In his dual roles of doting dad and high-end Dallas interior designer, Joshua Rice has created a modernist haven for his family near White Rock Lake. The Tulsa native, who founded his eponymous firm in 2007, bought the home seven years ago with his wife Jennifer. Together they embarked on an extensive renovation that reflects his luxe yet streamlined style.
“The house had been meticulously cared for and was in good condition, but it still needed updating,” explains Josh, 36. “I still wanted some references to the home’s mid-century past, but I didn’t want to feel like I was living there.”
To that end, Josh worked to improve the flow of the 1,600-square-foot residence, which boasts high ceilings and an abundance of natural light thanks to a combination of large windows and skylights. He painted the walls white, creating a gallery-style feel that helps showcase the couple’s artwork. The washable, flat paint has withstood the rigors of the couple’s young daughters, Tuli, age 4, and 2-year-old Seren. Birch floors run throughout the single-story structure while simple solar shades on the windows work to foil glare from the afternoon sun.
“When we moved in, there were literally three lights already in the house,” Josh says. “My only option in the main living area was to do track lighting on the beams.”
Josh painted those beams black, creating visual interest overhead. He also gutted the kitchen – in the process, removing the original doors that served to seal off the space. New black walnut cabinets plus honed granite countertops with a modern square edge, likewise in black, now anchor the space. “As a designer, my whole philosophy centers around using honest materials, and my own home reflects that. I didn’t want anything too loud.” The resulting modernist aesthetic exudes undeniable sophistication and warmth.
It’s a design sensibility that Josh began refining straight out of TCU when he went to work for the renowned local firm bodron + fruit. He scoured auctions and galleries for authentic modernist furniture, artwork and accessories, acquiring fine pieces for himself as well as his clients. Now with a preschooler and a toddler at home, a few of those items, including a fine William Plunkett rocking chair, have made their way to his Deep Ellum office – a nod to practicality and his preservationist inclinations.
His family, though, happily gathers each night around the glass-topped Carlo Scarpa table in their dining room, which is poised at the front of the house. “For us, space is a commodity here,” Josh says. “The table’s stretched-out octagonal shape works out well.” As do the Scarpa-designed chairs. Rounding out Josh’s favorite space in the home is a wall-mount credenza in walnut, which houses the family’s “breakables.”
Texture, meanwhile, reigns in the master bedroom, where a brick wall serves as the headboard. (Abundant insulation in the walls keeps it from feeling cold on all but the chilliest nights.) Matching rosewood bedside tables hailing from the 1960s flank the bed, which rests on a platform. In keeping with his affinity for neutrals, Josh dressed his bed in simple, natural Belgian linen.
Older daughter Tuli lays claim to the home’s most colorful destination: her pink bedroom done in a bird-and-tree theme. Josh filled one wall with a large IKEA storage system, which serves to corral all manner of toys, tea sets and other trappings of childhood.
Once she’s out of her crib in the guestroom, Seren will share the bedroom with her big sister. Josh plans to add bunk beds. In the meantime, the family’s oversize backyard serves as their joint playground – with their sandbox the focus of elaborate sculptural efforts.
“We really like living in a small home,” Josh says. “Maybe when the girls are teenagers we’ll wish for an upstairs, but right now it’s nice to know where everyone is when we’re at home.”
