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By Molly Burke
A Mediterranean-inspired palette helped upgrade a multi-family complex in an upscale Houston, Texas, neighborhood.
The Mirabella Galleria apartments, located in Houston, Texas, weren’t getting the attention they deserved. Located in the cosmopolitan Galleria area, the apartment building’s worn exterior with aged gray paint didn’t fit its neighborhood, which boasts Texas’ biggest boutique mall and premier restaurants.
“The property was in bad shape and needed to be revitalized,” says Curtis Haines, manager of Mirabella and CEO of Vende Capital, a Houston-based property management company.
The new paint was at the heart of a major overhaul of the 14-building complex, including new roofs, access gates, air conditioning units, landscaping and an irrigation system. To optimize his budget, Haines wanted the paint to complement features that were still in good shape, such as the iron detailing on the buildings and burgundy awnings. For help with this challenge, Haines reached out to Pamela O’Brien, the founder and lead designer of Pamela Hope Designs.
“The Mirabella needed an upscale look that would be quietly elegant to fit into the neighborhood,” O’Brien says.
Many Galleria-area properties in Houston have Mediterranean- and Spanish-style influences, drawing on the architecture and colors from seaside towns. O’Brien knew a paint palette matching this style would bring out the best in the Mirabella because of the buildings’ hint of Spanish Colonial and Mediterranean Revival architecture. Plus, a warmer, Mediterranean palette would match the awnings and the stone veneer Haines uses across his properties.
“This palette would be noticeable from the street and draw attention to the attractive elements of the property,” O’Brien says.
Before choosing the palette, O’Brien got in touch with her local Sherwin-Williams Designer Account Executive, Nubia Heinz, who she collaborates with on all of Haines’ projects. “I started using Sherwin-Williams colors for Curtis’ projects several years ago. After that, he did not want to look at any other paints and requested I only specify Sherwin-Williams,” O’Brien says.
For this project, Heinz ensured O’Brien was up to date on Sherwin-Williams color selection tools, including Professional COLOR File and Professional COLOR Fan Decks. O’Brien frequents her local Sherwin-Williams store to work with Heinz and to bring clients in to review palettes. “[The store] has lots of great natural light and a big table so I often go there to select colors and consider paint palettes,” O’Brien says. “Sherwin-Williams has also done such a great job of making it easy for designers to choose their paints. When the clients receive a folder full of big paint chips in beautiful colors, they are excited and confident about their color selections and about using Sherwin-Williams.”
Of the two palettes O’Brien presented to Haines, the warmest hues won out. Kyle Smith, VP of Guardian Construction, and his team painted Mirabella’s stucco and brick accents Basket Beige (SW 6143), using Sherwin-Williams DuraCraft™ Exterior Acrylic Latex Paint. The main brick and siding were covered with Dapper Tan (SW 6144), which was accented by trim and stone in Moderate White (SW 6140). To give the building a final, warm pop of color, the doors were painted Fiery Brown (SW 6055). “The door color has since become a favorite of the management team and we have used it on several other properties,” O’Brien says.
“We brought life back to the property with color and restored the buildings to fit in with the higher-class properties found in the Galleria area,” Haines says.
The updates have not only made the complex an attractive part of the neighborhood, it’s greatly increased property value and resident satisfaction. “The value of the property has almost doubled since we completed the repositioning,” Haines says. “More importantly, we have seen a happier resident community. It’s a place I would be proud to call home.”
