When Dana and David Porter commissioned designer Joseph Minton to decorate their traditional 1920s-era Fort Worth, Texas home, they wanted to capture the spirit of their summer home on Fisher Island. Minton orchestrated the seaside theme by mixing together various shades of blue and sandy beige, Dana’s extensive collection of blue and white porcelain, carefully arranged seashells collected over the years, and seaside landscapes acquired over the family’s summer vacations.
Minton also used Sisal rugs to strike a casual balance with the Porters’ pedigreed furnishings. Eighteenth-century antiques in the living room and hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper and Fortuny fabric-covered chairs in the dining room are rendered less precious and more livable. Dana’s seashells strike a similar balance sprinkled among her collection of both old and new Chinese porcelains, taking them down a notch. “We wanted a design that’s appropriate for a very active family of three boys and dogs,” said Minton. “Parents and children alike all have busy social lives.”
Photography by Emily Minton Redfield for the February+March 2012 issue of Traditional Home with writing by Candace Ord Manroe.
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I remember this home when it was in Traditional Home. It is beautiful!
Hi Susan,
Isn’t is?! I cannot believe I had not featured it before on my blog. So beautiful and so timeless.
Xx,
Andrea
The Glam Pad
Joe Minton is one of my favorite designers- in fact, we “met” through Facebook- when I was still on it- and he invited me to visit him in Texas ! (still not done yet)
This house, this family- words are almost useless- it’s a total visual representation of the All American Dream come true- and I say this with absolutely no irony- the pictures speak for themselves! Especially loved the portrait of one of the boys with the large blue and white porcelain behind him-
From the painted brick exterior to the gorgeous but still livable interior, this is what so many of us dream of- and so few obtain- just beautiful!
Hi Dean,
I couldn’t agree more, this home is exquisite! It is also a wonderful example of “do it once, and do it right”… this classic beauty will never go out of style.
Xx,
Andrea
The Glam Pad
Classic and timeless. Nice to see things done up right.
I SO AGREE…..CLASSIC AND BEAUTIFUL! I saw Joe Minton’s house in a magazine few years back and it was beyond GORGEOUS!
So beautiful, and absolutely timeless…could’ve been done yesterday.
Thank you for sharing!
I have always loved this house and it is one of my all time favorites since the first time I saw it several years ago. It is a classic beauty and I find it interesting that three sons live there. They must be gentlemen!
Beautiful house! So exquisite and classic!
What an elegant regal home! Such a beautiful family as well.
So timeless. We won’t see all the farmhouse gray and white last.
Such a beautiful home. Does anyone know the color of the painted brick? I love the look of the brick color and accent black and white.
When we moved into our forever home in 2012 after many years moving around as a US Marine family, this beautiful home had just been featured. My mom and I fell in love with the timeless elegance and worked with my basics to recreate it (on much more of a budget, I’m sure). It was her last year with us, but we had the most WONDERFUL time pulling together the elements and transforming our new space, which turned out just beautifully. Today, I’m embarking on a redecorating project there, and coincidentally found this post! (Or maybe not a coincidence). It reminds me of my excitement and the wonderful times shared with Mom, pouring over the magazine and the rooms featured and realizing we could make it happen also! Thanks for this. Love your blog. A new reader in Atlanta.