The Story
Moving into a just-built home is exciting. You’re the first ones to live there, everything’s new, and the potential is infinite. Only then you might realize that extra-large windows and soaring 10-foot-ceilings don’t exactly make you want to grab a throw and curl up on a couch. That’s the realization Fariha Nasir and Hassaan Anis had after they bought their Houston, Texas, house in 2019. “It had a lot of features we wanted, but it felt cold,” says Fariha. With 3,200 square feet to fill and no budget to hire jobs out, Fariha created the features she craved. She placed molding on walls, hung congenial wallpaper, painted rooms enveloping colors and dreamed up the best play area for her son, Zaki. The way she arranged furniture, hung art and mixed in textiles that remind her of Pakistan, where she and Hassaan grew up, also bolstered the cozy factor. Says Fariha, “Now it’s the most warm and welcoming place possible.”