As the coronavirus enters its second year, our home is more important than ever. They have transformed from where we dodge viruses, staring at cameras and computer screens to work and go to school, to where we find a new normal.

We built a wine room and a cocktail lounge for relaxation and small group gatherings. We installed colors and patterns to fight boredom. We started growing plants indoors and outdoors to keep in touch with nature and improved our terraces.

The list of the most beautiful houses in the city in 2021 is a compilation of houses I have visited and written about, showing all these trends and more. They may inspire you to try new things in your own home in 2022.

Design team: interior designer Genna Weidner and architect Deborah Hasou of Weidner Hasou & Co., architect Travis Mattingly of Architectural Solutions and Andy Abercrombie architect of Abercrombie Builders

As Bill Swenson approaches retirement, he likes the idea of ​​building the house he wants from the ground up, down to every detail. He and his wife Sandy used this front room as their TV room; its walls and ceiling were lined with bleached mahogany boards.

Bill Swenson became a great shopper. He discovered the French mid-century buffet in the restaurant during his trip to Austin and found vintage Murano lamps on the Internet. Read the original story here. 

Design team: interior designer Talbot Cooley Interiors, Gordon Partners Design architect Ryan Gordon, and Thompson Custom Homes builder Brian Thompson.

When James and Michelle Mouton built their memorial home, they wanted a restaurant that could host a large dinner party, but still feel the intimacy. Designer Talbot Cooley designed a square table that can seat 12 people, and then added custom chairs, stunning chandeliers, colorful artwork and a grand piano.

Mouton also built a bar on one side of the living room, covered with marble slabs, well-lit, and stylish high stools. Read the original story here. 

Design team: Laura Britt and studioMET Architects of Austin Britt Design Group

Dr. Maria Cabanillas works as an oncologist and endocrinologist at Texas Medical Center, focusing on thyroid cancer. Her partner, Kris Griffith, is also the health caretaker there. Therefore, when their house near the medical center collapses, it is an opportunity to build a new house and use materials that are better for them and the environment. They created a modern house with environmentally friendly finishes and solar panels, as well as a large backyard for gardening and entertainment. Read the original story here. 

Design team: he does it himself

Houston technology entrepreneur Fyyaz Pirani has worked hard to build his new penthouse on the upper floors of The Mond in the museum district. His dining room is filled with Boca do Lobo's ultra-modern luxury furniture and contemporary art that he buys all over the world. Read the original story here. 

Design team: Construction Concepts of Josh Weisman, architect Isaac Levy and interior designer LeTricia Wilbanks of The WM

Baby 2 is about to be born, and builder Josh Weisman and his wife Trisha built this very modern home on an elevated ground in Braes Heights. Their main bathroom evokes the experience of a luxury hotel. Read the original story here.

Design team: Jana Erwin and Audrey Tejauno of Nest Design Group and Garrett Custom Homes

More and more homeowners buy original artworks to express their taste and style and improve their environment. When Amy Rozell purchased an existing home in River Oaks, she embarked on an extensive renovation project, which included painting an art-driven mural for her restaurant. Read the original story here. 

Design team: Cindy Witmer Designs

Todd and Brenda Huskin want their home to be an "experience" for tourists. Brenda is a recognized minimalist and likes the style of the famous designer Miles Redd. When she contacted Houston interior designer Cindy Witmer, she even challenged her love for patterns and colors. They renovated the entire home, including this family room, which is also Todd's work-from-home space.

Huskinsons turned an unused bedroom into a billiard room with vivid wallpapers, rattan furniture and tropical-themed artwork. Read the original story here. 

Design team: Lindsey Herod Interiors

As more and more of us work from home and spend less and less time out to play, we have created our own places to relax. Nick and Claire Petree don't use their breakfast corner to eat, so they turned it into a place where they can enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning, ice tea in the afternoon, or a craft cocktail or a glass of wine in the evening. Their designer Lindsey Herod designed cabinets along the exterior walls, including wallpaper treatments and shelves, to look like bars. Read the original story here. 

