Built in 1879 and located on Kane Street in Houston’s historic Sixth Ward, this 1,086-square-foot residence was acquired by its current owners in 2024 in a severe state of disrepair. The house suffered from extensive termite damage, failing foundations, and decades of unsympathetic alterations.

The project sought to preserve the memory and character of the house while transforming it into a functional contemporary home within a modest budget. The original layout consisted of small, compressed rooms with low ceilings and two bedrooms connected by a shared bathroom through a narrow hallway. To create a greater sense of openness, the architect removed the attic floor and exposed the roof structure, increasing ceiling heights by up to nine feet and dramatically enhancing light and spatial quality throughout the interior.

A new organizational strategy clearly separates the social and private areas of the home, including the addition of a second bathroom within the former hallway space. During construction, layers of sheetrock revealed fragments of original wallpaper featuring green and pink tones. This unexpected discovery became the inspiration for the project’s interior color palette, honoring the house’s layered history. Other artifacts, including a bathtub stamped with a 1905 manufacture date, further connected the renovation to the home’s past. The result is a careful restoration that balances preservation, adaptation, and contemporary living while maintaining the spirit of one of Houston’s historic neighborhoods.