Imagine a storybook English cottage built of red brick and white stucco that is accented with dark wood beams and steep gables. Leaded glass, cut and assembled by hand, forms hundreds of diamond shapes in the windows. Inside there is a fire in the hearth, and out front a wrought iron fence keeps a chaotic world at bay. Chances are you are picturing a home like 2433 Inwood Drive, a vintage Tudor Revival home completed in 1945 (per HCAD). This three-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath home – which also has an office/studio/playroom on the second floor, separate quarters and poolside half-bath – has been thoughtfully updated with a major remodel that began in 2012 and concluded in 2019. Family-friendly, the home includes a heated pool, large loggia, professional landscaping and well-appointed summer kitchen. Located on a pretty block of Inwood between Chilton and Kirby Drive, 2433 Inwood is close to River Oaks Elementary. Price: $2,795,000. Click here.

Like a long cool sip of a Pimm’s Cup, 2154 Inwood evokes a languid lifestyle that is gracious and ageless. It is one of River Oaks’ original pre-war homes, completed in 1941. A 2005 refresh by Eubanks Group Architects more than doubled its size and incorporated must-have 21^st-century features, such as a large cook’s kitchen, mud room and family room. With four bedrooms (all ensuite) plus full guest quarters, this home will accommodate a sprawling family and/or owners who love to entertain. The home is appointed with antique fixtures, and the formal rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows, extensive millwork and oak floors. Out back, enjoy the lovely rear garden and fountain as is – or add a pool. There’s already a full bath below the guest quarters adjacent to the garden. Close to River Oaks Shopping Center and Buffalo Bayou Park, 2154 Inwood is sited on a 12,000 SF lot. Whether it conjures classic Charleston or NYC’s Upper East Side depends on you. Price: $2,750,000. Click here.

Built by Unicus Developments in 2017 (per HCAD), this sleek and practical patio home offers the city life you enjoy with the private lifestyle you want. Outside, a walled courtyard with a cocktail pool is the transition from the street to the front door. Just inside, the large den or guest suite with a wet bar and a full bath are on the ground floor. Kitchen, living room and dining room area flow together via an open plan on the second floor. A secondary bedroom (use it as an office, perhaps?) and full bath are tucked in behind the open public area. The third floor has the elegant primary suite, a secondary bedroom and utility room. All bedrooms have ensuite baths. An elevator serves all three floors. Tucked away in a horseshoe-shaped street half-way between Kirby and S Shepherd and just south of Westheimer, 2814 Newman is nestled in Upper Kirby, one of the city's most dynamic areas. This is the rare Houston location where you just might not need a car.. Price: $1,550,000. Click here.

Striking contemporary new construction from Unicus Developments offers an exceptional class of city dwelling in West Oaks, a small private gated community on the east side of Tanglewood. Known for spectacular contemporary architecture coupled with functional interior design, boutique residential builder Unicus Developments has completed numerous Houston projects. To date, most of the homes – recognizable by their elegant alignment of volumes, soaring 11-foot ceilings, expansive white walls, large windows and imaginative entry areas – have been in Upper Kirby, River Oaks and the Memorial Park area. This four bedroom/four-and-a-half bath home has an elevator and pool and is set for completion in late November. $2,975,000. Click here.

Eighty-six years old and just two owners. That speaks volumes about a home. It says, mostly, that this is a house that has worked hard for the people who have raised their families in it. It’s a house that doesn’t sway with the latest trends. It’s a house that merits a family’s investment and its affection. You might say, it’s a house for the ages. With 4 or 5 bedrooms (all up) and large formals downstairs, this classic Southern Colonial is just a short stroll to River Oaks Elementary. Do not miss the third-floor game room with built-in bunks, built-in desks, built-in canteen table, big toy bins, bookshelves, a full bathroom – and every inch paneled in rustic pine. There’s even a shuffleboard court worked into the linoleum floor. Imagine your kids or grandkids playing here and the fun sleepovers they will have. (This is the house you wish you had grown up in!) The grounds are handsomely maintained, and the rear garden has space to build a pool. Price: $1,998,000. Click here.

Located on one of the most coveted streets in River Oaks, 3723 Knollwood is a low-slung brick home perfectly sited on more than three-quarters of a wooded acre. Prompting descriptions like “striking” and “art collector’s fantasy,” this 1950 contemporary masterpiece by architect Wylie Vale is notable for its polished white limestone floors, luxurious finishes and fittings, and expanses of glossy white walls. The main house offers more than 7,000 square ft (per Appraisal) of living space, including 5 bedrooms, 4 full baths and 3 half-baths. Art lovers will appreciate the floor-to-ceiling windows that allow in natural light as well as unbroken walls that offer space for large art installations. From the street, the home’s modern silhouette features a massive chimney, as well as several rectangular masses that overlap or intersect horizontal roof slabs. Need a visual? Imagine Palm Springs circa the Rat Pack era. Property and improvements/structures did not flood from Harvey. Price: $6,995,000. Click here.

In addition to its four bedrooms (all up) and five full and two half baths, this house has abundant windows and French doors opening onto the rear garden, plus lovely hardwood floors and three fireplaces. The kitchen has been renovated for the serious cook, with high-end appliances and expansive work surfaces. Company coming? The agreeable guest apartment over the garage includes a full kitchen and separate bedroom and bath. Those born to entertain will be keen for the home’s enormous great room with 25-foot ceiling and baronial woodwork. Mix cocktails and serve appetizer platters from the large walk-in wet bar with granite countertop and mirrored back bar. The grounds are handsomely maintained, and the rear garden has enough space to build a small pool – there’s already another half bath at the side of the garage. Best of all, the semi-covered rear patio faces north, so it is protected from the harsh western sun in the afternoon. Located close to Willowick, it’s a straight shot south to Central Market and Highland Village, and a small jog west to the River Oaks District. Price: $2,900,000. Click here.