The House Next Door

Ready to downsize, a couple builds their new home in the location they still loved

- MERYL SCHOENBAUM

Christine Ring and James Porter knew it was time to turn the page and start a new chapter in their lives as empty nesters. They had both retired and raised their four sons in a wonderful home in a lovely area of Houston, Texas, but with their sons out of the house, they decided it was time for them to downsize-the only question was, where? Luckily, they didn't have to look far: the answer was right in front of them all along.

"We had been looking at existing homes for sale in the neighborhood but could not find one that met our 'must-have' list: master on the first floor, small yard, a formal living room and dining room, a covered outside entertainment space and a double garage," Christine says. "The house next door-a cottage-bungalow that had been vacant for about five years came available, so we decided to purchase it. The house and lot had many issues, so renovating the home was never an option. We tore it down and built a house that met all our needs. So, yes... we built a house next door to the house we had lived in for 32 years."

The couple had specific visions for their new home, so they hired Victoria Sheffield, principal designer at Victoria Sheffield Design, to achieve their goals. "I wanted to build a house that would 'fit in' with the general architecture of the 1930s homes already in the neighborhood," Christine explains. "We have a lot of antique furniture from Jim's family and I wanted a house where that furniture looked natural.

We have a fair amount of glassware that I wanted to showcase in display areas. Being a geologist, I wanted to use stone on the floors and as the front façade. I also wanted a home we could grow old in that would not require changes due to mobility issues, etc. Although our neighborhood has not flooded, I wanted to 'build high' to ensure I would never have to worry about it. And I wanted a small yard that required minimal maintenance."