For Houston-Based Influencer Kristy Sarah, Home Is Both Sanctuary and Set

Kristy Sarah, a Houston-based content creator with nearly 30 million followers, decided to build a home after touring many houses and being drawn to open houses. After an initial property purchase fell through, she worked with Novi Home Builders to create a retreat from the ground up. The design direction centered on “modern, soft, and very calm,” with a focus on large, floor-to-ceiling windows and a neutral, bright interior. Designer Nina Magon incorporated grounding, texture-driven materials such as plaster paneling and bouclé fabrics to keep the modern look organic. Communal spaces used uniform tones, while her two sons contributed to the design of their rooms.

"Kristy Sarah never assumed she'd build a home from the ground up. In fact, if you were to ask her, the thought never crossed her mind. "I wish I could say I manifested this, but I really didn't." The content creator, who has amassed an audience of nearly 30 million followers across Instagram and TikTok, was struck with the idea of building a house after touring what felt like endless homes."

""Modern, soft, and very calm," Kristy says. That and "a bunch of huge windows." Kristy tapped designer Nina Magon to help execute her vision. "It really all started with this idea of a neutral, bright space," Magon says of the early days collaborating with the online star. The rest of the project was pretty much seamless, Magon says."

"Today, guests are greeted by massive floor-to-ceiling windows through the nearly 7,000-square-foot home. Given the height of the ceilings, Magon's design plan included selecting more grounding, texture-driven elements like plaster paneling and bouclé fabrics. "Even though it's a modern home, I still wanted it to feel organic," Kristy says, referring to the uniform tones used throughout the communal spaces."

"All monochromatic bets were off, however, once Kristy turned her attention to her two young sons. She poured over renders alongside her children, making sure their vision was realized. "When it came to their rooms, the boys had input on everything," she says."

Read at Architectural Digest