Practical, solidly constructed and easy on the eyes, this four-bedroom home was built in 1998 by Bardwell Building Co. Inside, the rooms boast generous proportions and a sensible arrangement, and there are lovely hardwoods both downstairs and upstairs. In addition, a two-car garage with full guest quarters above is connected to the main house via a breezeway. The house is set on an oversized lot with plenty of back lawn to accommodate a future pool. Aside from its versatile interior architecture – the home would suit modern furniture, antiques or traditional styles equally well – the location is ideal. It’s just a few minutes stroll over to Rice Village to browse the shops or meet up with friends. It’s also zoned to West U Elementary, one of Houston’s very best schools. Reduced pice: $1,575,000. Click here.

In the late 1960s, as America’s original Mid-century Modern movement was winding down, architect George Smart was commissioned to design a low-slung brick and glass house at 2300 Timber Lane. It would serve as the parsonage for St. Luke’s United Methodist Church for 49 years. When it was sold last year, the neighborhood assumed the house would be scraped away, as was the fate of so many others. Fortunately, Unicus Developments stepped in to brilliantly redevelop the property, maintaining the original footprint while expanding the first-floor master suite and preserving the modern brick facade, mature live oaks, and circular drive. Following 14 months of renovation, 2300 Timber Lane is set for its second act. It has four ensuite bedrooms – including the garden-side master bedroom – plus upstairs and downstairs powder rooms, a high-tech kitchen, elevator, refrigerated wine storage, private interior patio and a one-of-a-kind rooftop terrace with summer kitchen. Price: $3,850,000. Click here.

This jewel box of a house, just five years old, is French inspired. Squint your eyes, and you can imagine a 16th-century Anjou manor home designed to provide privacy and protection from the outside world while affording every sweet comfort within. To passersby, the house presents a cream-colored façade encrusted with decorative flourishes, gated circle drive (with motor court) and manicured plantings. Inside, it is a brilliant combination of elegance and 21st century technology. Floor-to-ceiling windows allow in abundant light, which practically glows as it strikes the gorgeous surfaces, including Carrara marble and Caesarstone countertops, Venetian plaster walls and gray-washed oak floors. The home features an elevator, home automation system with in-wall iPad control, three fireplaces, 300-bottle wine storage, three-car garage and a central vacuum system. In addition to its four (or five) bedrooms, there are spacious separate quarters over the garage. Price: $4,495,000. Click here.

A designated Houston Historic Landmark residence designed in 1936 by Birdsall Briscoe for his own family, this classic home showcases the architect’s gift for proportional design and ornamental detail. At the same time, to provide for today’s modern living, amenities include an updated island kitchen opening into spacious living spaces, a master suite and bath carefully designed for livability, three additional ensuite bedroom/baths, and landscaped patios and gardens. Recent updates include exterior paint (2018), new roof (2018) and McDugald Steele decorative fencing (2011). This home is located on one of River Oaks’ desirable park-like “courtyards” that offer splendid green space and buffer homes from busy streets and through traffic. A note on Birdsall Briscoe: Houston’s earliest residents chose this architect (as well as John Staub) to build their generational homes in River Oaks and elsewhere. He is considered one of the city’s greatest classic architects. Price: $1,675,000  Click here.