My Houzz: Sophisticated, Old-World Charm for a Dallas Rambler
http://www.decor-ideas.org 06/05/2015 20:13 Decor Ideas
Howard Jackson’s home is a treasure trove of estate sale finds and unique artifacts and art. However, he didn’t achieve this look all at once. It took Jackson many years to develop the home’s aesthetic. He says, “For a long time, it was clearly a bachelor’s residence. Lots of bare walls and nondescript furniture.”
But that all changed in 2009 when Jackson’s mother became terminally ill. “I returned to California for about a month to be there for her. When I returned to Dallas after her funeral, I can remember going to sleep that first night in my house. I was in a bed without a headboard surrounded by clothes still packed in boxes,” he says. “After everything that had just happened, and after spending so much time back in the home that I grew up in, being back in my own place now suddenly felt so depressing. That’s when I decided to make the house a home.”
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Howard Jackson and Huck, his Australian shepherd
Size: 1,850 square feet (172 square meters); 3 bedrooms; 2 bathrooms
Location: Lake Highlands neighborhood in Dallas
Comfortable seating, vintage art and hand-picked antiques set the tone in Jackson’s living room. “I like to drink coffee every morning in here. The living room is kind of separate from the flow of the rest of the house, and seems to resist the ‘clutter of life’ that tends to accumulate spontaneously in other rooms,” he says. “Plus, it has great natural light.”
Jackson says decorating his home is “all about the hunt.” He says the key to his curation style is an open mind. “I rarely go looking for something specific, and I always avoid projects. That being said, a few scratches or flaws never scare me away from bringing something home. In fact, I like to see a few battle scars on an older piece; they add character.” His desk, a secondhand online find, is just such a piece.
The marled wood foyer table sets the stage for a layered vignette of vintage pieces. His favorite shopping haunts are in Dallas’ design district. He recommends Country Garden Antiques, Lots of Furniture and Scout. “I am a big fan of Milton Kent on Henderson. The store is a series of rooms that are all staged with curated layers of antique furniture, art and decorative items. Also, City View Antique Mall is my local friendly spot in East Dallas,” he says. “It’s always fun to stop by just to walk the aisles for a while — and they host a great flea market a couple times per year.”
Jackson found this vintage campaign desk on Craigslist. Unique brass accessories, like a parrot-shaped letter opener, match the desk’s hardware. “It’s got a good Hemingway vibe,” says Jackson.
This yellow vinyl midcentury accent chair from Country Garden Antiques is one of his latest secondhand finds.
The family room is in the center of the house. While it lacks natural light, Jackson embraced the dark space and painted the entire room and all the trim in Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball.
Jackson credits his family with his design style. When he was a child, his parents were always changing and updating their family home in California. “Every year they would pick a major project for a particular room and then rotate through the house. My bedroom went through several evolutions, and I’d get to pick the finishes,” he says. “I am sure that this experience has a lot to do with my motivation to try different things in my own home.” He also credits an aunt who lived on the California coast for his design style inspiration. In her house, he says, “art and collectibles are haphazardly curated throughout. It just feels sophisticated yet relaxed and comfortable.”
The family room coffee table is made up of three movable pieces: two ottomans and a beat-up antique trunk. “The guy who sold it to me gave me a deal because it needed reupholstering. But I loved it just as it was,” says Jackson.
Jackson sought professional assistance when it came to paint color. “The yellow front door and dark blue den were way out of my comfort zone,” he says. “I got the paint at Artifkt in Dallas. Everyone there is very patient and a lot of fun to work with. I never would have had the courage to use these colors on my own, but I am really pleased with the results.”
In the summer of 2014, a small plumbing leak under the house caused the hardwood floors to buckle and warp. Jackson packed all his furniture and moved it into storage for over a month while new hardwood floors were being installed. Instead of hiring a general contractor, he managed the project himself. “I sourced reclaimed hardwood floors (red oak from Discount Home Warehouse) and hired a company to demo the old floors, install the reclaimed wood floors and sand, stain and seal them,” he says. “The entire process took about a month. The hardest part of the renovation was being displaced with my dog in a hotel for five weeks.”
The dining area backs up to an original built-in bookcase. A bar separates the dining area from the kitchen, which is perfect for serving meals and entertaining.
Jackson’s biggest splurge was the Farrow & Ball paint. “Ordering four cans of Hague Blue was like making a car payment for a really nice car. I could have painted the whole house for the cost of the paint in that room,” he says. “But now that it’s done, I’ve decided that wherever I go, wherever I live, I will have a room painted in Hague Blue. So it was totally worth the splurge.”
The galley kitchen is a common feature in 1950s Dallas ramblers. Jackson left his kitchen intact and accented the garage door with leftover paint from the family room. A trio of vintage copper kitchen molds hangs above the door.
Near the stove-top, a lazy Susan holds cooking oils and spices for easy access. Jackson enjoys entertaining at home. “It’s nice to have friends and family come into my space and feel comfortable,” he says. “For me that is the purpose of a home — to have a space that belongs to you, but that you can also share and enjoy with others.”
Jackson has outfitted the guest room with dark wood antiques, coral-orange accents and a smattering of vintage art. He finds that painting walls can be very cathartic and admits, “I am not a very handy guy, but give me some paint, a roller and a few drop cloths, and I’m good. Painting just one room can impact the way the whole house feels.”
Jackson is not a fan of things that match, and he resists symmetry. He openly admits that his more-is-more style isn’t for everyone. “There’s a fine line between ‘collector’ and ‘hoarder,’ and right now I’m really threading that needle,” he says. “I am addicted to estate sales, and if there is something that catches my eye at a good price, it’s impossible for me to just walk away.”
A vintage orange velvet accent chair complements the sea-blue paint in the guest room. Visitors can make use of a dressing caddy that Jackson has placed near the closet.
To house his large wardrobe and maximize space in his small master bedroom, Jackson bought an armoire (far right). “It’s a Louis Philippe, and it’s the first antique I ever owned,” he says.
All of the bedroom furniture was incorporated in phases. The careful mix of area rugs, artwork, seating and storage makes this master suite comfortable and highly personalized.
Jackson works in Human Resources for a multinational corporation, and dressing for work is an important part of preparing for the day. A charming dress caddy sits near the wardrobe for suit coats and ties.
Jackson loves that his neighborhood is filled with young families, established trees and green spaces, and that it’s close to downtown. “There’s a great sense of community in Lake Highlands,” says Jackson. “I would suspect that most of the dogs on our street have never been to a kennel, since we are always looking out for each other’s pets. It’s not unusual to find neighbors communing in driveways and along sidewalks or planning block parties.”
Jackson, seen here in front of his sunny yellow door with his dog, Huck, has learned to be courageous with color during the process of decorating his first home.
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