Lindsay White’s life defines that of a true jet-setter. As a buyer for Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, her mission for perfect – and cost-effective – hotel décor has taken her across the globe and back again. During her journeys, White slowly acquired a diverse collection of artwork, accessories and linens (and so much more) that’s proudly on display in her (one-time) fixer-upper near White Rock Lake.
When White and her husband first spied their abode more than two years ago, it was a split-level duplex (circa 1930) with two living quarters. The couple fell in love with the outside, but the inside was more shabby than chic. The house needed a lot of work, says White.
About six months of construction resulted in a two-story, four-bedroom, three-bathroom home that the Whites now share with their 19-month-old daughter, Madeline (aka “Maddie”).
A mix of traditional and eclectic design is apparent from the curb; the home’s exterior boasts dark red bricks and a covered patio on the right side of its façade. Wicker chairs and curvaceous ironwork greet visitors on the front stoop, setting the home’s feel for relaxing – yet very thoughtful – design.
Natural fibers and tones dominate with black and dark brown accents punctuating the color scheme. In the downstairs living room, guests can pad comfortably on a woven rug, while natural blinds cut the glare from the family’s plasma-screen TV (that houses Maddie’s beloved episodes of Sesame Street).
A formal dining room, kitchen, bathroom and guestroom expand across dark hardwood flooring downstairs. Evidence from White’s travels dot each room, particularly in the form of pottery-sculpted angels and framed artwork. “I started collecting angels awhile back, and now I know of different stores throughout parts of Mexico that I always stop into to see if they have new designs,” she explains.
After climbing the stairs, inquiring eyes scan the vast landing (used as Maddie’s playroom) and land on a quaint set of French doors that open to White’s home office. The doors’ windows are topped by retractable Roman shades that accentuate the natural-toned color scheme and help hide work-at-home White from baby Maddie, who stays at home with a nanny during the workday. White’s office “feels like a tree house,” offering a panoramic view of the outdoors through the room’s many windows.
Maddie’s nursery is nestled a short jaunt away from mom’s office, the playroom and the master suite (which is located in the rear of the home’s second floor). This is where the earth-toned color scheme breaks at the seams, splashing Maddie’s lair with reds, greens and blues – all the classic primary colors that a girl can dream of (yet in hushed neutrals fit for a babe).
The window dressing royally frames the back wall of the nursery, topping off the patterned (and lush-feeling) carpeting. On the side wall, White added a bit of great-grandma’s touch to Maddie’s room by framing pages of White’s grandmother’s childhood book.
Back downstairs and sitting around in the living room, White says that it’s in this room that she feels most at home (“just hanging out, taking a break with Maddie and my husband,” she adds). “A lot of our family members thought we were nuts when we bought this house. It just took a lot of hard work and time, but we couldn’t be happier,” she asserts. “Now they can see the final product, and they love it almost as much as I do.”