Design Team: Rainey Richardson Interiors and Bruce Winfrey of Winfrey Design Build

The mixed family of April and Victor Palafox includes six children-with two pairs of twins-high school and college age. After they got married, they built a house in Tanglewood with enough space for the children and their friends, but they also prepared something for them. For example, the beautiful restaurant shows April's fashion sense and Victor's love for art. The bar and wine wall are also good. Read the original story here. 

Design Team: Stacee Lynn Bell of Our Barndominium Life

In the past few years, many residents of the Houston area have either left the city to live in the country, or built a second home in the rural area, where they can occasionally escape fierce competition. Stacee Lynn and Oliver Bell did this while creating and selling the "barndominium" housing plan. This branch of the alternative housing boom uses steel frame construction and metal siding to create housing in less time and less cost. Read the original story here. 

Design Team: Missy Stewart Designs

The entire area has been remodeled from the boring kitchens of the 1980s and 1990s — including in Jessica and Brett Callier's Seabrook home — taking dark cabinets, buzzing islands and overhead lights to the next level. The hottest items now are the dazzling chandeliers and chandeliers, white cabinets and more minimalist aesthetics on the islands covered in marble or quartzite. Island seating is important because it has become an important place for family dining. The restaurant that was once rarely used by Calliers has been transformed into a whiskey bar. and also. Read the original story here. 

Design team: interior designer Anne Breux

When Linda and John Thomas' historic house in Oak River suffered severe damage in the fire, they could have used it as an opportunity to demolish and start over. The building was designed by the architect Hermon Lloyd (one of the designers of Astrodome) and was built in 1936. It is the second modern residence in Houston, with an area of ​​2,600 square feet, which is moderate according to River Oaks standards. Thomases wanted to repair it and redouble his efforts to keep it as it was when it was built decades ago. Read the original story here. 

Design team: Lauren Ramirez Interiors

Carolyn and Greg Calhoun are an East Coast couple who are used to brownstone and craftsman-style houses, so when they move to Houston Heights, they feel comfortable and familiar with the fact that a house has enough space and outdoor terraces for outdoor dining and Healthy outdoor play for their daughter. Read the original story here.

Design team: Karen Davis of Marker Girl

Erin and Aaron Sorrell moved their family here from Alaska, and with the help of local contractors and interior designers, they bought and renovated the houses they saw online. They turned to a mix of standard cabinets and some floating shelves, and brightened everything up with paint. Their islands have also undergone some transformations to make the entire space look new and completely new. Read the original story here.

Design Team: Rainey Richardson Interiors

Paula Hale’s husband knew he died of cancer, so before he died, he insisted on some new furniture and decoration, which will help his wife and three daughters feel that their father can help them continue without him go ahead. His selfless efforts included several rooms in the home, including the master bedroom suite and this very gorgeous bathroom. Read the original story here. 

Design team: Michele Merz of MMI Design

The home of Liz and Mo Alis in the memorial park does not suit their style. They want to reshape it with a fresher and younger interior design—a bit traditional, a bit modern, a bit rustic, and a bit refined. When it is completed, it feels like one of the most beautiful houses in the city that has been remodeled this year. Read the original story here. 

Design team: Heritage Construction Services and Lauren Grumbles Interior Design

Mishann Childers grieves the loss of her husband and tries to keep their old home together. Every time she turned around, something broke. One day, she decided to start building a new home again-with a sense of modernity in the country-with enough space for her adult children to visit with their friends. Read the original story here. 

Design team: Talena Gulash of Talena Interior Design

In their previous home, Sharon Fritts Zeller and Rob Zeller tried to remodel it piecemeal, but never completely passed. Therefore, when they relocate to Seabrook Island to be close to their children and grandchildren, they hope to complete all the work immediately. They updated all the transitional styles with new cabinets, counters, tiles and lighting in the kitchen and four bathrooms. Read the original story here. 

Design team: Lynne T. Jones Interior Design

Sugar Land residents Jeff and Jeanne Megna are about to retire, so they bought a holiday home in their hometown of Minnesota. It needed to be completely redone and extended, and they did it with lakeside style, light neutral colors and bold blue and green brushstrokes. Read the original story here. 

