Set behind private gates within a handsome garden and backing to Lazy Lane, 1558 Kirby Drive is a classic English manor house overlooking a half-acre-plus landscape with expansive terraces, swimming pool and even a delightful playhouse for the kids. It is an exceptional example of early River Oaks design and demonstrates the aspiration to put craftsmanship on show and display the quality of functional design and materials. It has had just two owners. Clad in white-washed red brick with a roof of wallaba wood shingles, the home’s first floor has been designed to provide useful and beautiful rooms, including the recently remodeled kitchen, breakfast room and family room, cypress-paneled study with wet bar, formals, sunroom and even a delicious little music room with velvet-covered walls. All the principal bedrooms are located on the second floor, along with two extra rooms. There is a good-size cellar with a home gym and plenty of storage and a roomy apartment over the three-car garage. Price: $5,950,000. Click here.

Ready to build the dream home you’ve been talking about for years? Want your children to attend acclaimed River Oaks-area schools? (Buyer to verify eligibility for attendance.) This prime Pelham Drive lot is finally ready for its next act. It’s 9550 square feet (per HCAD) of space – plenty of room to build a large home and pool, anchored by mature trees in both the front and back yards. The site is just three houses east of Kirby Drive and two blocks north of San Felipe – essentially the heart of River Oaks and close to River Oaks Elementary. Handsome new construction as well as elegantly preserved vintage homes are all around. The original 1936 home is not inhabitable, and this property is being offered as a lot. At less than $186 per square foot, it represents a superlative opportunity for a new single-family home. As this is an estate, all offers will be subject to approval of probate court. Price: $1,775,000. Click here.

Exactly what you have been waiting for! Perfection in the River Oaks St. John's area on a professionally landscaped 16,200 sq. ft. lot (per HCAD). This lovely brick traditional with wide-plank French oak hardwood flooring, high ceilings and extensive millwork has been beautifully decorated by the owners with the expert guidance of designer Julie Dodson. It is move-in ready. You will love the gracious entry, handsome library/study, three masonry fireplaces, wrap-around rear veranda and summer kitchen, his and her primary baths, the sprawling game room, homework loft and three-car garage. All of the four secondary bedrooms have ensuite baths. The cook's kitchen has two Asko dishwashers, Wolf appliances, large pantries, house manager's office and a breakfast bar. There is a double-wide circular drive for ample guest parking. A must-see. Co-listed with Cathy Blum. Price: $5,650,000. Click here.

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.