condition.

The original terrazzo floors remained, but the original kitchen had long been modified. Armed with his research, Steve set about recreating the essence of the 1950s kitchen but with modern-day appliances and additional counter space.

Similarly, he updated the roof and infrastructure to address energy efficiency and previously non-code compliant electrical and plumbing systems and fixtures. However, he preserved the midcentury feel of the home with period-correct fixtures, accessories, and hardware that were culled from nearby demolitions.

Thus began the “re-restoration” of the home, which was finally completed in 2019. The second restoration repaired and replaced flooring, woodwork, and rusted metal as necessary, but essentially returned the home as it had been before the hurricane.

Curry feels that the Bendit House is locally significant for three reasons: “as a preeminent example of Houston’s midcentury architectural legacy, as evidence of a community’s currently burgeoning preservation awareness, and—if sufficiently embedded in our culture to endure—as an intriguing site to be discovered anew by future generations.”

Having survived Hurricane Harvey, the twice-restored Bendit House now has even more historic value, and stands as an emblem of outstanding midcentury design.

Related Reading:

Before & After: We’re Taking Notes on This Expertly Rehabbed Midcentury in Austin

7 Paint Colors That Nail the Midcentury Modern Look

Project Credits:

Architect: Lars Bang, Steve Curry of Curry Boudreaux Architects
Builder/Contractor: Dovetail Builders
Landscape Design: Homeowners & Teresa Villa
Photography: Benjamin Hill Photography

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An Architect Restores His Houston Midcentury After Hurricane Harvey