We're not entirely sure what to think about this week's shelterporn home, a contemporary North Montrose model. Is it a house with a beautifully clean and modern exterior? Why yes — but what's inside is even more interesting, not least because it features (gulp) shiny black ceilings. No, really. The shiny ceilings, it turns out, are ebonized maple which, for better or worse, matches the floors in most of the house. It's good, in......

Have we told you how much we like the work of John Staub? Well, if we haven't, consider yourself told (and if you look at Stephen Fox's new book on Staub, you'll be a fan, too). It's not every day that a Staub-designed house shows up on the market — especially not one as grand as the 1924 D.D. Peden house in Shadyside. The Peden house actually predates Staub's career as an independent architect:......

So we were just thinking: If someone forced us to live in Southampton, we guess we could stand it — and if that someone were to force us into this four-year-old manse, all the better. Granted, it's not one of the classic Southampton houses we tend to covet, but for new faux-traditional inner Loop construction, it ain't so bad. Downstairs are the standard living and dining rooms, a hall with a dramatic curving staircase,......

We hate most of the townhomes gobbling up inner-Loop neighborhoods these days: Many of them are bland, poorly constructed cookie-cutter houses that destroy the character of the neighborhood they're built in. Which makes it all the better when we run across really good townhomes, like these on West Alabama in Montrose. The 505, designed by Jim Evans of Collaborative Designworks, has won all kinds of awards since it was finished a couple of years......

Houstonist reader Ben called our attention to a piece of modern architectural history for sale: John Zemanek's award-winning Japanese modern home off Richmond and Dunlavy. Zemanek, an architect who teaches at UH, built the house in 1968; it has received the Texas Society of Architects Honor Award, was featured in the Harvard Design Magazine and is listed in Stephen Fox's Houston Architectural Guide. Not bad. The interior of the house is minimalist and amazing,......

This week, we get back to bungalows with this 1911 Westmoreland gem. The house reminds us of some of our favorites in Woodland Heights, but it has some unique features of its own that make it stand out — and a recent restoration means the interior is as nice as the exterior. Inside, the house features a large living room with typical Craftsman wood beams and columns and a fireplace, a dining room with......

Ever since the old Byrd's Department Store building at Main and Prairie was restored as lofts, we've wanted to live there. Even though we have some reservations about the noise level, especially after Carol Alvarado said her Rice Lofts windows sometimes shake with noise from the downtown clubs, we still love the little building's Art Deco exterior, huge windows, prime location and roof deck. So, naturally, we're excited to note that there's a second-floor......

Devoted Shelterporn readers will remember that one of our pipe dreams is to live on North or South boulevards. The beautiful old homes on those streets have a special place in our heart, but we also drool over some of the more modern construction — this 1998 South Boulevard house included. The house, designed by Jay Baker, isn't totally traditional or modern; whatever it is, though, we like it. Downstairs, the living areas are......

Yeah, yeah, we know — Shelterporn has slacked off, and in recent weeks you've had to look for your own dream real estate listings. We're awfully sorry to have put such a burden on you and are making a Chinese New Year's resolution to be more regular. We'll do better at keeping up with Shelterporn, too. All of which brings us to the home we couldn't ignore: the Frame house, located off Memorial and......

If you remember the last time we featured a house in Shelterporn — longer ago than it should have been, we know — you'll remember that we have a thing for modern houses. So, naturally, we were drawn to this Montrose contemporary, a three-year-old house designed by architect Scott Ballard. The defining feature is the barrel-vaulted roof, which not only gives the house a unique silhouette but also creates some pretty impressive interior spaces.......