Design team: Brooks Construction and Amy Vonderau Interiors

Kristy and Ron Crabtree couldn't find a new home they liked, and a lot of for sale would take them too far from the city. Therefore, a large-scale renovation project made their Katie home unrecognizable in the before and after photos. Gone are the walls that left it with incoherent footprints. Now their kitchen has a double island function, which is very practical. Their outdoor pavilion has a brand new pavilion with a full kitchen, dining room and lounge area, and you can see their swimming pool, garden and basketball court. Read the original story here. 

Design team: Lauren Haskett Fine Design

It's time for dentist Rita Cammarata to bring her mother into the home she shared with long-time partner Dottie Maggio. They looked around their Southgate community and were stunned by a new specification home. They asked interior designer Lauren Haskett to help them transform it from a big white box into something with more colors, personality and style. In this office, the black walls make the orange artwork popular. Read the original story here. 

Design team: Pamela O'Brien of Pamela Hope Designs

Tina Arias Peterman and Mitja Peterman are tired of the cramped kitchen of Western University and have no place to prepare meals. Interior designer Pamela O'Brien helped them remodel the kitchen, small breakfast area and pantry, completely changing their lifestyle. Read the original story here. 

Design team: Staci Henderson personally completed

The influential Staci Henderson or her wardrobe and home are not low-key at all. It is full of leopard prints, bold wallpapers, strong colors and vibrant art, matching her completely inclined personality. In the past, she always decorated her home in the way she thought others expected. When she approaches her 50th birthday, this Houston woman wants to relax and enjoy herself. Read the original story.

Design team: Carla Aston of Aston Design Studio and Shaun Bain of CA Design Build

There is nothing sad about the blues in Lorena and Terry Kubera's kitchen. Blue is an iconic year in 2021. It appears in entire homes, especially in kitchens, and it appears on islands—with the white cabinets surrounding it—and sometimes on backsplash tiles. Read the original story here. 

Design team: Laura Manchee Designs

The coronavirus pandemic has brought a new twist to vacations, prompting many Houstonians to choose vacation homes that are about an hour away-close enough that children won't complain about traveling by car. John and Katherine Palmer bought a place on the upper floor of Palisade Palm and asked their interior designer Laura Manchee to help create comfortable beach decorations. Read the original story here.

Design team: Yesely Love of Canaima Design

When Beth and Raymond Walker found themselves staying at home all day during the pandemic, they knew that they had ignored family updates for too long. It's time for a kitchen facelift, and interior designer Yesely Love helps them keep their budget. Read the original story here.

Design team: Claudia Soroka of CBS Designs and On Point Custom Homes

Shirley and Steve Strauss’ home in Mayerland was flooded by Hurricane Harvey, and the couple decided to start over—from the beginning. They designed a very modern home to match the modern interior design they already like. Read the original story here. 

Design Team: Julie Shannon Designs

Dr. Mike and Bethany McCann met because their family are avid sailors and have spent the summer in Kiama for many years. Eventually they married and merged with their family, and Mike's beach house underwent a major renovation and became theirs. Read the original story here. 

Design team: Marie Flanigan Interiors, architect Kelly Cusimano and Stetzer Builders

Scott and Renee Rice are ready to build a larger house for their busy family of six. Their requirement is that it should be both beautiful and comfortable, but also able to withstand the wear and tear of four young children. They turned to transitional style, which is an increasingly popular choice. Their living room has coffered ceilings and large windows, allowing you to see the backyard. Read the original story here.

Design team: April Littmann of Neighbor Interiors and Perry Homes

Teresa Welch (Teresa Welch) moved from Maryland to the Houston area, restarted and launched a new business, namely Amazon delivery service partner. She came with her two children, just in time, her ex-husband came close to his children, and then her mother and sister moved here. She moved into a new house in Fulshear and hired April Littmann to help her make choices and upgrade her furniture and lighting. One of her favorite things is her restaurant, which is decorated in deep purple, including velvet chairs. Read the original story here. 

