Maison d’Art

Chic Design in Houston

By Anthea Gerrie | Photography by Sara Essex Bradley

Give an art lover a light-filled home blessed with high ceilings and minimalist interior details and, chances are, they will think of it as a gallery as much as a home.

That was certainly the case for Bob Gwin, whose clean-lined modern mansion in the Upper Kirby neighborhood of Houston’s River Oaks community is filled with paintings and sculptures that form the nucleus of a whole new art collection.

“Clean is the first thought that struck me when I stepped into this very open house full of light,”

says the retired oil and gas executive. “There were no mouldings or small, confined spaces, which made it different from many homes in Houston that are quite traditional.” He moved into the house in 2017. “It’s just the right size—big enough to entertain guests but not cavernous. I have three bedrooms. I use the fourth as a workout room and study.”

It was not only the light and the lines, brought into sharp focus by art deco–style geometric metal windows and doors, that told Gwin he had found his new home after a year of viewings; it was also the sympathetic treatment by previous owners. “They had done a superb job, and the house was ready to go,” he says.

Aside from the art, that is, and a wealth of custom furnishings—Gwin chose Houston-based designer Courtney Cangelosi, who works closely with local galleries, to help him source the right art for this exciting space. The drama starts in the foyer with an arresting portrait of the Egyptian goddess Nefertiti. Sitting above a fabulous Kelly Wearstler sculptural console, she grabs guests’ attention even before they have entered the house. “I like the way it draws you right in through the glass front door,” Gwin says. “It’s the first thing you see.”

In the living room, with its inset fireplace, not all the art hangs on the walls. For sure, the three-dimensional wood sculpture by Caprice Pierucci that sits proudly several inches above the flames is impressive, but no less so is the breathtaking bespoke coffee table made from two carefully matched slabs of marble carved into dovetailing giant teardrops. “It made sense to have a two-level table to serve the two sofas facing each other, which I chose as the most convivial seating arrangement,” Gwin says. He’s talking about the formal part of the living space, enriched not only by the marble table and sofas from Holly Hunt Studio, but also given a hefty touch of class by two non-contemporary pieces—a vintage Herman Miller cabinet by Gilbert Rohde and a nineteenth-century secretary by Thomas Wilson. A silver silk rug completes the picture.

Behind the fireplace is a cozier space with an intriguing floating bureau beneath the wall-mounted television and swivel armchairs overlooking the deck and pool. The outdoor space is surrounded by lush greenery that thrives in Houston’s humid climate. “This is my favorite room in the house—a great place to sit with my cat Juju and watch movies,” says Gwin of his den. As a frequent traveler for both business and leisure, he relishes his quiet time at home.

The art inherent in beautiful materials resurfaces in the kitchen, whose pale gray wood is enhanced by porcelain countertops with a matching backsplash. Its delicate veining mimics the branches of the silver-barked tree clearly visible through a side window—a frame for nature’s own artwork.

Surprisingly for a bachelor whose idea of entertaining is grilling in his backyard or enjoying a glass of wine from his private collection with friends, Gwin’s second favorite room is the formal dining area. “It’s so clean and serene,” he explains of his love for a room dominated by a huge Eric Holzman abstract painting Trees Earth Sky, which echoes the green velvet and sage leather upholstery of the dining chairs. Nature also speaks loudly in a fabulous hand-carved solid wood bowl from FOUND, a Houston emporium specializing in unique decor, including upcycled vintage pieces and contemporary items. The bowl, weighing an eye-watering seventy-five pounds, is gently heaved off the glass tabletop when guests are expected; in the meantime, it serves as a focal point when no one is due for dinner.

The house is understated rather than overtly masculine, but the study is a huntsman’s room, decorated with a couple of game birds shot by Gwin and stuffed by a taxidermist.

The coyote on the shelves, however, is not one of his personal trophies. “It reflects the fact I used to be part-owner of the Coyotes hockey team in Arizona, so I brought it with me from there,” he explains. The King Ranch in Texas, near which Gwin keeps a hunting lodge, is the source of the scalloped leather office chair and the deer antlers displayed in all their glory on the marble living-room table.

Cangelosi indeed paid tribute to the trophy hunter within her client by skillfully distributing a stuffed rattlesnake, decoy ducks, and assorted animal skulls from his collection. A huge puma portrait painted by Eric Peters (who also created the Nefertiti in the entry) hangs in the master bedroom with its modern four-poster bed sans canopy. Cangelosi also salvaged a vintage chest of drawers owned by Gwin’s father, which had been in the garage and full of tools, and moved it inside beside the staircase. “I found the perfect special spot to showcase it,” she says with satisfaction.

Decorating this house was a long-term labor of love, admits the designer. “It took two years to complete the interior due to the detail in custom furnishings, lighting, and artwork that took some time to find,” she says. “Bob has a real appreciation for art, and with the help of Gremillion, my favorite gallery in Houston for blue-chip art, we curated a well-rounded collection of mixed-media work.” The result is a feast for the eyes of visitors and the homeowner alike.

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To see more work by designer Courtney Cangelosi, visit Court-House.co.

Anthea Gerrie is based in the UK but travels the world in search of stories. Her special interests are architecture and design, culture, food, and drink, as well as the best places to visit in the world’s great playgrounds. She is a regular contributor to the Daily Mail, the Independent, and Blueprint.