Design Team: Sarah Eilers of Lucas Eilers Design Associates

Traveling to the Tom and Candy Knudsons vacation home in Santa Fe, New Mexico has become too much. So they bought a house in the Boot Ranch golf community near home in Fredericksburg. Sarah Eilers helped them build the River Oaks home, helped them make choices, and worked on existing works. Read the original story here. 

Design team: Victoria Sheffield Interior & Exterior Design and Farrell's ReCraft Construction Services

The contractor Brent Farrell finally started a large-scale renovation of his own home in West U, which has many cool rooms, but he has completed what may be the best garage project of the year. He turned his two-car garage into a two-story building with three stalls opposite to store his classic cars. Read the original story here. 

Design team: Julie Dodson of Dodson Interiors

After the divorce, Dr. Christi Pramudji, one of the city's top urologists and urologists, left a house in the memorial, now called Post Oak high-rise residence. She rented the two-story penthouse and asked interior designer Julie Dodson to add comfort and luxury to it. Read the original story here. 

Design team: Mary Patton Design and Scott Schindler of SRS Contracting

Blair and Scott Hawking like their home in Spring Valley, but they want a place where they can entertain their friends. In this living room, they can enjoy a glass of wine or cocktail with friends. The leather swivel and painted blue walls complement the black cactus fabric curtains, creating a distinct Texas style. Read the original story here.

Design team: Nancy Charbonneau and Bill Hughes Inc. of Charbonneau Interiors

Nancy and Al Wagner already live in Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, but they aspire to live in their home on the golf course. They got their wish, and then took the time to update the Mediterranean-style houses according to their tastes. Read the original story here.

Design team: Natalye Appel and Stephanie Millet of Natalye Appel + Associates Architects and Courtney Blair of Tokerud+Co Interior Design

Katherine Kohlmeyer likes her house, but wants more outdoor space, so she bought the house next door, replaced it with a hotel, and used both backyards as a swimming pool and large garden. Kohlmeyer retired in March and has worked in gardening in recent years. Part of the complex includes a front-end greenhouse. Read the original story here.

Design team: Cindy Aplanalp and Valerie Mikel of Chairma Design and Morningstar Builders

Kathy and David Ambrose went to Hockley and created a barndominium complex, including a main house and two guest houses with 13 beds between them. They also have a Peak Field, a fishing pond and sheds, as well as a zipline for many grandchildren. On Sundays, it hosts house church services and is known for hosting parties and weddings by lending houses. This is a photo of their 10 pianos in the playroom, each with a rendering of a bear-Ambroses is a Baylor graduate! ——On the back wall.

For the Ambroses restaurant, the Chairma team came up with an ingenious idea: use canoes and crab traps to make chandeliers. Read the original story here.

Design team: Katie Davis Design, RISE Architecture and Design and Cate Black of Seaside Construction

Trisha and Eric English built a second home on Galveston Island, almost as facing west as the St. Louis Pass. This large open-concept room has space for living, dining and kitchen preparation. Eric calls this room "a place for adults" because they like to take friends to spend relaxing weekends. Read the original story here.

Design team: They do it themselves.

For their newest home, Chuck and Cindy Bider don't have to think about accommodating their children or their children's friends. This house is dedicated to them. They built it in record time during the pandemic and found a supply chain workaround for custom-made furniture locally. Read the original story here.

Design team: They do it themselves.

Houston real estate agent Bill Baldwin dreamed that one day he would return to Sunset Lake in Huntsville, a place full of childhood memories. He found a house for sale last year, bought it, and then embarked on a large-scale renovation project. He and his partner Fady Armanious recently completed it. Read the original story here.

Diane Cowen has been working for the Houston Chronicle since 2000 and is currently its architecture and home design writer. Before working for Chronicle, she worked at South Bend (Ind.) Tribune and Shelbyville (Ind.) News. She graduated from Purdue University and authored a cookbook "Sunday Dinner: Food, Family, and Faith of Our Favorite Pastor."